Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-07
ASSISTANT CITY
ENGINEER KILLED
SWEPT INTO SEA THROUGH
MOUTH OF SEWER
Henry G. Parker, Bridge Expert OF
Municipality, Falls in outfalI
Chamber and Is Carried
Out to His Death

Henry G. Parker. 40 years old, as
sistant city engineer, of 9025 Foster
street, fell into one of the large cham
bers at the Los Angeles outfall sewer
at Hyperion station, near Playa del
Rev, late yesterday afternoon and was
drowned. The body was swept out into
the ocean and was recovered shortly
afterward by two fishermen from
Ocean Park.
lust how the accident occurred is not
known. Parker, who has been an as
sistant engineer for the city of Los
Angeles for the last five years, in the
charge of the bridge department, went
to Hyperion yesterday to supervise
the construction of gates at the outer
chamber of the sewer.
He had discussed details of the work
with Inspector Charles f. Derby, VINO
is in charge of the work there, and
later entered one of the chambers for
the purpose of attending to the plac-
ing of one of the gates being con-
structed to keep in the sewage.
There were eight or ten workmen em-
ployed there at the time, but none
seems to have noticed Parker when he
went into the outer end of the sewer.
1t is believed, he missed his footing and
fell into the rushing waters.
Two fishermen who were short dis
as it rose and fell on the waves, and,
, obtaining a boat, they put out to sea
and toWed it back to shore.
The sewer Workmen notified the
coroner at Los Angeles and the body
was ordered taken to the undertaking
establishment of o. A. Kirkelie at
Ocean Park, where an inquest will be
held at 1890 o'clock this morning.
The accident was reported to City
Engineer Hamlin after the coroner had
been notified and he will make an in
Vestigation as to the manner in which
Parker was drowned
"Mr Parker was a valuable and con-
scientious man." said Engineer Hamlin,
land his death is great loss"
Henry G. Parker was born in Minne-
sofa and came to California when he
was Z years old with his parents, his
| father being a clergyman. The family
settled at Santa Ana, where Parker
was graduated from the Santa Ana
high school. From the high school
he entered the University of California
at Berkeley and was graduated with
third highest honors in a large class
| in 1890
! After leaving college Parker became
bridge engineer for the Denver & Rio
Grande railroad, resigning position
with that railroad to become assistant
city engineer for Los Angeles.
During the last three years Parker
had been in the charge of the bridge
department for the city He designed
the bridges which are being built over
the river at Macy street, the large
bridge at Seventh street and drew the
plans for the Buena Vista street bridge
When the outfall sewer was wrecked
by a blowout some time ago Parker
took charge of it's reconstruction.
George B. Robinson, a civil engineer
in the city engineers office, was
classmate at Berkeley with Parker and
will assist City Engineer Hamlin in
investigating the accident.
"Mr. Parker was one of the best en-
gineers on the Pacific coast, said Rob-
inson, land his untimely death is sad
blow to us"
The dead man leaves a wife and two
small children.
The funeral arrangements will not
be made until after the inquest.