Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-10-08
8DwERAGE.
Suggestions of an Expert.

Interesting DlscussIon Of the Subject.
The following paper from the Department OF
Physics and Chemistry was read before the
Academy Of Literature, Science and Art at It's
last regular meeting:
The question Of sewerage In a city Is more
complicated than would seem to tho casual or
even somewhat critical observer.
Many cities have attempted to solve the ques.
tlOn Of the best plan OF sewerage within the
limits OF taxation. In nearly every Instance
they have failed generally from want Of a plan
that comprehended the possible demands Of the
city In the future. propose to notice only one
or two OF the many questions pertaining to the
subject.
First The whole plan Of sewerage should bs
under the exclusive control OF tho board Of
health. Generally cities arc located as a neces.
slty on uneven ground, aud are divided into
natural drainage districts. This natural dIvls.
ion cannot be materially changed by any system
OF Improvements, hence when the territory be-
comes Improved and buildings are spread over
Its surface there Is naturally a series Of sewer
districts. High portions OF the territory will be
essentially having such small ones AS 10 DO I'M
Important In general results.
Now, II We take map VI a city and display
upon II the health reports Of mortality and
sickness, We shall ind II corresponds pre-
committee on health of Parliament the following
occurs, which illustrates the point "Ifyou were
TO take a map and mark out the districts which
are the constant seats Of fever In London, as
Ascortained by the records Of the fever hospital,
and at the same time compare II with the map
Oi the sewers OF the metropolis, you would be
able to mark out Invariably and with absolute
certainty whore the sewers are and where they
are not by observing where the fever exists"
In DeOlYmer's work on cerebrO- spi nal menln.
gifts, from the health reports, where 100 cases
were admitted and GOT deaths followed, we md
that "the chief nests Of the epidemic were in
those districts In which the original water
courses had been damned by filling In streets
and avenues and over the adjoining Water.sAtu.
rated land"
Second, every sewer district should be wholly
within the city limits.
A police control should extend over tho entire
water shed Of city. In this city, for Instance,
slaughter houses, soap factories, and other
places are declared nulslnces within the city
limits and we Justly remove the same beyond the
city limits. Well, what Is galnedH They locate
within the sewer districts and all the foul
drainage passes through the heart Of the city.
1t Is true, II a system Of sewerage Is pc rfecf,
traps enoc uAl to keep all enluvla, II may pass
without Spreading disease, but practically, this
h not done.
intho case Ofthls city and locality, In the TIbor
creek district that can generate disease Is satu-
rated with every rain and Its liquid death
Is hOated through the heart OF tho city
slaughter. houses and other nulsances should be
located In water sheds that drain from the city,
not into Il. Cemeteries should not DO In sewer
districts.
Third. The sire Of sewers. Sewer dIstrIcts are
very plainly marked In this city. l. We have
the general slope Of the river banks, com.
menoing at or near Bsnnlngs bridge, down by
the Congressional Oemetery, Navy Yard and
a aIsenAi, W x tno n .N3, kiuuuus anu
ueoIkuVonui;r w i, uist i IsluISa h9 large
sever, = me dlstIlot known a. siaAn Kun, In
tue western pOItloh OF tno olt{' lnls lies nrln.
ciPaly ,DetHeeh fpuIoenth anu IWentleth
streets, lneiuuhk IInNeu porllOh OF territory
OUTSIDE oi r we CITY UNITS.
D. Ihe liDer creek dlstrlet. rms Is very ex-
tehsNe' commencing AT Tue OApllOl,lts bound
airy runs along Maryland avenue To Twelfth
street east up IWellth 70 boundary along
boundary 70 Ihlfteenthi down Thlrteenth 70
Massachusetts avenue; thence along this Ave
nj n Nav IRFanV a ha
Is its general city limits, and. II Includes over
2OOO acres OF ground.
us boundary outside OF the city commences
al IHelIth street east ana BoundaLyi thence
northeasterly on Trinidad Mount Olivet about
one mlloi thence nOrtherly along the hills and
curYing TO the west ground OF the Old Soldiers
HOmei thence down TO Columbia college and to
fourteenth street and boundary. This includes
over 1900 acres OF ground, which, added To that
within the city limits makes an aggregate OF
1000 acres Of ground.