Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-06-11

The Recent Rains and Their Dsmas 90 in the
City Our Imperfect Sewers and Sow.
eragc.
The usual annual claims for damages oc-
cnsioned by the spring rains are now, and
have been for several weeks past, pouring in
upon the City Council consuming the time
Of that body when it ought to be devoted 10
the legitimate business Of the city. Nor Is
this all; large number of suits, having a
similar origin, are constantly pending in our
Courts, causing both trouble and expense to
the corporation, and ending usually, in its
defeat, for nothing can be clearer, as legal
principle, than that tho city is liable for dam
ages sustained by overiows, occasioned by its
neglect to keep the cutters in a proper con-
dition.
We are not prepared to give an exact esti-
mate Of the amount thus annually drawn
from the public treasury, and put in the
pockets of individuals, but we think it could
safely be put at $4,000, or the interest on
$4,000, and il Is constantly on the increase.
The question naturally arises, how can
this constant drain upon the treasury be
stopped2 Would il not be better to annu-
ally invest the $4,000, upon which We pay
interest in some good and efficient system of
drainage, and thereby forever prevent any
loss to the city, but completely protect all
the citizens from the annoyances to which
they are subject2 Sewers, sufficiently ca
pacious for all practical purposes can be con-
structed for 80 80 per foot, if large contract
be given at once; and the $4,000 would
build 10000 feet, or nearly four miles. This,
if continued, would soon supply the city
with all necessary drainage-protect the in
habitants against losses by overflows and
carry away much of the filth which engen-
ders disease, and which the most efficient
system of street cleaning can never remove.
Cincinnati is decidedly behind every other
city in the Union, of the same class, in this
respect. Decrcreek sewer, the Wade-street
sewer, and few short ones running from
Water-street TO the river, are the only sub
terranean drains in city of 100000 inhabi-
tants, possessing, as the tax duplicate will
show, over 100000 Of real and personal
property. Nor is it from any natural diff
culties to be encountered, for it is doubtful
whether any city in the Union possesses ad-
vantages over Cincinnati in this respect.
Wherever there is a good natural drainage,
an artificial one is comparatively easy of con-
struction.
Council has recently ordered the extension
of three of the short sewers from Water to
Pearl-streets, and the work will probably be
done this summer. But however desirable
these Improvements may be, they are alto
gether too small to be productive of any great
benefit indeed they are not commensurate
in Importance with the growth of the city.
The present policy seems to be to supply
any surplus which may exist in the general
fund to the building Of sewers, but no more;
and as this surplus is usually very small, a
system of sewerage must be an immensura-
bic distance in the future, and in the mean
time the public will pay out in damages more
than the sewers would cost. If the same
persistent efforts were made to obtain from
the Legislature the necessary powers to levy
general, or if thought best, special tax for
sewerage purposes, as are annually made to
procure legislation to secure partisan ascend
ency in the local government, there would
be no difficulty in obtaining it; and cer-
| tainly the advantages which would accrue
will amply repay the trouble and expense