Stanford

Plaintiffs were the occupants of the basement of a building No. 720 Mission street, which extended back to the southerly side of Jessie street, and had stored therein a large quantity of wall paper and other goods used in their business.

In the early part of 1888 the defendant caused a sewer to be laid in Jessie street from the center of fourth street easterly to its termination in a cut de sac at the westerly line of the Grand Opera House, which extends entirely across Jessie street, just east of the premises occupied by plaintiffs. The westerly end of said sewer connected with "a sewer in Fourth street. The sewer in Jessie street had two manholes with covers, but no cesspools were provided to carry the surface water from the street into the sewer, and none were provided for in the contract under which it was constructed.

Shortly after the construction of the sewer the defendant also caused the same portion of Jessie street to be paved with basalt blocks, and granite curbs to be laid and the sidewalks reconstructed. After the street was paved the southerly side was slightly lower than the northerly side, and the easterly end was about twenty-six inches lower than it was at…