Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-10-29
SUGGESTS SURVEY
Would Fix Property Lines and Right
Of Way Of Railroads Along
Bank Of the
81 Stream.


though it had been reported to and
sled by the city commissioners two
weeks ago.
The report is clear and deals with
what this committee has found and
some recommendations are made In 1t
Tor the Improvement of the river in
Ottumwa. The committee, composed
If F. Powell. S. p Hartman, L. T.
Crisman, r. H. Thomas and J. A. Bal
lard, in going over the ground this
summer took with them the city COM
missioners and engineer, the water.
works trustees and Superintendent
Brown and obtained the services of
Mr.. Link chief hydraulic engineer for
The H. M. Byllesby Co. of Chicago to
make an investigation of the condi-
ions and report his recommendations
lOr improvement.
The Committee Report.
The committee, after obtaining the
counsel and suggestions of the vari-
pus officials and others whose aid was
sought. thoroughly threshed out these
different opinions ard giving due
weight to each, prepared the following
report:
We recommend that survey and
plat Of the river from the dams to
the point where Sugar creek enters
the river be made. This survey to
show the levels of the right bank from
where the creek near the Irving
school enters the river down to the
Market street bridge. Also to show
the number of feet or amount Of land
zach property owner has along the
south bank of the river from Bear
creek to the Wabash bridge, to legally
establish the dividing line between the
individual property owner and the
city property. This survey should
show the length of the lot from the
center Of Church street to where the
rity's property begins. adjoining the
riprapping. Also the length Of lots
rom the center Of Richmond avenue
10 the river bank. and also clearly de
fine the line of the river bank between
the end of Richmond avenue and the
west end of the west dam. Also that
this survey show a line twenty-five
feet south of the center of the rail-
road track that is now nearest the
river on the north bank from point
that would be in the center of Court
street where said street. if continued,
would cross the c. M & st. P. track
nearest the river and said twenty
i've foot line to continue down the
river to the place where the railroad
track bears away from the river. The
object of this line being to establish
the limits of the railroad right-of-way
We realize that the question of &C
erection may enter into our river i'm
provement project, whatever it may
be, but we feel that after the project
moves the bed Of the river toward one
side or the other, that it will all be
done with a view of protecting prop
nrty, and that any accretions that may
pccur on either side shall become the
property of the city to partially recon-
pense it for the expense incurred.
We also recommend that soundings
DR. borings be made in a line from the
mouth of Bear creek across Central
addition to point three hundred feet
south of the south end of the Market
street bridge The object Of these
borings is to ascertain the depth to
The rock.
We recommend that the levels along
the part of the bank from the point
where the creek near the Irving school
enters the river down to the Market
street bridge be ascertained immedi-
ntely and the low places be raised and
riprapped at once. We believe that
this part of the work should be done
Immediately
We also recommend that the owners
of the property on the right bank of
~ o1 loxr ~ hv~iI loo
10 Myrtle street be asked to cut the
willows along the waters edge so that
they will hang over toward and in the
water.
Also recommend that number of
the Dean wing dams be put along the
right bank above the bend about
where Wapello street, if extended,
would cross the river
We further recommend that an ef-
Fort be made to formulate a plan to
make a permanent river bed for the
Des Moines river inside the city linn
its with the idea of Strengthening the
stream so as to prevent overflow and
waste land The city of Ottumwa has
now reached the stage in it's develop
ment where its basic points are estab-
lished ard all work that can be should
be planned with a view to future
growth from these points. It de-
mands intelligent direction and prac-
tical efforts.
We call the attention of the coun-
ell anG the citizens of Ottumwa, and
We cannot impress upon them too
heavily The urgent necessity OF init
ating and completing some plan to
protect the Ottumwa property and
citizens from the injury from the riv-
er in time of food 1t is unfortunate
that there is a big bend in the river
inside of the city limits. This bend
retards the flow Of the water and
backs it up at food time.
Previous to 1892 the south bank of
the river above the Market street
bridge and parallel to Church street
up to Myrtle street was probably one
hundred and fifty feet west OF where
1t now is or in other words, the south