, 1865-08-07
CLEANSING THE CITY.
Cur Sewerage System---Tde Difficulties It
Tic situstl,s-.U.itlz'ng tho Pro-
dEets--Tle Dilemma In
Lopdan.-.Dralntgo
Of Chlesgo,
Knutility OF Proposed rln1a-Whxt
ought to be Done.


Nm Ia dirty animal Ut bsEt; II IL doubtful II he
be cot the d1titst ink IN the zoo'cglcA chtin.
Civilization, while II deve!opes thas Cleanliness
which fs next to Eedl1ness. aWpyt casrfcs With It
an enttpodal hlth, : & Nuch wo.tt than blrhAltt
uncle2nltnes. u the other extreme is superior
thereto. To succe:efnEy comtat this tfndeucy
Of the bumtn mfss kss a'wlys been one Of the
most difficult tosks Of civilization.
The drainage Of . city Is Always behind The re.
qrtIements Of the period, 1ar the simple rclson
tha, the conslsnt incsotse Of population presents
4 continually augmertng demand ios sewerage
iacalttes, AID these sse supplied only a. fast AZ
tuperattyely called for. In nj large cite. their
rapid growth his left far behind The drainaee
provisions Of the poop1e, xnd In Eex1ly every
one The qu'ttiou IN row being a.iiatcd: "How
ehf1i we gel r'd OF our ever accumulatinr sew.
aee; how dtspose OF 4 in sach WY a. that 1t
plet" 1t IL the eeme in the Cdes OF Enrops as
with oureelses. In Lo.aon the aulhofirics are
beNllet1cd With the neulfy. and although Paris
iccnt Sewerage fys}en, rhe. to, il rap'3'y be-
ccpe,bg htr pered win the exme grave donst,-
puzzled to know Whit - do with IL
cut ,. 1he Level sa1tace Of the si1e on which
tde The city. enbsrz sses In the Effort 10 pfo.
cure sufficient elops in or sewers, the loF stu
lie rspidits with Hh.ch our city h.s nllcd up,
leneeFe tho passHble pr0yieton for one Jelr Abs3-
Int " 1n.utndcnt 10 meet 'he It tqu,retnsnts ol;he
next. AZ consequence We do l,t.'e else Than
empty nl our 9th IN o the river (carAl,) eay1u9
l, TO 6nd rs way into the lake ~ Fest II may,
sfte1 having Il tlesed tna fo'tcd and poisoned the
atmosphere With tfs foul enanhttons, after which
II has returned 10 torment rs Ia the khspe Of
..pn1e hydrnnt water, " en ?2lted BY the Chieaeo
Nste1 We1ks. isden with the ash ir loasas ?me
faulnets hae ktlt d, the pestiicnttal compound OF
dl:h, too marty to b. named, has bsen tveu more
ohtectit nan'e for liable ntc th.n In the original
I. r1n Of Chlesg river siuth. whiting 1tn turn 10
10 Sra tEnn knI NoA
enough 10 be called water.
1te,s i.11 psospec. that at no di.t1nt cay
MI vi p. 1e wh ws snG1S1
But the other difficulty ttul rcma'n.; no plan
has u YET been eey1eed fer meeting IT end, Tn
o ee,ss 70 "a
stwsEe. The resson Of this s1 that wtile ev
cry possible p!au fetm, to have been proposed,
10 crtse objection, either the score Of efac:en
cy or e1pGLae. or both. This Il Tie true e1pla-
nation Of orr do,rcthlnc aa,etute in the matter.
not thSi we sre uswsl1irR TO incur any amount OF
expenditure within the limit Of our rxePect or
future attlitg to pa, but that we do 70: know
ike the two1d Of D4moeles, hsngs suspended
over chr heaas hy q blnPle hsi:, and m y over.
whelm us. The eetdE Of Civic d1sesee ana death
Of The c1.ptog,ms, which usy zemsin dormant
Tot years, IN the sbstree ct favorable conditions
lot development, but when these are supp LED,
the magnitude cf tbcir growth, 50 great lh,t Il
su:cetu ,de:s 9. special creation. We are Ill
awsre or II, md would gladly take IN hsnd any
n. asures which would. give promise OF proSlss
thectutl.
| ltEteds not 10 sp1c'fs The different p1sns pro.
! poteo ttcy arc slfe4tv lam liar to the reading
Pse; :. h9nssne ~ods Thy ~ hsvs
ary thing more han the Rctdtg rid o. the nnxtors
ra.tes tfttn our ,mmfdl It clnity, the cars1ing
sausjls c.jec1ioDasie to etb:rs. ihry propose @ Sc
The wnshtnE awa5 Of cur 4 III into ihe illinois
ItvcF to p lion 1te Hsh IN it, waters nnd the peo
into Lake Klch,gsn, where. although It wool1
not te 20 thenslve. it wlnAd get do harm ~ 1t
doet row; tny Ano every pl.n otnft= the provision
itea; At The best it II uaecss, and can tcs,cey Be-
Any course Of action thst is unnatural is u1wise.
aro alwsys ent.1ls eril. II IL only BY following
cut the irdic:tsons Of nature that re can tnsura
comfort This may be plsdtude: "a. 1t Is trn:h
wssFe TOO spt,o l:resi Dane Nsto:e Is eont;n' 7;
"Eoth1ng y ]ost. nothing I. wasted" In the
eeoncny Of nature. the vegetable and anims
knsco@s t1sc.ty eonn,fshslance esch other IL
every optEstl n; the psoxina elements clint
Lated BY the tcrmer bu ID up tbs vital stru :tuf :.
OF the later. whose compounded c1cEemeuis Il
she,s snrn form The haeee Of veectsble nouleh
work. Is 81 copstsuly dtartuR ou the psoduc
Of each 10 supply the growth Of toe other. VI
act g 3o1shy a we ~ dh
tflvcs 10 much disanvaatage snd loss bJ tnterfer
! | Ing With it. The disadvantage lies to the ce1
ny 2, p'a, md he h. sk Of 2o,so,
| NxtuIc's storehouse the fnIl cosnucopeian do~ sh
Is plepsr d to .11hh on us when the appropriate
The u1tI.za ton 81 sewage ha. for many year
eesn 1sso5te OF .qssct .S 9i '19d! VIA
: out n p:actice with rem.rS.71e eucc-ss. "a,
Merhf Fsrn, w.s rhr ooteTnnner nfs :sege ho,t n -
simiaE ettahlishm*n nts. each Q, VII ch On t1s ha,
Of tbe prae.ice We nase p,rtlsl soe!icinons y
1he thtory to the c1esnsut Of ci,ies bnt n nou.
talces thlfe I eo r,,sf m aetenee of tbis I'm,
TRY nd pecuutarT eeonomF ~ thungk sbez nc
s1t,s aaa Il: followers Il ,ha sd o
1he following letter from L,pdon To, =, East
e.n sxch.pre. shnT1np what ia l,rins 9fone IN n
.h B't;h mt Mf'tiepos s ia of Interest We paS
ro, sor,a 1i,aa - r,n,,ss ,,h,i. -. ,.,,
becoming more sno nors ao1tous Is TO he IL
e'1g Ihs =, p.!uaen M t a.9,a. 2, ne,r s.se!s.
Nm ~ orass ae1 e,ss ~'n taeI Fass sseonuis
aon. haye been aissharctns Il into the pnst
etIeam,, 70 poison the #1t below them u TO bs
hs
asEoltheI win po1toi ons gfses. This water
ePs1p to frequently u'sd IN The water woKka to
become = prolid. eouToe Of disease and pesti-
1cuce- Throughout England, the question OF
queannne for sanistrtane IT, nns to get rid Of the
sewage OF to%Ie And yet keep the rivers pure r.
I In London. tie difficulty his been peculiarly
feIious. 1t Il ea'itna'ed tha1 there are dts.
he ,ss n. or %, FL tas
| EAiefl lS0, OF, ,0Ot io4s Of xelEaqe! This N chty
r1ver of nss,inees, psestng thsou2h the iow
| grounds en- the h2nks or the Than:s formerly
Itsehsfgsd Its coutens tatn Ii IT 4.re IN At about
| its level and About he time Of low VI er
~ nSs Il 1f
! Of the eewe.r, where it remained q sue.
| p4ut pocl lot eighteen hours out of the
nstu.sl,T depo1iIed bg % snis proee.s. md sccTmH
| Ated IL the fewers, 10 WIT the1r deadly odor.
! through the streets of the metropolis. More.
| los often hsppered,1 there iet!d md poisonous
| Tte,ne wttcr, ind roae through the hou.e.dsai1s
more, II The Tide rose II carried this fresh depo
elt of nIsh no the river to new aeenee ana rural
1ise ~ .ts MI ,nsa 1as y nasA fs nsa tSn neg
nc1inr that iht raosi aith shonM Be- d,schsTped
| into ~ rirsr Eh-n r 1ts nnre trsfrr Wss IN tht
Grn u tn9 as.ac si;es The rtsnit NJ.
tai.y ~ 1as. shs Thames efe.1s tas E1s, A.
h,n,es II IN n IA hsntS Win Wis odors, aud ".
1.cns y afytrf;.r ihs health Of the iohsbit,nt,. !.
5sh9.h,e nn tRe f.'nsne1' noose oEsAN' ''''' aaA
When choltr1 brokc ont in the city It Was dis
coyt1ed hit tie rAysFes ulnoet precisely lrrs
| fnHndeC To the plasHA where tAt4 Gf1fn1RE VIA
Most d fecs,Ts. I'd where The polluted water q
tIe i1yef Wts uscd,
The ofjerie sought IN the improved drainage
:" we're The foIiow1pE witch re give tn the words
Of hit. Bsxa.eettt: .The 1nteIcep.lon. a. far a,
practicable. Of the tcourge By .9rayttadon. TO-
/ eettet With fo much Of the 1ain-fail as could b.
Reasonably deslt with 80 IS TO divert it from tht
riye1 uesr London the suhstltution Of con:tsc
Instead q an tnttImitse1t now IN ,he sewers; tht
their cnnettDt tccu unu'ations Of deposit, aud tht
provision Of cetp au1 improved 9udslls for tn.
for Esnt si futh oatislls- impsTtsc'ly drained
To carry out these objects new lines Of sewer
were ll:d at richf ANGLES to the existing teWefs
AID below their level. 80 ne - Intercept thti!
contsLts and convey them to an outtsl! 1ourtee1
| miles below loCdcn Bsldee. By this means
considerable portion Of The sewage IL cRrtiet
of by GravitstioD, and the rest IL removed b,
puuptrR. Al the outlets the torrent Of n;th1
Hater If cDptted into restrrott.. placed at such
level A& viii ephbte them to dieCh&tCe in 20 {ht