The New York herald., 1872-12-16

OF water is very sluggish and utterly incapable Of
carrying on the heavy matter with 1t. which con-
quently settles on the bottom OF the sewers. The
report reviews the history OF our sewer construc-
ton In the beginning of the century II h shown
that fully tenth part OF the built up portion Of the
city was occupied by earth pit privies and thirty
burial places. with no sewerage and no water sup
ply The first sewer was constructed In Oak street,
about 1921, followed by others In Canal street
and West Broadway soon after. The bottoms
Of these were nat stones, sioplng toward the
centre, with brick perpendicular sides, four feet
high, and q low arch thrown across These Ola
sewers still remain. These were followed py
others similarly shaped, but more curved, ana Dy
barrelshaped and circular ones. Perpetual mouon
for the water and suflcient outlet are tne grand
principles OF good sewerage for heavi'y iadehed
water win not turn sharp corners nor run up hili
as some OF the sewers are constructed higher at
the outlet than at the points OF the water
and contents OF closets. They quote In support OF
this charge from report made few years ago by
DR.. Jones, OF the Police Department. who declares
that very great proportion OF the sewers are In
to t't carry rip' OF the refuse contemplated. Many
Of them and ne eyen says oceu 0pea ot OF tide
street. between Madison and Fourth avenues. has
o descending grade or only four inches In 100 feet.
which Is equivalent to stagnatton. In Twenty
sixth street. between Second and Third avenues,
there is an ascending grade Of three ieet two
before any 1ow can occur. In Madison avenue, be-
tween Thirty third and Thirty second streets, the
every 200 feet In East Eighty third street IL rises
eight inches in 200 feet against Its grade; IN
Thirty-fourth street, between Fifth and Madison
means exceptional, and Judges stiles and
lngraham declare that their. investigations
show the same defective "fallu up and down
Sixth avenue through Fourteenth street and past
Union square. The consequence OF these detective
sewers ts that the waste water and foul refuse
from the houses intended to be emptted into the
sewers, are forced back into the sewers connect
ing the buildings with the street sewer. and there
they remain-the former to become putrid, and the
deadly smells through leaks and imperfect traps
to the occupants. Beside the escape inside the
the street manholes, and impregnate the air we
breathe. The Investigations Of these officers show
that there are miles OF sewers in the city filled with
to two and half or three feet 1t Ia startling to
contemplate that the exhalatfons from these
deadly deposits enter into every breath OF air we
breathe-sleeping or waking, moving along the
busy streets or at rest within the privacy OF our
bOudoirs or parlOrs. The best medical authorities
In Europe trace every form OF disease from blood
poisoning to sewer gas, and especially the follow
ing:-SmalpOx measles scarlet fever, diphtherta,
typhus fever, typhoid fever, erysipelas hospital
fever puerpera1 fever cholera yellow fever. ague,
glaDderS, boil ana carbuncle and infectious Op-
thaimia.
There are many minor matters connected with
the sewers-such as imperfect closing OF the con.
nections and seams, that are treated OF by these
officials, which cannot IN brlei article be iniiJ
tanned by surveys made some time ago OF the sew
ers by the Croton Aqueduct Department. Some of
these surveys Illustrated below. the better 10
explain the condition OF the sewers.
FIGURE L-SEwER IN THIRTEENTH STREET, BE-
TWEEN SIXTH AND SEVENTH AVENUES.