41 territory designed. In each of these instances a liability is imposed for a failure to properly perform the duty. But a city is not bound to provide against an extraordinary or excessive rainfall.42 41 Bannagan v. District of Columbia, 2 Mackay (D. C.) 285; Scanlan v. City of Montreal, 17 Rap. Jud. Que. C. S. 363; Hession v. City of Wilmington, 1 Marv. (Del.) 122, 40 Atl. 749; Wilson v. Boise City, 6 Idaho, 391, 55 Pac. 887; City of Dixon v. Baker, 65 Ill. 518; City of Litchfield v. Southworth, 67 Ill. App. 398; City of Chicago v. Rustin, 99 Ill. App. 47; City of Indianapolis v. Huffer, 30 Ind. 235; City of Lebanon v. Twiford, 13 Ind. App. 384, 41 N. E. 844; Damour v. Lyon City, 44 Iowa, 276; Knostman & Peterson Furniture Co. v. City of Davenport, 99 Iowa, 589, 68 N. W. 887. If the damage was caused by clogging the catch basins of which the city had no notice and not by a negligent construction of them, no liability will accrue. Fox v. City of Richmond, 19 Ky. L. R. 326, 40 S. W. 251; City of Louisville v. Gimpeel, 22 Ky. L. R. 1110, 59 S. W. 1096; Thoman v. City of Covington, 23 Ky. L. R. 117, 62 S. W. 721; City of Louisville v. Norris, 23 Ky. L. R. 1195, 64 S. W. 958; Allen v. City of Boston, 159 Mass. 324; Seaman v. City of Marshall, 116 Mich. 327, 74 N. W. 484; City of Duluth, 40 Minn. 438, 42 N. W. 394; Rochester White Lead Co. v. City of Rochester, 3 N. Y. (3 Comst.) 463; Seifert v. City of Brooklyn, 101 N. Y. 136; King v. Granger, 21 R. I. 93, 41 Atl. 1012; Powell v. Town of Wytheville, 95 Va. 73. Pearson v. Wilson v. City of Waterbury, 73 Conn. 416, 47 Atl. 687. No liability where plaintiffs were negligent in making proper connections with the sewer. Rozell v. City of Anderson, 91 Ind. 591; Rice v. City of Evansville, 108 Ind. 7. An error in judgment in respect to the necessary size does not make a city liable. Buckley v. City of New Bedford, 155 Mass. 64, 29 N. E. 201; Munk v. City of Watertown, 67 Hun, 261, 22 N. Y. Supp. 227; Collins v. City of Philadelphia, 93 Pa. 72; Baer v. City of Allentown, 148 Pa. 80, 23 Atl. 1062; Baxter v. Tripp, 12 R. I. 310; Kiesel v. Ogden City, 8 Utah, 237. 42 District of Columbia v. Gray, 6 App. D. C. 314. The question of whether a rainfall is such an extraordinary one as to amount to a providential visitation is one for a jury. Los Angeles Cemetery Ass'n v. City of Los Angeles, 103 Cai. 461; Judd v. City of Hartford, 72 Conn. 350, 44 Atl. 510. If, however, the damage is caused by an obstruction left in the sewer by the city workmen, the fact that there was a severe but not extraordinary rainfall will not relieve the city of its liability. Harrigan v. City of Wilmington, 8 Houst. (Del.) 140, 12 Atl. 779; Hession v. City of Wilmington, 1 Marv. (Del.) 122, 40 Atl. 749, Id., (Del.) 27 Atl. 830; City of Savannah v. Cleary, 67 Ga. 153; City of Keithsburg v. Simpson, 70 III. App. 467; City of Peoria v. Adams, 72 § 960. Construction. The adoption of a plan and the determination to establish certain sewers or drains is alone of a discretionary character. After action in these respects has been taken, the construction of the work then becomes of a ministerial character and the usual rule applies in respect to a liability.43 A municipal corporation is obligated to have the work carefully and skillfully constructed " Ill. App. 662; City of Madison v. Ross, 3 Ind. 236; Brash v. City of St. Louis, 161 Mo. 433, 61 S. W. 808; Smith v. City of New York, 4 Hun (N. Y.) 637; Graves v. City of Olean, 64 App. Div. 598, 72 N. Y. Supp. 799; Wright v. City of Wilmington, 92 N. C. 156; Fairlawn Coal Co. v. City of Scranton, 148 Pa. 231, 23 Atl. 1069; Helbling v. Allegheny Cemetery Co., 201 Pa. 171, 50 Atl. 970; Fair v. City of Philadelphia, 88 Pa. 309; Collins v. City of Philadelphia, 93 Pa. 272; Allen v. City of Chippewa Falls, 52 Wis. 430. But see Woods v. Kansas City, 58 Mo. App. 272. If a city is negligent in maintaining its sewers it is liable although the rain causing the damage may have been of an extraordinary character. 43 City of Montgomery v. Gilmer, 33 Ala. 116; City of Macon v. Small, 108 Ga. 309, 34 S. E. 152; City of Logansport v. Wright, 25 ind. 512; Peck v. Michigan City, 149 Ind. 670, 49 N. E. 800; Murphy v. City of Indianapolis, 158 ind. 238, 63 N. E. 469; Wallace v. City of Muscatine, 4 G. Greene (Iowa) 373; Cooper v. City of Cedar Rapids, 112 Iowa, 367, 83 N. W. 1050; Perkins v. City of Lawrence, 136 Mass. 305; Simmer v. City of St. Paul, 23 Minn. 408; Foncannon v. City of Kirksville, 88 Mo. App. 279; Donohue v. City of New York, 3 Daly (N. Y.) 65; Evers v. Long Island City, 78 Hun, 242, 28 N. Y. Supp. 825; Barton v. City of Syracuse, 36 N. Y. 54; Lewenthal v. City of New York, 61 Barb. (N. Y.) 511; Winn v. Village of Rutland, 52 Vt. 481; Streiff v. City of Milwau kee, 89 Wis. 218, 61 N. W. 770. A city is not liable in making a negli gent re-connection with a private sewer. See, also, Moody v. Village of Saratoga Springs, 17 App. Div. 207, 45 N. Y. Supp. 365, affirmed 163 N. Y. 581, 57 N. E. 1118. 44 City of Birmingham v. Lewis, 92 Ala. 352; City of Denver v. Rhodes, 9 Colo. 554, 13 Pac. 729; City of Kankakee v. Linden, 38 Ill. App. 657. The rule also applies to repairs being made on a sewer. City of Springfield v. Le Claire, 49 Ill. 476. A city cannot escape liability because of the construction of a sewer by a contractor. City of Ft. Wayne v. Coombs, 107 Ind. 75; City of Leavenworth v. Casey, McCahon (Kan.) 544; Carondelet Canal & Nav. Co. v. City of New Orleans, 38 La. Ann. 308; Hamlin v. City of Biddeford, 95 Me. 308, 95 Atl. 1100; Trowbridge v. Town of Brookline, 144 Mass. 139, 10 N. E. 796. A city is liable to the owners of a well made dry by the con struction of a sewer. Prentiss v. City of Boston, 112 Mass. 43; Defer and of the proper materials and appliances. It must furnish the necessary appliances and a safe and suitable place for its employes engaged in the work. For a failure in any of these respects, one injured may recover damages. These rules do not apply to quasi corporations. $961. Maintenance of sewers and drains. After the construction of drains and sewers, although originally this was a discretionary duty, yet, the obligation to maintain them in a safe and suitable condition is not one of that character and the authorities must perform their duty in these respects or become liable for any injuries suffered. A municipal v. City of Detroit, 67 Mich. 346, 34 N. W. 680; Chalkley v. City of Richmond, 88 Va. 402, 14 S. E. 339. 45 City of Helena v. Thompson, 29 Ark. 569. 46 Kansas City v. Slangsstrom, 53 Kan. 431; Welter v. City of St. Paul, 40 Minn. 460, 42 N. W. 392; Coan v. City of Marlborough, 164 Mass. 206, 41 N. E. 238; Murphy v. City of Lowell, 124 Mass. 564; Pettingell v. City of Chelsea, 161 Mass. 368, 24 L. R. A. 426. 47 Packard v. Voltz, 94 Iowa, 277, 62 N. W. 757. 45 District of Columbia v. Gray, 6 App. D. C. 314; City of Little Rock v. Willis, 27 Ark. 572; City of Denver v. Capelli, 4 Colo. 25; City of Brunswick v. Tucker, 103 Ga. 233, 29 S. E. 701; City of Macon v. Dannenberg, 113 Ga. 1111, 39 S. E. 446; Massengale v. City of Atlanta, 113 Ga. 966, 39 S. E. 578; City of Valparaiso v. Cartwright 8 Ind. App. 429, 35 N. E. 1051; Roll v. City of Indianapolis, 52 Ind. 547; Hazzard v. City of Couneil Bluffs, 79 Iowa, 106; Correll v. City of Cedar Rapids, 110 Iowa, 333, 81 N. W. 724; Kansas City v. King, 65 Kan. 64, 68 Pac. 1093; City of Louisville v. O'Malley, 21 Ky. L. R. 873, 53 S. W. 287; Estes v. Inhabitants of China, 56 Me. 407. No liability will attach unless it appears that an obligation to construct the drain was imposed on the town. Hamlin v. City of Biddeford, 95 Me. 308, 49 Atl. 1100; City of Baltimore v. Schnitker, 84 Md. 34, 34 Atl. 1132; Kranz v. City of Baltimore, 64 Md. 491; Allen v. City of Boston, 159 Mass. 324, 34 N. E. 519; Emery v. City of Lowell, 104 Mass. 13; Collins v. City of Waltham, 151 Mass. 196; Seaman v. City of Marshall, 116 Mich. 327; Tate v. City of St. Paul, 56 Minn. 527, 58 N. W. 158; Netzer v. City of Crookston, 59 Minn. 244, 61 N. W. 21; Woods v. Kansas City, 58 Mo. App. 272; Fuchs v. City of St. Louis, 167 Mo. 620, 67 S. W. 610, 57 L. R. A. 136; Rowe v. Portsmouth, 56 N. H. 291; Boyd v. Town of Derry, 68 N. H. 272; Wessman v. City of Brooklyn, 40 N. Y. State Rep. 698, 16 N. Y. Supp. 97; Ballou v. State, 111 N. Y. 496, 18 N. E. 627; McCarthy v. City of Syracuse, 46 N. Y. 194; corporation cannot in respect to the construction or maintenance of a drainage or sewage system, especially in its discharge, create either a public or private nuisance. For the former, it is sub Burnett v. City of New York, 36 App. Div. 458, 55 N. Y. Supp. 893. Question of improper construction one for jury. Nims v. City of Troy, 59 N. Y. 500; Smith v. City of New York, 66 N. Y. 295; Munn v. City of Hudson, 61 App. Div. 343, 70 N. Y. Supp. 525; Talcott v. City of New York, 58 App. Div. 514, 69 N. Y. Supp. 360; Williams v. Town of Greenville, 130 N. C. 93, 40 S. E. 977, 57 L. R. A. 207; Markle v. Borough of Berwick, 142 Pa. 84, 21 Atl. 794; Briegel v. City of Philadelphia, 135 Pa. 451; City of Nashville V. Sutherland, 94 Tenn. 356. City is liable only for want of ordinary care in the construction of sewers. City of Dallas v. Webb, 22 Tex. Civ. App. 48, 54 S. W. 398; City of Dallas v. Schultz (Tex. Civ. App.) 27 S. W. 292; Lindsay v. City of Sherman (Tex. Civ. App.) 36 S. W. 1019; Scott v. Provo City, 14 Utah, 31; Willett v. Village of St. Albans, 69 Vt. 330, 38 Atl. 72. City not liable for exemplary damages for the neglect or refusal of its trustees to repair a defective sewer. Livingstone V. City of Taunton, 155 Mass. 363; Cook v. City of Milwaukee, 24 Wis. 270; Gilluly v. City of Madison, 63 Wis. 518; Schroeder v. City of Baraboo, 93 Wis. 95. But see Dashner v. Mills County, 88 Iowa, 401, 55 N. W. 468; Green v. Harrison County, 61 Iowa, 311; Dermont v. City of Detroit, 4 Mich. 435; Nutting v. City of St. Paul, 73 Minn. 371, 76 N. W. 61. No liability for death of child drowned in a sewer. Clay v. Board, 85 Mo. App. 237; Hughes v. City of Auburn, 161 N. Y. 96, 55 N. E. 389, 46 L. R. A. 636; Weir v Borough of Plymouth, 148 Pa. 566. See note 33 Am. & Eng. Corp. Cas. 87. As to necessity of notice see Parker v. City of Laredo, 9 Tex. Civ. App. 221, 28 S. W. 1048; City of Dallas v. McAllister (Tex. Civ. App.) 39 S. W. 173; City of Galveston v. Smith, 80 Tex. 69, 15 S. W. 589; Whipple v. Village of Fair Haven, 63 Vt. 221, 21 Atl. 533. 49 Carmichael v. City of Texarkana, 94 Fed. 561; Morgan v. City of Danbury, 67 Conn. 484, 35 Atl. 499; Platt v. City of Waterbury, 72 Conn. 531, 45 Atl. 154, 48 L. R. A. 691; Watson v. Town of New Milford, 72 Conn. 561, 45 Atl. 167; Dorman v. City of Jacksonville, 13 Fla. 538; Holmes v. City of Atlanta, 113 Ga. 961, 39 S. E. 458; Smith v. City of Atlanta, 75 Ga. 110; City of Champaign v. Forrester, 29 Ill. App. 117; City of Jacksonville v. Doan, 145 Ill. 23, 33 N. E. 878; City of Jacksonville v. Lambert, 62 Ill. 519; City of Bloomington V. Costello, 65 Ill. App. 407; Village of Kewanee v. Ladd, 68 Ill. App. 154; Mason v. City of Mattoon, 95 Ill. App. 525. Discharge of sewage in stream. 1 City of Pekin v. McMahon, 154 Ill. 141, 39 N. E. 484, 27 L. R. A. 206; City of Valparaiso v. Hagen, 153 Ind. 337, 54 N. E. 1062, 48 L. R. A. 707. A city discharging its sewage in a natural watercourse in conformity to a statute, free from negligence, will not be enjoined. Topeka Water Supply Co. v. City jeet to indictment, in some jurisdictions, 50 and for the latter, it will be liable for damages shown.51 of Potwin Place, 43 Kan. 404, 23 Pac. 578. Polution of stream by discharge of sewage. King v. Kansas City, 58 Kan. 334, 49 Pac. 88; Witham v. City of New Orleans, 49 La. Ann. 929, 22 So. 38. Acts 1877, No. 14, prohibiting the casting of offal in the Mississippi river does not apply to a municipal corporation. Macon v. City of Boston, 154 Mass. 100, 28 N. E. 9; Constitution Wharf Co. v. City of Boston, 156 Mass. 397, 30 N. E. 1134; Butler v. City of Worcester, 112 Mass. 541. A channel of a stream may be converted into a common sewer by legislative act. Middlesex County v. City of Lowell, 149 Mass. 509, 21 N. E. 872. A city cannot acquire a prescriptive right to continue the unlawful discharge of its sewerage into a private mill pond. Sayre v. City of Newark, 60 N. J. Eq 361, 45 Atl. 985, 48 L. R. A. 722, reversing 58 N. J. Eq. 136, 42 Atl. 1068, determining the right of the city of Newark under its charter to use the Passaic river as an outlet for a public sewer. Butler v. Village of Edgewater, 53 Hun, 633, 6 N. Y. Supp. 174; Beach v. City of Elmira, 58 Hun, 606, 11 N. Y. Supp. 913; Schriver v. Village of Johnstown, 71 Hun, 232, 24 N. Y. Supp. 1083; Stoddard v. Village of Saratoga Springs, 127 N. Y. 261, 27 N. E. 1030, affirming 52 Hun, 610, 4 N. Y. Supp. 745; Gillett v. Trustees of Village of Kinderhook, 77 Hun, 604, 28 N. Y. Supp. 1044; Magee v. City of Brooklyn, 18 App. Div. 22, 45 N. Y. Supp. 473; Martin v. City of Brooklyn, 32 App. Div. 411, 52 N. Y. Supp. 1086; Butler v. Village of White Plains, 59 App. Div. 30, 69 N. Y. Supp. 193; Briegel v. City of Philadelphia, 135 Pa. 451, 19 Atl. 1038; Butchers' Ice & Coal Co. v. City of Philadelphia, 156 Pa. 54; Owens v. City of Lancaster, 182 Pa. 257, 37 Atl. 858. If a city uses a stream as an open sewer, the duty still remains of keeping open the channel. City of San Antonio V. Pizzini (Tex. Civ. App.) 58 S. W. 635; City of San Antonio v. Diaz (Tex. Civ. App.) 62 S. W. 549; Donovan v. Royal, 26 Tex. Civ. App. 248, 63 S. W. 1054; Winn v. Village of Rutland, 52 Vt. 481; Harper v. City of Milwaukee, 30 Wis. 365. But see Merrifield v. City of Worcester, 110 Mass. 216. 50 Brayton v. City of Fall River, 113 Mass. 218; Boston Rolling Mills v. City of Cambridge, 117 Mass. 396.. 51 Arn v. Kansas City, 14 Fed. 236; Watson v. Town of New Milford, 72 Conn. 561, 45 Atl. 167; City of Atlanta v. Warnock, 91 Ga. 210, 18 S. E. 135, 23 L. R. A. 301; Elgin Hydraulic Co. v. City of Elgin, 74 Ill. 433; City of Litchfield v. Whitenack, 78 Ill. App. 364. Admissibility of evidence. City of Seymour v. Cummins, 119 Ind. 148, 21 N. E. 549, 5 L. R. A. 126; Loughran v. City of Des Moines, 72 Iowa, 382, 34 N. W. 172; Morse v. City of Worcester, 139 Mass. 389; Semple v. City of Vicksburg, 62 Miss. 63; Smith v. City of Sedalia, 152 Mo. 283, 53 S. W. 907, 48 L. R. A. 711; Vale Mills v. Nashua, 63 N. H. 136; Huffmire v. City of Brooklyn, 22 App. Div. 406, 48 N. Y. Supp. 132. |