The Detroit times., 1913-01-25
RIVER DYKES
MARX'SPLANTO
FIGHT FLOODS
Mayor and Commissioner Haarer
Look Over the Situation
in Fairyiew
SURFACE WATER is THE
REALLY BIG PROBLEM
Will Always BE More or Less
Trouble From This Source.
It's Feared

= Mayor Marx and ID. p. w. Commits
sioner Haarer made an inspection OF
the flood situation in Fairview, Satur-
day morning, and, on his return, the
mayor said that conditions world be
normal In the affected district IN two
or three days. Marx told Haarer to
keep after Contractor j, A. Mercer and
/, Insist on his completing the new nine
loot sewer In the time In which he In
Termed the council committee on Sew-
ars that he could build II.
The conditions are not as good as
they might be. but they are improving
since the commissioner got the pumps
working on the old seweF,. Said Marx.
- me territory south OF Jefferson-aye.
Is very low. and much OF the water
comes from the river | am informed.
IL this Is true, the pumps are actually
Z working against the river This cnndi-
ton can be corrected by the building
or dykes along the river front, keep
Ing the river water out Of the low.
lands"
Marx had no criticism TO make as
TO Haarer's method of combating tho
nooo. City Engineer Mccormick, who
accompanied them, informed the
mayor that he had frequently advocat-
ed TO the council that dyke be bnlt
10 keep back the river water and this
plar Will again be brought before the
council The dyke would be built OF
concrete and extend from Corners
creek to Fox creek. This, with the
New sewer, the engineer SAYS. will
prevent further floods In Fairview.
Three pumps continued at work az
Jay Saturday and the water in the
old sewer In Jefferson-ave., was kept
down TO six inches. The diameter or
the pipe at Fox creek Is 12 inches and
at Connor's creek, "a A steam pump
capable OF throwing a stream OF water
- inches In diameter was connected
with the sewer at Fox creek and the
water I'm the sewer was SO low that
the stream thrown by the pump was
scarcely three inches I'm diameter
The man operating the pump said he
was running out OF water" Ordinary
IRE hose was connected With the END
OF the sewer at Corners creek and
the water was kept down bv this
means. There is no danger % the
sewage or surface water taxing the
capacity of the old sewer so lone as
the pumps are kept working, according
to Commissioner Haarer.
The bitches I'm some OF the streets
between the two creeks are full OF
ice and some OF the big subdivisions,
.,N iich lots are sold by enterprising
real estate, men. resemble skating
Kinks.
1.-The ground level of Fairview IS so
,ow that there will always he more or
less trouble from surface water dur
, Ing the winter and spring" said Com
missioner Haarer. IF Contractor Mer-
cier keeps up his present pace the new
sewer will be completed in 30 days.
This will take care OF the drainage,
but the land Is so low that surface
water will not run OF fast enough"
j. A. Mercier. the contractor. has
told some OF his friends that he has
lost $4,000 to date in building the
new Jefferson-ave. sewer from Con,
ner's creek or the westerly city limits,
owing to the soil formation and tho
difficulty In keeping water cut OF the
tube as the work progressed.