New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-12-11
TIE AEW SEWERAGE SYSTEM

Previous to 1865 the city sewers were con-
structed pretty much dd Hbign about our metropolis
In that year, owing chiefly 10 tho representations OF
the Croton Aquoduct Board, the Bureau Of Sewers
was organized by special act OF tho Legi7la-
ture, and empowered to act virtually indelcr-
dent OF the Common Council supervision OF The
of the CITY Of Ncw-YoIk. The Bureau being created,
districts were no once formed ana almost every hu :"
nuisance totally upTo0ted Under the ola systeH'
ny the year 1852 the sewerage business hao pt' 80
loosely cared for In the matter OF statistics, u i1N
records had been preserved for the guidance OF the
WOulbe rcfolncrs who now prUpO.cd 10 lAhe te hIlt
so hand Consequently al details hdd 10 De eNONcu p
actual examination. In the course of the investigation
many extraordinary things were discovered, SCH Tor
instance. sewers running up MI large sewers Slhpye
into smaller ones. into vacant lois % The cWhct dl
gust OF residents in their immediate HcigLbOihoUI.
These and similar expected developments arrest the
XII sewers now constructed get to either river by the
r,f cut They are required be bult large enough
10 admit Of the entrance Or fdTOwu man ~ stOOp
ing position TO VIII Four feet high By two ana hal
L9,d Each one is modelled upou the stlfclcauing prm
ciplr i'll est Is 80 connected with the Croou water sy~
ten, that CurreuJ can be- at any Time sent Throughout
its entire length Thus there need be greater accumu
ion Of refuse than there would be II every sewer were
brook running underground All tue ola sewers are IN
tended ultimately to be adapted far practicable to
h system wherever the grade or renders this
ccssary whereas, under the old method, a separate
sewer was necessitded by the wants OF every
street, II is now proposed 10 have but ono large
sewer for cach district employing O"lu oh''
Pqa wG Snd RS s NSr or 9aa i En-
material iof the country farmers Ia tho vicinity 81 New
lrk yet fully decided upon ad Is y s9y3st 3,
Health than the " Bureau OF sewers. Inc Nolh :"
building ho new sewers Is done by adViuoed CotiavN
EynerreuS have been undertaken aud are now IN li"
icos % ascertain the dhcnnee IN thC ise ana i' oI
tides al OppOs T. points on Tue Nofh ana E"t lNtI' Ct"
Wen AS eir total rise and fall IN each case Special sl-
vry, aud Mans have been completed IN detail Tor hctV
sruction OF sewers under contract, Oh winch many AIe
already completed ana Others nnder courSo OF cOlo
Mr. Throd Jre Weston. tho Assistant Engineer Is at me
head OF "A corps engaged In considering the adNlsd1ly
oi M e, , s,gs. are t be built las IL already
tf for a. J.
,.S Observation-Disclosures would nr.frr 20 sell the material much
ealr 10 th. Department thus 70 large quantities. than
fbcv would care 10 do to comparatively irresponsible
parties vast saving ia the cost VI material would thus
The total amount for the year 1865 received for permits
for connections with sewers; was soj1 81. nc almn
CONCENTRATIONS for 1866 made under the hcHd OF severe
Rrunirrg and Cleaning are not considered sufficient
10 property cleanse and renOyate the sewers OWING 10
OWN f. fle unsettled determination OF tho surface
grades 81 the streets IN the upper part Of the city NOW
Tie nna arrangement Of districts for the entire city has
not yet been completed Beside hl- ia inc lower
part of the island especially. the construction OF ni
Underground railway may very considerably uicct the
i ~ he MAIN. Tidal and meteorological observations
rr continued throughout the year The total cost 20 the
city for the Bureau Of Sewer. for last year was t2C 3d.
The Cloton Aqueduct Board propose to build sewers
no th river front 70 cut of the present ones, thereby
carr, Ing their discharge 10 certain pOiuts-the battery
&cwhcrc Their offensive cOhlehls may pe az oce i'n
drred iniOy by being thrown into currents OF deep
water 10 has been ascertained that the numerous clips
Ia the harbor have been MED ny nearly 10 inches every
fhercy persstate ITS xpensiye removal by dredging.
machines &C. II IS also authenucay reported tnat ot
charge al tine outer end OF the piers; The
INTO the sim waters or basins where there ia little
current carry of the deposits. Especially 10 TINS 10 at
Pier No. North River, at Castle Garden IN the angle
formed by IL and the Battery, by tho rapid filling the
three fatlOm has been pushed outward 30 yards
beyond the line OF 1856 The II feet spot Ia the outer pnt
at III section f. extending toward Pier No l. and there
average decrease OF three feet In depth throughout
This scctio" These but two Of the cncrOacLiucns
lint
the ratio for tho next 60 years The following Is u
tabular list Of tho yearly cost OF tho mud dredging tho
In .... s3747s ~ In 1se3.......... s25sso 30
In ISO........, G7236 81 In lsG......... 1883 -
In i is Y $40 al "a III i'' '''1' ~
model sower Is said to have been bnilt IN Twenty
one of fhc civ Surveyors It's inpr0yement Consists I'M
it, being constructed with deep vaults called "drt
catchcr" along the OF the sewer. aud at such
dstau 80 apa and Of such depth TO the col
lecto aud retention Of the night soil and solid matter
wants full they wl Of course require cleansing and
for this purpose are built In two cOinpait-
rent Of water may, by means OF a small
temporary dam be made TO pass either compartment,
gives the fun liberty to work 10 the best advantage
The restrained ana uneasy posture which they
enables them Ia accomplish but little I'm given time
There are also four OF these drcachers I'm the Forticth
81. sewer, between Ninth and Tenthavcs OF sufficient
capacity to contain 100 loads each and which have been
cleaned but twice since their construction at an expense
Of only from five TO ten per OF what 10 would cost 10
remove the same bulk OF material from the ordinary
Common and humanity then seem 20 point alike
TO the adoption OF THIS aforementioned Improvement
"the dlrtcatcher." Any provision whereby workman
can be at least kept dry when engaged IA the cleansing
process. is Of itself sufcent 10 insure its adp-
lion, ignoring the c0DslderatOn-by no means a sgGt
OneOf being enabled 10 retain his naalral attitude Wills
at work Another consideration fOf their construction Ia
that the sewers connecting with them can he made small
or than M present built and thus nor
ton Of the pipe expense be saved -
The moruary statistics show the startling fact that
owing 10 tile present defective system OF sewerage out Of
proportion Of some 100000 OF unnecessary sIck
ness which occur annually In the City Of New York
proportion Of not than from tocUe fifteen thousand
Of these human beings are sacrificed directly or indi
recty 10 the defective and pestilentia nature of the
sewerage alone
Brooks and Henry, in jail on charge OF
lhving murdered Bradley the old man who killed In
nnrlOrd ON Misunderstanding Mght. hnve made q nartlnl