The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-06-13
What Sewers Are.

The sewerage system OF Richmond ~ NO
resrecser of persons. Rich and poor anAe
breathe. ths. same infected air. It's nles1lon
differing only in intensity. There Is, .naeeu'
. khs,eson In every closet, impalpaole' per-
None none the less real, its gaunt out
Ynes formed of malaria coextepsiHe with The
walls The marble basins with their silver
fancess for bot and cold water, which have
superseded the earthenware vessels OF our
forefathers, are often only the means by
which poisonous gases obtain direct access
70 our bedrooms, and the hot water serves
70 stir about and ferment the foul contents
of the traps which are more apt to act as re-
ceptacles for filth than to prevent the en-
trance of miasmatic air. The waier-cioset IS
Still more liable to establish connection
between the inside atmosphere Of some
fashionable mansion and the death-ladcn air
of sewers; and the cieanly person who in
Gulses long and often in the luxury of q
bath is not unseldom breathing the while
the germs of pestiIence more fatal than
The plague. But this poisonous influence is
not confined to the apartments to which 1t
has direct access. Every room in every
house is permeated with 1t. 1t Turks In the
corners Of the. nursery, and floats around
the high ceilings Of the drawing room. Nor
does one escape Is by going into the open air.
From every culvert 1t. escapes In vast
quantities. the traps to the contrary
notwithstanding; and the water at the
mouths of the sewers where they empty into
the river seethes with gases generated in
their depth buhbling up to poison the atmo-
sphere. And in this, indeed, aided by their
thousand auxiliaries, they succeed. It is
now no longer matter of doubt that the air
of the city is sensibls affected by the escape
of the gases generated in the miles Of sewer.
age from the thousands of tons Of human ex.
crementa and organic refuse computed TO
PASS through these conduits 10 the course OF
year. Even where there are in the sewers
An even descent, accurate Jennings, and
smooth walls, no provision is made to insure
quick transit Of the putleseent matter, which
thus accumulates in the sewers, and for
which there is no outlet for ventilation, as
there ought to be, except through the basins
and other outlets Of prirate houses.
Besides the currents of air created on ac'
count Of the sewers being made to decline
towards their outlets SO as to accelerate the
passage of their contents, the gases arising
from these form commencement and rush
with enormous pressure to the highest
points of sewerage, where, drawn up by the
suction power of house-fres in winter and
other causes, they easily burst the barriers
Of the average trap. The above is far from
beiog IN exas gerated enumeration of the
defects and dangers of the present sewer
age system. What the effect Of the con-
slant escape Of these noxious gases will be
when the city Is prey to pestilences which
seem advancing on several sides ii Is ilnpos-
eitle to estimate.
The above rather sensational article is
almost word for word reproduced from the
New York World. There is, however, sober
truth enough in it to be worthy the atten-
lion Of our people. We heard a prominent
physician of Richmond say very recently
tEdC DC WoulQ Ittuel AnfO O Sa-O VI SIAo"-
rox IN his dwelling-house than to have in it
ruch a connection with the sewers of this
city as is common in too many residences.
We suppose that the sewerage system Of
Richmond is as good as that Of almost any
other city. But the fact is that 1t is time TO
utilize and save sewage. The land needs
every such restorer. The river needs TO be
relieved Of it. OF all diseases, cholera is the
most dreaded by our people. And of all
diseases cholera is the one which it is most
certain Is due to filth, bad living, and i'm
proper disposition of excrementitious matter.