The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-21
REPORT ON SEWER
Results of Detailed Examina-
tiOn by Council Committee
-rlov
seq ~
Shows That Every Charge Made
Was Well Founded.
CHANGESAREGENERAL
Little Attention Paid to the
Original Profile.
The Ellis Report Is Exploded
by COunciimen.
CHANGESAREGENERAL

The complete report filed by the
council committee with reference TO
the Fifth ward sewer and the charges
of graft and poor construction Is as
follows:
Your committee to whom was re-
ferred the further investigation OF the
question of misconstruction and 1netn-
cheney of sewer No. "a. known as the
Fifth ward sewer. pursuant to rec
tee appointed to investigate certain
charges made by NJ. w. Gilmore
against James F. McCabe. then cry
engineer. beg leave to submit the 1ol-
lowing report; 49,. latino 20
the question under consideration came
from certain citizens and taxpayers OF
the Fifth ward whose homes were 10
Gated in the district drained by sewer
No pa They charged that the cellars
of their houses could not be drained
on account of the sewer being apoVe
the bottoms of their cellars. ana that
therefore there was misconstruction,
rendering the sewer inefficient. Your
COMMITTEES finds that this complaint Is
we'll founded and that the charge OF
iuefhciency is sustained beyond DOUBT
or reasonable question. The evidence
leading TO this conclusion is the fact
that none of the cellars OF the houses
built on lots Nos to 70 inclusive on
Polk street. Douthitt Pace aQultlon
bv the sewer at the rear for the con-
struction of which they are assessed.
The houses on these lots are NOS l4z1'
1925, 1929, 1431 and 1437 Polk street.
there being three vacant lots between
houses Nos. 1881 and 1437. There is
also the further evidence that the Gel
lar of the house at No. 1911 Tyler
street, can not be drained, and the Gel
lars of other houses on Tyler street
fronting east between Douthitt and
Huntington avenues are so near the
level of the sewer at the rear as TO
render the sewer inadequate for drain
age Durposes Besides these instances
Me evidence gathered from profles ana
Measurements Of manholes SHOW thaC
in other places in the district the sewer
is too near the surface OF the grouno
to give ample fall from pottoms Oh Gel
lars to sewer.
The Question OF Outlet.
. The second complaint is a charge
made by NJ w. Gilmore in an afhdaVit
bearing date of January H. 1SV's TO
the effect that the main sewer was
feet from the point of beginning
where sewer No. "a joins onto sewer
No. IA on Thirteenth street, east OF
the Santa Fe tracks. at an eleVatlon
eighteen inches higher than shown on
the original profile, on which the estl-
mate of cost was based and contract
price made, this change In elevation
being necessary in order to JOIN sewer
O.. 4
of stub there constructed when sewer
No. IA was built years before.
This charge we find sustained by
the facts The sewer was constructed
at an elevation above that indicated
by the original profile. and as con-
sequence the contractors did less ex-
cavation on that portion of the main
sewer than they contracted to do. And,
since the main along this distance was
a 45-inch, three brick sewer and the
excavation at the bottom not done as
contracted there was a large saving
to the contractors on account OF this
deviation from the original profile.
g. Gilmore charged that the con-
tractors built under the Missouri Pa
cific and Atchison, Topeka & Santa, Fe
railway tracks 81 feet of main. 45-
inch, three ring brick. but were paid
for 100 feet.
This charge we find sustained by the
facts. And since the price per hneal
foot for this part of the sewer was
$3.50 the contractors received for this
piece of work $112.50 more than they
were entitled to.
f. Gilmore charged that there was a
rise of four feet at the manhole on
Huntoon avenue at alley between
Tyler and Polk streets, and James F.
McCabe. former city engineer, admit
ted this charge, but gave as a reason
ed rs or 80 feet west of manhole and
that the rise was made in order to get
above the rock. Your committee finds
that the facts prove the charge of Gill |
more well founded.
No Rock in the Way
In order to put at rest the question |