New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-07-01
prescribe established 1t certainly seems 80 to
TuE DRAINAGE OF nEw.YORK.

what failure and swindle the Central Park
would have been had the City Government
been permitted TO get it into their own control
and make "iob" of il. So far rs We have
ANYTHING in New-York worth having, LesIOla.
tive regulation has given II, ard the same mode
of relief must now be looked 70 to provide Tor
tho most gicantic want of tia Ciiy--a new and
ctfectual system OF drainage. We use these
terms because the facts quoted IN pre-
vious recent articles proTe that ho'
only is the present system Of sewerage
Inadequate, but TO an enormous eN'
tent whole streets and parts OF streets, not 10
mention innumcrabc buildings. Lave no sewer
or sewer-connection at all, and ~ drainage but
from the surface. The first sewer; were con-
structed when the future size OF the city
was not anticipated, and 50 were, "i
course, adapted only 20 the need of the time
since then, - the City grew. additions have
been made. more on the rule Of satisfying 'mme-
date necessity then of conforming TO natural
laws; so that the whole plan of to-day is patch
work, one which will cost more to mend than o
new one will to build. A thoroughly new,
comprehensive system, equal to all future de-
maud. We must haze, ut whatever costa syS-
tenn as adequate as our system OF water.'uppiy'
Honest administration for few years would
save enough from present steanss to pay for 1t;
and If so it can practically b. done. we'll and
good. miltnn;aRy good; il not. we must be
taxed for Drainage and stealngi both
Some of the difficulties presented, ~ Tor ex'
smplc that OF draining section OF macs OF OF
very low land, arc not easily managed bat
better grading must be rosortcd to. 1t is cues
tionable whether too much land has not been
taken from tho rivers for the rivers ARE very apt
to reclaim their rights Nearly all the land
yest Of C;rcenwich-s, is made land some OF II
having required new ground to the depth oil
forth feet. and all Of this region is wretchedly
drained. two-thiris of the sower-slriace Oh the
Fifth Ward (of which this region between Reade
and Canal.sts is part) being reached by salt
water. Such regions are first attacked by cpl
demics. The character Of some OF the origihai
sewers is described in tho following extract,
which. with little modification, will apply to
very many of those In present use:
AS the meadows were h.led in. the original streams
were carried through open box sewers but OF uiuVr
following the lines Of Canai 1t. ana mes' 10. M
Becoming offensive and dangerous IN time thry VII
incO.ed by building very large sewers wiz conPaii
lively fat bot Ors which remain 10 TINS nav with
ual -ource of expense and nuisance Inc poHons y.
those ,,wcrs were laid with at soping 70 ire
center the sides were built Of brick porpendicnitr Ih
direction end four feet in hight; and nom th SIS
side walls low arch was thfowh .ncosi,t We sn.n
the who being covered With tie street ana ph,ensn
lOvine 10 th- plan Of building. the bottoms Oh the,e
sewers ere badly broken AMI cannot pe Thoroughly
cleaned
With the exception Of the arch over the top
this is pretty accurate description OF what I"
sewer ought not to be. The precise form OF
construction can best he determined by special
commission. which We hope TO see created De-
fore many years, AT least; but in general way
we may suggest that al small sewers and drains
from houses be Of round or oval eGrthen, and
tina. tie main sewers be Of brick, with convex
sides, the whole taking the shape oil the
I" poin,ed aroh," and the bottom being OF
smooth tagging, to prevent the least Resistance
to the movement Of solid matter.
But above ALL the present ShiftlesS and abom-
Unable system Of emptying sewers into the shp5
must be done away with. In the Fifth Ward,
all sewers except the one in Canal-St., which
goes out to deep water at the end OF tho pier
empty directly into the Slips and tue stencil
tberefrom is indescribabe. The miserable
wooden piers arc inadequate and decay ngenough
in clean water; it may readily be- believed that
the sewage floating in them has.sns their decay
The object of turning the sewage into the rivers
being 70 get rid Of it, by turning 1t into the slips
we utterly fail Of doing that, and moreover II
remains nuisance and poison, although the
tide would carry it away if placed within reach
Perhaps it is sufficient reply, however, to
say that by thus dumping and pouring into
the slips the eIeremento of the City, a
great many very worthy men find employment
in dredging out the slips. First, pour IN stuff
and fill the rivers u the injury Of navigatloni
second, aid navigation by dredging out. The
abolition of OUT municipal abuses and thiovercs
would ruin tho Vholes. "Qu,stio.. Mr.. Vholes
Us considered, in the profession, a respectable
imam, dns,ctr. Mr.. vhotes is considered i'll
tho profession. most respectable man" Ii
there were not dredging TO be done, and street.
cleaning contracts 10 be given out, and Bat
teres 10 be extended" what would become
of all our Vholes who have wives and children :
Clearly, reform which begins by levcling the
ant.hills Of the illustrious order Of the VholeS
must wait awhile for inquiry, and inquiry itself
mist wait for--the VhOles.
Precisely what we have done and are doing,
[ ondo, hoe Annn The snwann hnnn m of,