The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-04-11

OF any one else, generally speaking,
But the fact remains that the little
rivules, or the various rivule,s, have
been diverted damned and in some
case filed lip, Legally, il Is also pos
sible that even ii ID were a real stream
20 or more years ago, that BY the
common action Of ali those interest
ed, it has ceased to have that char
actcr now,
Generally speaking, the district
lying south OF Franklin avenue, be-
sveen 33rd and S6th streets, as far
south as Irving, is the one affected,
Most OF the water is now carried
in a general way along the lines OF
the original stream; that is, in a
northwesterly direction from the
China gardens over to SSrd street
The whole district has becomes badly
affected. Houses move, lots are car
ried over onto neighbours places, and
thousands of dollars have been ex-
pended in temporary repairs.
It is suggested that drains, Of the
wooden kind, be placed in at various
points on the surface. This plan seems
totally inadequate and not worthy OF
serious consideration.
Another suggestion is that to ade-
quately and perfectly handle the mat
ter, let a fine. deep drainage system
be put in, running along each street,
from S3rd to 36th, from the head,
waters to the beach, That is, to hay,
a drain, on S3rd, on S4th, on SSth and
on 36th, Ii that is properly done it
would seem as if the whole question
would be settled at once. Naturally
there would be lateral drains connect.
ing the streets on the south.
Generally speaking. this plan seem
ed to meet with favor among many
of those who viewed the district yes
terday. One important exception is
made, however, in the minds of many.
That is. that ii would not be neces-
sary to cut through 36th street, as the
same results could be accomplished
without doing ii, while to cut through
would prove so costly as to make the
cutting virtually prohibitive. To cut
through four blocks on 36th street
would require the cutting through a
mountainous hill, and it does not
seem necessary. OF course il there
were no great Hill there, il it were
practically level probably many
would agree that 36th street should
carry off its own water, as the three
other streets should carry off their
own. But at present it would seem
as il 36th street is not needed and
the cost OF improving it would be
ruinous.
On the other hand, few think that
the main stream should. be carried
through to the beach on 36th street,
despite the mountainous hill. They
aver that would at once take practi-
cally all Of the water away But il
is exceedingly probable that it would
take away only the little surface
streamlet, and would not affect the
whole saturated hill side at all Again,
it does not meet the objection of the
extraordinary cost of cutting through
the big hill for hundreds Of feet.
The objection is made that if the
streets were improved and the drains
put in north and south the same
trouble would continue; that the
ground moves in a northwesterly d.
rection, not northerly with the diree.
ton Of the drains, and therefore the
drains would be broken as Of yore.
OF course the answer to that is, if
the drains do the work expected of
them the movement of the ground
will stop If they wont do the work
there is no need Of putting them in.
The China gardens also present an
aspect Of the question that must be
met. Much Of the trouble is often