History of Alameda County, California : including its geology, topography, soil, and productions, Part 82

Author: Munro-Fraser, J. P
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : M.W. Wood
Number of Pages: 1206

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" From our experiences of the past we may estimate the possible future of San Antonio Creek, if the advantages nature here holds out shall be utilized for commer-

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OAKLAND TOWNSHIP-CITY OF OAKLAND.

cial purposes. Some of the principal elements for what is not elsewhere now in San Francisco Bay, are here offered to us-a perfectly sheltered harbor.

" It is to be hoped that the interests of the Water Front Company and our great railroad may be identical in developing these advantages; a third of the expenditure necessary to carry the Central Pacific Railroad over a permanent bridge to permanent improvements at Yerba Buena Island, would adapt San Antonio Creek to the require- ments of shipping, admit the largest vessels and open a water frontage of eight or ten miles, or as much effective front as San Francisco shows to-day.

"When Oakland has improved the channel of the Creek, it may be proper to build bridges, for then, and not till then, can the necessities of bridging command the capital and warrant the expenditure necessary to build such structures as may not obstruct navigation or injure that channel."

The bridge as then planned was to be one thousand feet in length with a "draw" of two hundred feet, and to cost twenty-five thousand dollars. Early in March, 1871, it was completed. On April 10th, "An Ordinance levying a Special Tax upon Property in the City of Oakland for the purpose of defraying the proportion of the Expense assigned to the City of Oakland for the construction of a Swing or Draw Bridge across San Antonio Creek, in the county of Alameda, as provided in an Act of the Legisla- ture of the State of California, entitled, 'An Act to authorize the construction of a Swing or Draw bridge across the San Antonio Creek, in the County of Alameda. Approved April 4, 1870,'" was passed, and a special tax of twenty-five cents on each one hundred dollars of property ordered to be levied for the purpose of defraying the expense of the bridge. On July Ioth of the same year, an ordinance was passed, having as its object the protection of what is known and denominated " The Alameda Bridge" across San Antonio Creek.

But this by no means winds up the matter of the Webster-street Bridge : more will be found about it in our remarks on railroads.

We will now turn our attention to the sewerage of the city of Oakland. Mayor Spaulding, in his message to the Council, dated May 15, 1871, speaks of this subject as follows: " Another matter which I deem of eminent importance to the city, and to which I wish to call your attention, is the subject of sewerage, important because it comes directly home to every citizen. Nothing can be of more importance to the people of a city than that which tends to promote and secure its healthful condition. It seems strange that after so much has been said and so much time devoted to this matter, that so little has been accomplished. How can our citizens be so blind to their interests as to longer neglect it, while it is within their power to accomplish a perfect system of sewerage and at a cost that will not be burdensome to the most humble property-holder. It has not been the fault of the Council; for I am well aware that its purposes have been negatived by protests from the property-holders in locali- ties where these improvements were sought to be made. Another long and dry sea- son is upon us with the evil consequences resulting from an imperfect system of sewerage. In view of this fact, I believe it to be your duty to lose no time in doing all within your power to put the city in a proper sanitary condition. In order to accomplish this end, as the law now stands, it is necessary that you should have the support and co-operation of the citizens, who have the power to annul all your efforts by majority protests.

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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

"The subject of sewerage and drainage was brought before the City Council about two years ago, and by them submitted to a Board of Engineers. This Board was composed principally of the best engineering talent of the State-men of large practical experience-who spent a great deal of time in examining the topography of the city and of determining the best and most economical method of drainage. One of their number during their investigation (Mr. Hoadly) visited many of the eastern cities, among them Brooklyn, New York, and Chicago, where they have fully demon- strated the practicability of cement and stone or earthen-pipe sewers, and satisfied him- self that they were a success, both as regards economy and practicability. With these investigations and information procured from scientific works, they submitted to the Council an able and elaborate report, recommending the adoption of the pipe system of sewerage. This report was unanimously adopted by the City Council.

"To relieve your minds of doubts and to corroborate more fully the correctness of this system of sewerage, permit me to call your attention to the following extracts taken from reports of engineers in some of the Eastern and European cities.

" Mr. Francis, in his report on the sewerage of Manchester, England, speaking of the pipe sewerage which is extensively used in that city, says: 'I think the idea of requiring that the main sewer of every street should be large enough for a man to go through, is absurd, because it involves an awful waste of money. * *

* It soon appeared to me that the oval-shaped pipe was better for sewer purposes, and I get oval tubes made by a fire-brick-maker in this vicinity. * * * I am quite satisfied that the tubes are sufficient for large areas and that a pipe twenty by fifteen inches will be sufficient to drain thirty acres. * * * A tube sewer laid in 1847, size, fifteen by twenty inches, oval, drained an area of about five or six acres, with an inclination of one foot in one hundred and forty-four, or one-fourth of an inch per yard, has

kept perfectly clear. * * * With regard to inclination, my views are as follows: Nature is the great guide, the large rivers have very slight inclinations, and as we pass up to their tributaries and minor streamlets, this is found constantly increasing. Sewerage should be a copy of nature's plan on the surface. The following rates of inclination should be adopted where practicable: nine-inch pipes one in fifty to one in two hundred feet; twelve-inch pipes one in fifty to one in four hundred feet; fifteen- inch pipes one in fifty to one in four hundred and eight feet; eighteen-inch pipes one in fifty to one in four hundred and eighteen feet.

" Mr. Chesborough, City Engineer of Chicago, who was sent to Europe by the city authorities some years ago to examine the different systems of sewerage in use there, reported, that he found the pipe sewers in successful operation in almost every city that he visited. Upon his recommendation they are now used upon all the prin- cipal streets of that city. In his report on pipe sewerage in Liverpool, in speaking of the town of Rugeley, says: 'This town has been drained since 1851 by circular stone- ware pipes having socket joints filled with clay, the mains varying from six to twenty- four inches; they receive, not only the ordinary house drainage, but in some cases the surface water from the streets and all the contents of water-closets. Some of them are seven by eight inch sewers, having an inclination of one foot in one hundred and thirty-seven, yet have never given any serious trouble. At this time,' he says, 'the number of sewers in London is one hundred and twenty-seven, the least inclination of the pipe is one foot to two hundred and twenty feet.'

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OAKLAND TOWNSHIP-CITY OF OAKLAND.

" Mr. Kirkham in his report on the Brooklyn sewerage, published in 1865, after discussing the manner of laying the pipe and enumerating the many advantages to be derived from this system of sewerage, says: 'If the rate of inclination of a sewer is not flatter than one foot in four hundred and forty, the experience of Brooklyn and other cities equally well supplied with water, shows that the blind domestic sewerage of any street is competent to carry off daily all the heavier matters of sewerage, and to keep the drains free and clear, provided that the form of the sewer is such as to con- centrate these sewerage waters as much as possible. If the sewer is made unneces- sarily large, the depth and velocity of the fluid passing through it are proportionately reduced and its ability to keep itself clear will be confined to high rat es of inclination. It is important therefore to have it as small as the service required of it will admit. As regards the necessity of entering sewers, which was dwelt so much upon ten years ago, the successful use of the small sewers shows that this necessity does not exist; they have been found safe and effective when properly built, and less troublesome as regards cleansing than the old sewers.'

" Extract of a letter from Robert Rawlinson, Civil Engineer of London, to Mr. Kirkwood, Chief Engineer of the Brooklyn Water Works, under date March 4, 1858, says: 'I find that in Great Britain, within the last five years, not less than two thou- sand five hundred lineal miles of earthenware-pipe sewers and house-drains have been used, and for the five previous years some twelve hundred miles, making in all not less than three thousand seven hundred miles. I have completed sewerage and drainage works in some dozen towns, and have laid upwards of two hundred miles of earthen- ware-pipe sewers and drains without a single failure.'

" In Chicago, where pipe sewers of twelve inches in diameter are used with an inclination of one foot in five hundred, a tank is placed upon wheels and is used for flushing where water is not otherwise convenient. This may be done in Oakland, if necessary, where the termination of the sewers is not accessible to hydrants or cis- terns. The experience we have had in the Broadway sewers shows that flushing is seldom necessary, as these sewers have been flushed but twice within the last year, and no stoppages have occurred to impair their usefulness. A late inspection finds them free and clear of all solid matter or obstructions, the house drainage furnishing sufficient water to keep them open. It may be observed that in general the contem- plated sewers of our city have a greater inclination than those above cited, as in but few instances will they have less than one foot in two hundred, and many of them one foot in one hundred. An important consideration in favor of the pipe sewer is the comparative cheapness of its construction, costing from one dollar to one dollar and a half per lineal foot, while the ordinary brick sewer costs from five to seven dollars, besides being much more expensive to keep clean and in repair. Hence, with the knowledge we now have and one year's successful experience with the cement-pipe sewers on Broadway, the most populous street in the city, there should be no question in your minds as to the ultimate success of this system of sewerage.

"Another point in connection with this subject to which I wish to call your attention is that many residing on the streets where sewers are laid have neglected to connect their house drainage with the sewers, thereby rendering void, to a certain extent, the salutary benefits calculated to be produced. I would therefore recom-

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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

mend that necessary steps be taken by your Honorable Body to compel these connec- tions to be made with as little delay as possible. To effect this object I would sug- gest that a police officer be detailed to act with the City Marshal and Health Officer for the purpose of seeing that these connections are made and maintained, and other nuisances which would impair the sanitary condition of the city promptly abated."

In this year (1871) the sewer on Webster Street from Twelfth Street to the water front was constructed, but no especial action was taken to establish a general system of sewerage, although a large majority of actual residents upon the principal streets favored the scheme, but these intentions were usually defeated by non-resi- dents. Late in the year 1871, the Board of Engineers recommended, as a part of the system of sewerage proposed by them to the Council, the "construction of a main sewer, leaving Lake Merritt at Delger Street, and running thence along Delger Street to San Pablo Avenue; thence to Twenty-first Street; thence to Market Street; and thence continuing along Twenty-first Street to the shore of the bay, a total length of eighty-four one-hundredths miles. This sewer should be five feet wide at the bottom, and five and a half feet high in the clear. It should be built of the best quality of hard burnt brick, and provided with a self-acting tidal-gate at its outlet into the bay, and may be flushed when required from the waters of Lake Merritt." By this means all the sewerage and drainage of that section of the city lying north of the watershed, and 'of the sloping ground north of the sewer itself, and beyond the charter line would be received, while the southerly limit of the area that would drain into this sewer would correspond very nearly with the line of Twelfth Street. On April 15, 1872, Mayor Spaulding continued to urge upon the Council, as a duty incumbent upon them for the protection of the city against the encroachment of sick- ness and disease, the construction of extended sewerage and the abatement of every nuisance which could in any way militate against the healthful condition of the city .. The matter at last met with a pretty general approval, and the good work was pro- cecded with. During the year ending February 28, 1873, three miles and three thou- sand one hundred and fifty feet of sewerage were laid at a cost of twenty-six thousand and seventy-five dollars and seven cents, a fact which certainly speaks well for the energy of one year.

The construction of the main sewer became now imperatively necessary, and attracted much discussion. The city, however, had no power to cause the work to be done; therefore the necessary steps to get an Act passed by the Legislature were taken. On December 22, 1873, the draft of the proposed. bill entitled "An Act to provide for the construction of Main Sewers in the City of Oakland " was read at a meeting of the Council, while on the 29th December, a communication from the Secretary of the Oakland Citizens' Union was received by the Council, inclosing a report of a Committee on main sewer from Lake Merritt to San Francisco Bay, and a profile map of the same, together with certain resolutions adopted by the Union, recommending the preparation of a new charter for the city and naming a committee for the purpose. On March 23, 1874, " An Act to authorize the City of Oakland to construct a Main Sewer" was approved, and on the 18th May, the City Council passed an ordinance directing the building of the sewer; on October 12th the contracts were awarded to Mr. Jordan and M. Miles & Co. At the meeting of the Council, had

Moses Wicks

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OAKLAND TOWNSHIP-CITY OF OAKLAND.

September 20, '1875, the City Clerk was directed to advertise for the period of twenty days for the sale of sixty thousand dollars in bonds of the city of Oakland author- ized to be issued in accordance with the above Act of the Legislature.

The Main Lake Sewer is the most costly and important public improvement ever made in the city of Oakland. It was completed in 1876, and, as stated before, connects Lake Merritt with the bay of San Francisco. The tidal current steadily flowing through it from the east is of sufficient velocity to remove all extraneous matter that may be run into it, while the correctness of the engineering has been demonstrated, and the wisdom of the Board that directed an excellent system of sewerage is fully apparent.

The first contract for the two sections of the sewer was let to Dennis Jordan at an aggregate of one hundred and twelve thousand dollars, a sum far below the real cost. The contractor failed to prosecute the work according to agreement, and con- tracts were let in October, 1874, for the entire work to Mr. Jordan, who agreed to construct the first, or brick, section for eighty-eight thousand dollars, and M. Miles and F. Raesch, who agreed to construct the second, or wood section for thirty-four thousand dollars, the total being ten thousand dollars in excess of the price agreed upon with Dennis Jordan.

These parties also made default, and the contracts were a third time awarded. The Pacific Bridge Company contracted to construct the first section for one hundred and twenty-six thousand eight hundred and fifty dollars. The Alameda Macadam- izing Company agreed to construct the second section for thirty-eight thousand two hundred dollars, making a total of one hundred and sixty-five thousand and fifty dollars.

On account of the default of the earlier contractors, the completion of the sewer was delayed for a year, causing very great inconvenience.

By the terms of their contract the defaulting contractors were liable for the dif- ference between the original price and the price finally paid, or fifty-three thousand and fifty dollars. The cost of the work is given below :-

First Section-Contract price.

$126,850 00

66 Extra work . 512 40

38,200 00

Second Section-Contract price. 66 Extra work 525 00

Total. $166,087 40

Paid Contractors

157,483 73

Balance unpaid $ 8,603 67

Cash in Sewer Fund

$ 1,250 73

Deficit $ 7,352 94

The unpaid balance consisted of three hundred dollars retained until the con- tractors had removed surplus material and five per cent. on the amount of their con- tracts not payable until one year after the completion of the work. The deficit was caused by the extra work (one thousand and thirty-seven dollars and forty cents) and the discount on a portion of the bonds which had to be placed upon the market during a time of very great stringency and disorder in financial affairs. The material 38

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HISTORY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

used and the workmanship have been first-class, for the Council very properly adopted the policy that it was the truest economy to have so important a public work done in the best manner possible. The sewer drains an area of one thousand two hun- dred and eleven and a half acres, while an ordinance was soon after passed prohib- iting the further use of lateral sewers which discharged their sewerage into Lake Merritt. The sewer commences in the lake near the intersection of Delger Street with the west line of Harrison Street, and runs thence along Delger Street to San Pablo Avenue; thence along that thoroughfare to Twenty-second Street, and after- wards through it to the bay, a total distance of nine thousand nine hundred and twenty-four feet, three inches. The first section, which, as has been heretofore remarked, is of brick, extends from the east line of Broadway to the west line of Adeline Street, a distance of five thousand five hundred and eighty-five feet, three inches. The second section, of wood, extends from the initial point in the lake to the east line of Broadway, and from the west line of Adeline Street to the bay, a distance of four thousand three hundred and thirty-nine feet. East of Broadway the sewer is five by five feet in the clear; west of Broadway it is five feet wide by five and one-half feet high in the clear. The brick portion of the sewer is of the form and dimen- sions recommended by the Board of Engineers, viz .: the bottom an inverted arch of six and a half feet radius, the sides vertical, and the top a semi-circular arch. The bottom of the sewer at the inlet is two feet six inches below ordinary high water in the lake; at the outlet it is four feet six inches below the same plane, giving an availa- ble descent at extreme low water sufficient to remove all ordinary deposits.

Ere concluding matters connected with the Engineers' Department of the gov- ernment of the city of Oakland, it may be mentioned that at the meeting of the Council held June 6, 1878, consequent upon the lamented demise of the City Engi- neer, the following resolutions of condolence were unanimously passed :- -

WHEREAS, It hath pleased Divine Providence to remove from our midst a useful and upright citizen, an honest and capable official, THOMAS J. ARNOLD, and

WHEREAS, It is due to the deceased to recognize his ability and worth, as exemplified by his acts during his life, and pay a last sad token of respect to his memory: THOMAS J. ARNOLD was loved and respected; a citizen whose character was ever resplendent with bright deeds and whose acts bore truth and honesty upon their surface. Oakland may well mourn, for it has lost a valuable public servant; one who was ever identified with the rise, prog- ress, and material interests of the city, and whose name is coupled with the grandest of achievements. He desired to live, for he had a great deal to live for, but He who doeth all things well issued the decree which summoned him from the earth to a better realm beyond.

We drop this sprig of green in memoriam of him who dwells with us no longer, but whose deeds are in the possession of history and those who know him best.

We extend to the bereaved widow and the fatherless our sympathy in these moments of sadness. Knowing and feeling that we but echo the responses of a kindred nature from many of the citizens of this city and abroad, Therefore be it

Resolved, That this Council attend the funeral of our late lamented City Engineer, in a body, and that on to-morrow the City Hall will be closed to public business, so that city officials can attend the obsequies; and be it further

Resolved, That the City Clerk is hereby directed to spread these preambles and resolutions upon the minutes, and a copy thereof be transmitted to the widow of deceased.

In continuation of the official acts of the Board of Trustees of the Town of Oakland in the year 1853, we find that an election was held on the 9th May at the house of A. Marier, with A. S. Hurlburt as Inspector, and Julius Kellersberger and H.

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OAKLAND TOWNSHIP-CITY OF OAKLAND.

A. Brown, Judges. The result of this election will be found in the table of city officers at the end of this chapter. On the 16th of the same month Albert W. Barrell (sic) was chosen to be President of and A. S. Hurlburt Clerk to the Board of Trustees. On July 12th an ordinance for the protection of bridges and of people crossing the same was passed; while, on the same day, the Clerk was directed to devise a Common Seal for the town, and cause the same to be engraved, at a cost of not more than fifty dollars. This seal was adopted as the Seal of the Corporation, under date May 6, 1854, after Oakland had been invested with civic honors. On the last-mentioned date the Clerk was directed to cause to be erected around the "Public Square on Broadway* a neat and substantial fence at a cost not to exceed one thousand dollars, and, on July 16th, it was directed that the Clerk should receive five hundred dollars a year for his services.

In the month of July, 1853, the first public school in Oakland was organized, with sixteen pupils, the building used having been erected at a cost of one thousand dollars, and until now (January, 1883) has been occupied as an African church, hav- ing been removed from its original location at the corner of Clay and Fifth Streets to the corner of Market and Seventh Streets. It afforded all the public-school accom- modation of Oakland until the year 1862. August 16, 1853, the Board of Trustees ordered that the Free School in the town, "already established and supported by private means, is hereby continued and declared a Public Free School, and all expenses incurred in supporting the same shall be paid by the town of Oakland, out of the Free School Fund of said town," and, December 24th, four hundred and fifty dollars was allowed to Miss Hannah J. Jayne for teaching the same for three months. This lady is now Mrs. Edson Adams, of Oakland. In his first message to the City Council after his election as Mayor, Horace W. Carpentier, under date April 29, 1854, says :-

" The subject of Free Schools and Popular Education will engage your contin- ued and most solicitous attention. Of all the duties devolved upon you, that of fostering common schools is perhaps the most important. By adopting a wise policy in this behalf, and aided by such liberal encouragement as we may hope to receive from private generosity and from the State Legislature, Oakland will, at no distant day, become a chief seat and center of learning. In this respect I trust that you will anticipate the wants of the city rather than follow after them. It will be neces- sary for the city immediately to erect one or more additional school houses, and in doing so economy as well as utility will best be subserved by building upon a plan at once substantial, durable, and commodious. Though other interests should suffer I trust that this will not be neglected."

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History of Alameda County, California : including its geology, topography, soil, and productions, Part 82

Author: Munro-Fraser, J. P Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : M.W. Wood Number of Pages: 1206

Author: Munro-Fraser, J. P
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Oakland, Calif. : M.W. Wood
Number of Pages: 1206