New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-09-22
NECESSITIES AND FAULTS OF DRAINS
THE SEWERS OF THE METROPOLIS

~.
entity than usual it assails We have street
CLEANING contractors and oal contractors and scaven-
cers and housedrains and sewers, and fancy they
take It away each in their fashion, yet We have it
continually in sight and sometimes nay very frequently,
even when the quantity visible is not unusually large, our
posts tell us the refuse Of our kitchens, manufacturers
streets and persons uncomoraby near aud apparently
in immense amounts. If large communities do not re-
move their hlth it will them. People die OF II
every day and our physicians call the disease by spch
names as typhus or typhoid foycr scaratina measles
cropp dphthera darrhoa ohOleranfantum, cholera and
they try to cure it by exhibiting drugs The plain truth
that the cause of death is filth is seldom told even by
those who know it best The dsintegraed materials Oh
our streets invade lungs at every step and our paors
tbro1rb every crevicc The waste products of combus
ton blind us in every thoroughfre. The odor OF deco
rospg animal and vegetable matter greets US at every
corner and still have not begun to enumerate t1e
of foul-ar diseases 10 reCspltuate the xmas vi ~
fuse that must DO discharged from Our towns anu
We have begun 10 realize however that great huuDci
of the diseases now prevalent may be traced 70 he pure
faction Of Organic matter and TO the eNeIela vi men
animals and is with the means OF inc removal oi oe
substances that propose 10 treat III the following pau
graphs;
THR NECESSITY POR ADEQUATE SEWERAGE
When human beings congregatc the absolute necessity
gins Persons who live nomac or agTcultnra hSes eA
perence little difficulty OF thus kind Inc leIase oi uVh
persons returns TO tho soil, which II ieizes ana ny
which it is deodOrzcd and thus becomes benson III
stead of curse In cities however the disposal Of these
matters Is thing Of life death. i must DO Done az
whatever cost matter OF sanitary safety ana uls
the first thing to be sought The agucuurst wants sew
are for the sake Of Us iezag powers aud II may thus
be made sOurceOf profit The hysienst must have the
atmosphere free from the mephc gases OF sewage.
difficult 70 satisfy both these parties, and perhaps we haa
better not try IT, Ii those excTetl be allowed TO coiec III
cesspools tiey destroy human life il they be washed
away through sewers thcy lost to wheat fields
hIrafnre a
obtpaley refuse in the present state Of knowledge al
least to put money in purses from this source We
must get rid OF H. even If lose the pOht. Nay we
must do morc-pay largely for its removal. . m
"Aliddens destined to DO an attribute OF man. Inc
animals no leave nanurebears and he must clean up
after them. CesspOOls no makes for himself ahu hese
are the more dangerous the The former lose much
of their mower Tor mischief by becoming dry through the
passage OF their liquids into the soil The latter arc con-
tinLaly moist and being less exposed to the alf-whch
comes 10 take away their dangerous produc's-bc-
come an evil OF the most terrible form. Both are Old
enemies OF MANKIND and the question how to lie nd OF
thon has taxed from the inst, tho Sill, ingenuity ana
energy Of the wscst Of race. But the drainage OF
marshes and buildings the removal OF the waste OF manu-
factories and OF supeTGuOls ranwaer as well as the soma
aud hud oxcrementtiOus matters, become necessity
whenever city is built. This well known to the
ancient Romans, and probably suggested the idea OF
building sewers. They made drains under the streets until
Pny was obliged TO call Rene urjs DeRSiS-a city buit
upon arches. Really this Is the only mode Of removing
sewage from cities. True, II may be collected IN cess
pools and caTcd away, but the danger attending tbs
method is too great. IL cannot with safety to the Fulc
health hc allowed 10 accumulate even TO the extent OF
CARLOAD unless it be treated daily with such chemical
agents as will render u in0ccuOus This Is impossible
among the ignorant aud poor that at last become
a necessity 10 every eongregation Of human beings
| WHAT GOES INTO THE SEWERS
Few persons are aware Of the quantity Of waste matters
10 be removed through the IL cannot he estimated
without great labor aud must include the waiersnppy es
well the rainfall and the waste IRON dwellings,, pupc
! buildings, baths. wash-houses, manufactonoS OK
tinction Of 1res, cleansing the streets, from ionh-
| tains and other sources. The population OF me
! area to be drained must be considered and also
| the superficial extent OF the neghborhood III We
estimate the watersuppy at 80 gallons per diem for eac
| person which is much too small, and population OF
100000 upon Of 900 acres the quantity TO be pro-
vidcl annually for such town would DO 6, 2OCOO gal
Ions most of which must pass of through tie sewers lt
is Necessary say, TO take this into consideration but
it may be d down, general principle, that Tho more
! water that passes into q sewer the better.
The amount Of eXcremen,tous matters TO be removed
assumes gigantic proportions when to be calcutta
ted Dr. Edmund A. Parkes assumes taking all ages into
account that the exceta Of each person daily are az east
. ounces Of solid and 40 Of fluid matter Taxing
this a basis learn, By very easy computauot tlat
population Of 100000 persons Will pass dHiY lVOO1
pounds d solids and 25OOVo gallons % huldSi o. IN
year. 800 of focal and 81 2Jj9Oe gallons or 1870
900 cubic feet Of urinary matter Shall we again remind
Tic reader Of the necessity Tor the abatement OF oesOosi
of the necessity tor the removal Of h or Of the neces
sitv for sewers SIN have only spoken OF part Of tho
refuse of largo city. InNewYsTk the butchers throw
400 OF 9th into the sewers every week Ohisrn-
Batcy it lies there and testers until sewers become
elongated pools and are compelled 10 eat DRINK
sleep, live AID die over masses Of purescent matter
THE VALUE or filth.
Pcrhaps VIC are becoming Onedcd-a thing that aIways
occurs when do not utter contradictions The sewer
may in the progress acknowledge found 70 be mistake
Iebg said the Oacae OF Rome absorbed tho Vebclng OF
the Roman peasantwhc Victor Hugo arms that so same
sewer enguphed the world We hGY0 here, 10 least e
testimony Of TIVE men Of genius against sewers. IL
estimated that Pers alone throws 1VOOyVV lI'dcs Po,
anpun into tho through her sewer, and the ahouh
for Franco is said TO be lOOOOoOOO per annum We arc
not aware that estimates have been made 81 the 'aiao OF
sewage for other countries. We hayo boon calling tlf
matter fh the author OF Lee hlser0tes calls IT gold
He SAYS IL is thyme and maOaIn and green telas, ano
Golden com ana sweet-smeLng hay and fat oxen, end
ioy and life. We quote few Of his sentences concerning
The OF Paris Each hccOUgh OF our cleaeae coss
900 francs" "The land is impo geTshed and the water
infected" Hunger rising from she fuTOw and disease
rising from the river" All tbs human and animal ma
nure which is thus lost restored 10 the la8d Esead OF
being thrown into the water, would no'Jlsh the WoHd:
We quote from memory, but the text is substantially
correct We not prepared 10 Aspue any OF his asser
ons. We live in circles and TIC refuse thrown on iron
our daily life comes back TO srsn M and beautiful
shapes and laden with elements TIA, delight eur sense;
and make our conversation, society and dnDeabes at
traeuye We have yet leaned 70 use it all and mus
! therefore put il away faSt We Ana awhile
when the soil becomes Old AID shows signs Of tho staya
ton we compel il 10 endnse; when seases TO noursf
our bodies and want te ioos cannot give Tor h'
reason we have fed it, in wsd when the neeessf
ties Of our fields become 70 Us Wal tRey are already
the Chinese namely the mothers Of invention, tben per
bsps We shall mud some method BY which 70 save fo
the land the ferzng substances are now compelled
70 throw into the sea We canRet stop here however,
estimate the value of filth are now merely treating
Of the subteanean passages hrssgh winch We aye u!
TO remove 10.
THINGS TO BIB CONSIDERED IN CONSTRUCTING SEWERS
The functions of sewers, then, TO dram the streets
and houses; to convey away from he city all the ram
water that falls upon its saHace, ana cd the sohd arc
liquid refuse produced in thoror ghfaTes and buildings
viii be seen that their proportions, dimensions, ncna
tons forms and copstTuetPa ere 9t tee highest import
anee II they are insufficient N size bad in shape, im
properly built and ventsted the gradient be imperfect
the wser-supply small, the fstoH Of matters PASSING
through them great; II frsn any cause they become
chOzed up and l 10 discharge their contents promptly
II they open into our Easements and their odos eseap
into dwelhngs they worse than eesspoo for TIC
reason that less had far the gass frem hDmeD excetf