Damage Suits May Be Brought

CITY MAY HAVE TO PAY FOR LOSS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY

Attorney Sawyer Believes There Can be No Ground for Action--Other Attorneys Think Differently

It is expected that a number of damage suits will be commenced against the city growing out of the recent flood. In fact a number of business men have already been to see their attorneys with a view of bringing action against the municipality for losses incurred through the disaster.

It is the opinion of City Attorney Sawyer that no one can have any legal claim against the city for any damage that may have accrued to them. The city, he believes, cannot be held responsible for any such unexpected floods as came on Monday afternoon.

Other attorneys, however, differ from Mr. Sawyer and believe that some of their clients have a first class ground for action. They base their arguments on the ground that the city has not provided the proper means for carrying the water from the creeks to the river, that the culverts are too narrow and that they are not in any way properly constructed.

It is said that one culvert which cost $800 to build is wholly inadequate, that its foundations were not laid deep enough and that it was constructed in a flimsy manner. There is already some talk of employlng an engineer to come here from Detroit and look over the culverts that have been damaged with a view of strengthening the grounds for damage suits that have been brought.

An alderman, in speaking on this subject this morning, said: "I am inclined to believe that many actions for damages against the city wlll be brought, and I think that those who bring them will have sufficient grounds on which to base their actions. The present culverts are altogether too narrow, and they are otherwise so constructed as not to permit of the passage of such large quantities of water as came down the creek the other day."