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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 1903)
Municipal League Banquet Served in a Sewer i - '): ir" r 1 r N&v ! VJV-W ... V U 7 ' at j v, iX MAYtm T. J. MAKTTN, WATERLOO, Xx. fol El NK of Iho most uiiiuim fifTulm cvc-r cai i li-d out in I his country w:ts that of the huti(iu't given at Wuteilno, la., Thursil.iy evcnir.K, in which the truiMta of the cltv. the licit-Kates of the Iowa LraK'ie of Wiitili'lpnlltlefi, in ms.-ioii there, were en tertained. The banquet wan tendered the rui'Htn In ii newer thirty feet beneath tha urfaeo of the ground and wus uttended by ovor .100 lierwons. The event win gotten up in honor of the Iowa League of Municipalities mpetiriR held In Waterloo. The guests were the ntuyorn and city otTUIuls of tho larger cities of Iowa. Tho Dry Hun Hewer, in which the banquet was given, is one of the largest pli-ees of municipal engineering ever under taken in Iowa and was a thing of gie.it Interest to the city's visitors, who greatly njoyed a visit to the sewer and the fine flve-eourse banquet which wus served to them In the sewer as In the finest banquet hall in the land. The principal toast of the evening was given by Mayor "Golden Rulo" Jones of Toledo, O. Mayor Jones poke of the affair as tho most unique he had ever Been, and spoke of the work on the ower as being one of the largest tasks lie had ever soon undertaken, and thought the people, of Waterloo must Indeed be public-spirited in order to allow such an Improvement for their city. Other speak ers were Mr. Coughlln. representative of Mayor Harrison of Chicago, who found it Impossible to bo present. Governor Cum mins of Iowa, ex-Governor lloies. Attorney General Mullan of Iowa ar.d tho muyors of several important cities In Iowa. The sewer In which the banqut t was held la built of concrete, extends over 4,000 feet nd drains a country and city where here tofore annual floods' hnve caused the loss of thousands of dollars worth of property. The sewer is now neurly half completed, but It will take the rest of this anun and a good part of next year to complete the work. Tho place at which the banquet was held la about the middle of Uiis (Teat under ground water outkt, and at a place where DO sewage comes Into It, and where all la cleanliness at the present time. In the SKCTIONAT, VIEW OF THE PRY KEET AND 4,0J0 FEET LONG. Interior of a ehomber thirteen fvet high by an equal numhtr of feet wide the tables for the guests were spread. The pas sageway was d 'eorated with unique de signs and the whole, with an orchestra room and reception room divided off from the banquet hall and kltchrn, looked like a splendid mansion. The entrance of the sewer was lighted by hundreds of in candescent lights and the long stairs that .led to the banquet hall when the lights wcru on was a blaze of glory. Tables 5 0 feet long wre ret In the sewer. For years the west side of the city has suffered from annual ravages from the wicked Dry Run. This treacherous stream, at most times a deep dry channel, after heavy rainstorms goes upon a rampage over the residence and business dictricts of tho city, doing great damage. For Just as many years attempts have been mado to di vert the stream to one side or other of the city, but all attempts have failed and the unruly stream continued on In its wicked way. In tho spring of l!$o a flood cuma where three persons lost their lives by tho sudden rising of the stream. For some years the stream did not again go on any great rampage until the growth of Water loo mado residence and business property more and more valuable, and the people who owned ground along the hanks of the creek gradually encroached upon the chan nel of tho sleeping stream until it was badly blocked. Many fine residences were erected along Its brink, only in late years to be mado undesirable because of the RUN SEWER WHERE THE BANQUET WAS HELDTHE SEWER IS 14x14 proximity to Dry Run. Each year after the encroachment commenced the floods be came more and more dangerous to life and property. The matter became a political issue on the west side of the river and eouneilmen could or could not be elected to ofrico acording to the stand they took In the matter. Not after the 1880 floods did anything of extraordinary seriousness occur until in the spring of 1W. when the entire lower part of West "Waterloo was flooded by the turbulent stream. In each succeeding year until 1902 floods came, growing greater each year and bringing greater damage. In 1902 two floods came that were disas trous, one on July 3 and the other on July 23. The losses from the floods of July of last year were figured at over $T-0.000. The city council took up the mat ter and consulted some of the most promi nent engineers in the country. It was shortly decided to build the mammoth sewer as tho surest way to secure relief. After compilation It was figured that it w-ould take a sewer 14 by 14 feet to carry away the flood water, and that over 4,000 feet of sewer would be necessary. In the fall of ladt year the contract was let to William Horrabln of Iowa City for a sum that will amount to about 173,000 before tho contract is completed. Work was commenced upon the sewer In the spring of this year and since the start from 100 to HO men have been at work at the struc ture, preparing the channel and con structing the sewer proper. But one-half to :. - to. 'mAmm v- ; jl li ' V; - -'-Xr. - ; YKST FOURTH STREET, WATERLOO, la. AT THE TIME OF THE DRY RUN FLOOD WATER WAS THREE FEET DSfefr oVEit THE CENTER OV 'HIE STREET. IN JULT, IXC-Tina of the work Is now completed. It is hoped that by July of next year the work will be completed and that tho flooded district will have Its wished for and much needed relief. ' he sewer runs from the edgo of the city on the west side through what Is now the principal part of the west side and Into the river, cutting off many blocks over which tho old Dry Run formerly meandered on its course to the river. Advice Turned Down "Annoying, isn't it?" gold the long lean. cauaverous lnuiviuuul at the lunch coun ter, speaking to the man sitting next mm. "What's annoying?" asked the other man. "The way your Jaws crack every tlmo you open your mouth to take anything into It. I know Just how troublesome it is. I used to be" "I'm not particularly annoyed by it, elr, and I don't ses how it concerns you?" "Well, that only shows," rejoined tho cadaverous individual cheerfully, "that you've got used to It. It must have both ered you like thunder at first, you know. The Idea of a man partially dislocating hla Jaw every time he Inserts a slab of bread and butter Into his mouth " "Suppose you don't let it bother you any more." Oh, it doesn't now. I got over It long ago. That is what I was " "Say, will you Just " "Pardon me for laughing, but I couldn't help It. There goes your Jaw again. It sounds louder to you than it does to any body else, of course, but it's quite evident, oven to" "You'll have enough to do If you will Just attend to your own business. I don't need any of your advice." "I beg your pardon again, but you do. Ifa an easy matter to break yourself of" "When I want any information from you, Bir, I'll let you know." "Why, good land, you are letting mo know every time you there you go again. I was going to say that If you will eat a little slower" "Just mind your own business, you?" "Cortalnly. You will find you can't stop the cracking by opening your mouth at a different angle. I tried that. too. It crackj all the same. The only thing to do Is to go a little slower, and not open your Jaw flulte so wide. With a little patience" "Darn your meddlesome hide, how many; times do you have to be told" "As a matter of fact, you don't have to do the alligator net In order to get In your work on a cut of pie. The blackberry pio of commerce is only three-quarters of art inch thiek, and it doesn't need a two-inch! opening to take It In. Now, then, sir, I aave told you how to muffle that Jaw of yours, and I don't care two straws whether you do It or not. I felt it to be a sort ot duty, but you don't seem to take It kindly, and if you like you can go on cracking and snapping your way through the world, and b hanged to you. Rather nasty weather we're having now. Isn't It?" Here the long. lean, cadaverous Individual rose, leisurely walked to the cashier' desk, paid for Ms luncheon, and went ou serene In the consciousness that be ha4 tried, at any rate, to benefit a fellow beta, Chicago Tribune. will