, 1860-05-09
Tho Sewerage OF Chtcaxo.

The physical geography Of Chicago is enough
to shox to the engineer, at the frat glance,
the difficulties attendant upon tho drainage
thereof The clly is built on an almost perfect
ittt'e elevated above Lake Michigan. Tbs ten
dency of the sewage is to stand still whereverit it
may be, and very slight tall in q sewer two
miles long, aud which has summit only few
feet above tide, would carry the operations al.
together below the water level. It was to the
would be simply out Of the question to live
there, that the services Of one Of our best eng1-
neers (Mr. Chesbrou9h. J was engaged; aud that
be might proceed on the surest plan for accom-
plishiug big object, he visited all Of the large
European cities, with view to seeing the value
Of the different plans which we're in actual use.
From bis report the articles recently published
by US lpages 115, l22, l3o. l42, 1853 Of the Rail-
toaY 11nles, hare been taken; and from bis
concluding remarks with reference to the Chi
caRo Sewerage, the following matter Is ex~
0ne Of the questions TINT troubled me very
much before visiting tho old world, was that Of
pipe sewers. The General Board Of Health Of
Great Britain, as already mentioned, had re.
commended them to an extent never heard Of
before, completely resolutionizing the opinions
relative to sewerage that had been previously
obtained; while the most distinguished mem.
bers Of The engineering profession objected
strenuously to 30 radical q change. As only
the continued satisfactory WORKING Of any
new system, after it has been carried out,
can conrince the public Of the correctness ot
the views Of its pr.jsctors, it was naturul IN
this case, both parties should appeal to actual
results, to sustain their theories, and as q con-
sequence. we hare had most conflicting accounts
Of what those results were. Under such cir
cumstauces it is very difficult to satisfy others,
or eEen ones self, where the exact truth lies;
hut the effect of observation and inquiry abroad
and If uhrrf hara Aiura 1pfnn
the first pipe sewers, shows that we have pur-
sued safe course, and that it would not be ad-
visable to change in this respect for the future.
In consequence Of the slight declvity ne have
for the pipe se~ers-only in 5oo-we took un~
usual precautions to avoid failure, or the neces-
sity for dtdgglng up str cts to remove obstruc.
tons from The pipes. These precautions con-
sisted in having the pipes laid as carefully as
po sible to the required inclination, making the
joints with hydraulic cement, aud placing man
holes at distances rarely exceeding one hundred
feet apart. There man boles are circular wells,
3 feet in diameter, curbed with brick inches:
thick, laid III cement, and covered With wood,
which. in the present state of our streets, is not
only very economical, but suitable material
The depth, seldom as yet over s feet at which
the pipe sewers are placed below the surface,
makes the cost Of the mau holes slight. We
receive the rain water from all the houses on
each side, they keep clean, without ever flush
ing: where large portion Of the rain water il
not let into them, they can be flushed cit IN with
a hose from the hre hydrants; and where there
is very little rain water let into them, it IS
necessary sometimes to stir up deposits By a
hoe and jointed rods while flushing. In no
case has any matter remaining in the public
sewers caused Inconvenience to private iudi-
viduals, Of rendered it necessary to dig up the
streets. 1t would be presumptious to say that
such never will be the case; but we have
great reason to believe that it will very rarely
occur.
Complaints hare been made from time to
time, BY individuals, that not only the pipe but
the brick sewers were stopped up, and their
premises flooded in consequence. Whenever
such complaints lave been made, re have al
ways examined the sewers and drains, and hare,
IN every instance, found the house drain OBJ
struoted by substances which it is unfnwful or
improper to put into them, such as sand, shay
ings, sticks, coai, bones, rags. garbage or
state, soon cools in the drains and closes them
up. gradually, but certainly
Whenever tho rain spouts are all properly |
connected with the pipe sewers, judging from |
past experience, they will cause very little
trouble or EXPENSE to Keep them in order. The
greatest, in fact the only important, item Of ex-
Pense incurred thus far, in keeping the pipe |
sewers Glenn, has been the removal of quick. |
sand from then in some part of the city, espe.
c'alIy near the lake. Parties digging cellars in
such localities have been very much troubled |
with water, and in order to get rid Of it, have |
sometimes let it rush into their drains SO rap |
idly as to carry sand INTO the sewers. Though |
generally done through carelessness, to Ger !
tain extent, this is perhaps unavoidable; and |
IN most cases, the parties who do SO are willing
to pay the expense Of removing the sand.