The Greeley tribune., 1909-07-21

est flood, | arrived at the Thirteenth
avenue crossing OF No. 3 ditch. l
found the ditch full and stopping
over between Thirteenth and Four
teenth avenues. Everyone in the
neighborhood. including ladies in
their Sunday suits. was working
irving to protect garden. lawn and
cellars. Nothing could be done with
the ditch. It was carrying two or
three times its rated capacity.
Having designed a wasteway
which was put in No. ditch near
the head OF Fifth street last March,
| was curious to know whether or
not it had been put in use and was
working. The purpose of this waste
way was to provide for just such an
emergency as was confronting us,
to empty. the ditch at that point en-
tirely. turning the water through a
waste ditch back into the Poudre.
Going up the ditch l found every
gulley on the hillside above rum
ming a little torrent. The draw just
south of Ninth street on the Houston
place was running half the. capacity
of the ditch. A small river was COM
ing in at the head OF Thirteenth
avenue Arriving at the wasteway,
| found it emptying the ditch at that
point entirely. 1t appeared to be TAX
ing double the capacity of the ditch.
A large stream OF water nearly
equalling the capacity of the ditch
was coming OF the hillside a hun
dred yards above the wasteway and
as much more was coming down the
ditch.
Superintendent Bush informs me
that the wasteway was opened up
Sunday when 1t began to sprinkle.
Evidently the water saw In the
ditch at Thirteenth avenue nearly
all came from the hillside above the
ditch
To make a storm sewer of No. 3
ditch that portion running through
the city should be made over. Some
of the sharp kinks should be taken
out of it and 1t should be enlarged
and conureted SO as to safely take
care of the food water from the hill
side above. believe the enlarge
ment could be made without the
purchase of much extra right of way
in this way: The lower bank of
the ditch should be reduced SO when
completed 1t may have height of
two feet above present ditch bottom
grade. 1t should be covered with
-, c1{Ohf1V
inclined toward the ditch. forming a
BERN eight or ten feet wide from
the down hill side OF which should
rise reinforced concrete parapet
wall two and one-half or three feet
high and six or eight inches thick.
The slopes, bottom and sides of the
ditch should be concreted. 1t might
perhaps be made one-half foot deeper
but otherwise present dimensions
should be retained.
The bridges at all the street cross
ings should be raised SO as to leave
two feet clearanme between BERN
and bottom OF stringer. For a width
of six feet at the gutter line at each
street crossing the parapet wall
should be made six inches lower so
as to form a spillway down each
gutter.
The concrete covering need extend
only from the Fifth street wasteway
to some point below Eighteenth or
twentieth street where right of way
Tor waste bitches to the Platte or
Poudre can be obtained.
The BERN of this ditch would be
convenient walk at n normal stage
OF water in the ditch. Parapet wall
and walk would be an attractive set
ting for adjacent property. Owners
OF property along the line below the
ditch could well afford to pay for
ms Improvement being reccompens-
ed by increased property values.
Property owners above the ditch
would suffer in times of flood only,
which, webelieve, will be rare. hey
would have better looking ditch
and could well afford to give a
perm of ten feet filling to the height
OF parapet wall outside of that to
prevent flooding
This improvement would prevent
seepage from the ditch and dry up
good many bad smelling mud holes
IN the southwest part of the city.
ihe ditch, with it's slough grass and
weed covered banks, is not .attrac-
1--WE. In many places 1t is an un-
signify catch-all for rubbish and gar
bage.
win no great extra expenditure
III tree trimming and grassing. this
walk could be made one of the most
attractive promenades in town. and
yet In times of stress like that of
sunday and Monday we would have
a conduit for the food water of the
"''iside above the city more than