Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-03-01

since the last report there nave been A.
l66 lineal feet Il $40 mies) Of main pipe
laid, and 269 new posts erected and lighted,
in accordance with plats furnished BY this
Office. The total amount of main gas pipe
now laid within the city limits is 363 29l
lipeal feet-sbout sixty eight and eight. tenth
miles. The number of public lamps is 2, 1888,
at an expense, for the year ending February
!, Of $50, 705 81.
The amount of bowlder paving the past
year, it will be seen, is not so great as the
year previous, being only $34,934 n. The
cost for repairs is about the same as last year,
being $12 329 GA. The annual average cost
for psvements since 1853, as stated in my
last annual report, $S3 900, and the annual
cost of repairs during the same time aboat
$ll 500.
During the past year the Cincinnati Street
Railroad Company have laid 1886 feet of
new track The Passenger Railroad Com
psny have laid about |, 200 feet of new track.
The Pendleton and Fifth street Market space
Railroad Company have completed their
route, having laid about 10 600 feet of track.
Making the total amount of street railroad
track low laid and operated by the several
companies as follows:
Passenger Railroad Co........ miles Asd 800 feet
tinci natl Street Earoad OO4 miles al d q $50 feet
Pehdletop ard Fifth st. Mar
Eet'space Railroad Co......3 mikes and 3 l6o feet.
pbOWlDS "a tOtdl JtuRIu OI SDE6Gk TullTOaQS
u operation of l6 449 1000 miles.
The item of building sewers and culverts,
it Will be perceived, is quite large, being
more than double that Of any former year.
The great cost of cleaning our
| sewers and culverts has been occasioned by
| the washing into the mouths OF inlets of
| large bodies OF earth and stones, from, the
hili-sides, by heavy rains; and it may be well
here to remark that our system of coustTnct-
.,gcr ntaIU 10 60
masses of stones and earth to enter them, is
an error, which should be remedied as soon
as POSSIBLE. Not only is it very expensive
| TO remove the earth thus washed in, but
property, and even life, is endangered by
these oveIhOws.
The amount paid for damages to private
property during the past year, from over
flows caused by the sewers filling up will
earth, is nearly $4,000
The sewers constructed on Sycamore
Walnut and Vine streets, last season, are Sc
arranged as not, only to prevent the filtt
from the streets being washed into them
but have traps " hich effectually exclude the
tOul gases from the streets at most of the in
terseCtions The sewers are constructed fol
thorough drainage of the adjacent premises
having six-inch glazed stOneware-pipe in
serted at intervals of every twenty feet
Under The ordinance by the City Council
OONOONA iOOOf puitACS ulC W Idk
these sewers upon the payment of two fifth
of the cost of construction, and an annua
rental Of ten per cent. on One-half the Who'll,
cost of sewer. A number of property owner
have availed themselves of this privilege
and there is no question but this drainage O
cellars and houses in that portion of the city
will contribute materially to the bette
health of the inhabitants.
In this connection would again urge tht
importance of providing, as soon as possible
for the complete sewerage of the city. 1t il
the experience of all cities that they mus
adopt some plan to get rid of the fifth whicl
accumulates in them. A disregard of thi
law of cleanliness is visited with malguan
feyeTs, various contagious anG epidemic dis
eases, and renders more viruent occasions
periods of pestilence. The impurities whic
are necessarily generated in densely popu
lated districts are so considerable, that a du
regard TO health requires, as an imperativ
necessity, the removal of every thing tha
injuriously affects or endangers it, particu
larly those which can be done by their ow
gravitation, not only that they may b
passed away, so as not to iDjure the AIR W
breathe, but that they may not be absorbet
by the earth poisoning the water usder il
and exhaled in pestilential vapors. This
the legitimate province of a system of house
drainage, in connection with that of com
mon sewers.
All of which is respectfully submitted,
A. W. GILBERT,
City Civil Engineer.