, 1874-06-28
PNEUMATIC DRAINAGE.

The current number Of Good Words contains
an article on "Pneumatic Drainage" which
seems, upon it's face at least, to present very
satisfactory solution OF the sewage question.
The article is written by Dr.. Esdaile, who has
given much attention to the subject and Ia en-
Enthusiastically confident that the proposed plan
will be adopted. In ganeral terms pneumatio
drainage is system by which dist can literally
be blown out OF every house, unnoticed BY the
inmates, and be conveyed to the country in such
. form that agriculturists will eaKerly compete
for the possession Of it. The inventor OF pneu-
matte drainage is one Capt. Lernur, Dutch
man, and his invention professes to remove
from houses human excreta, and to supply these
to the agriculturist, undiluted BY water. The
plan by which this feat is accomplished is AZ fol-
lows
In building. in any convenient part Of town, is
placed steam engine, which drives an atrpump, 30
as to maintain about three-quarer in certain
cast-iron herocayclosed reservoirs below the foor
From these reservoirs central pipes rndase in all d.
rections following the main Streets On these central
pipes laid from distance to distance, street resa
voirs, below the pavement From the street reser-
voi1s, up aud down the street, are main pipes commit
nicatng short branch pIpss With the closets Of each
house. All the functions Of pipes with reservoirs
arc furnished with cocks, which can be shut of
turned On ut pleasure, like Wster-mains.
The vacuum created In the centre building
reservoirs can thus he communicated to any Riren
street reservoir to furnish the motive power By
which, when the connections with the houses are
opened, all tho closets simultaneously emptied
When their conteuts reach the central reservoir they
like forced through the central tubes to
the reservoirs under the ceutrnl building, and thence
transferred to closed tank above ground from which
they are decaned into barrels without any escape Of
foul air. This is done every twentyfour hours, be-
fore the e1creta fe1ment aud become offensive, snd
they are converted into pondret< without
posure to the atr.
Pneumatic drainage ia not altogether theory.
Prof. Ranke has testified to it's usa in removing
e1crets from the barracks at Prag With success,
aud it has been applied to many towns in Hol-
laud, Austria, and Germany. the cost being only
.E2 per head of the population, aud the profits
4s. per head, after deducting working expenses
and interest. The inventor has figured upon
the possible expenses for some OF the English
towns, and calculates that Glasgow, for in
stance, would receive an income At the rate Of
10s per head of it's population OF 500, 600, or
ESQ, 900 annually. As to the use OF this ma
nure by farmers. The promoter Of the scheme
has no doubt. It has long been in use in Japan,
Hungary, and Bohemia, and the great objection
to it's use hitherto has been the vaat quantity
OF 1t that was necessary. When, however.
the farmers can get it carefully aud inof-
fensively packed in barrels, and undiluted,
he is sure that they will gladly welcome
it. He says, in regard to the financial features
Of the plan II do not first construct conduits
to get facal matter away from the town and then
look around for means to dispose OF it. l CON-
mence by entering into contracts With farmers
for delivery OF certain quantities Of undiluted |
and fresh excreta- The pneumatic tubes arc |
then laid to get the matter agree to furnish"
The proposal has made deep impression upon
the minds Of the English authorities, and in
Liverpool and some Of the other large cities Of
England steps are being taken to inspect tho
workings Of the plan. It is certainly worthy Of
careful examination. II it ia all it claims to
20, it not only provides an admirable plan for
Utilizing sewage, but It may perfect the sanitary
'ystems Of large cities and work magical changes
n the public health.