The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-12-07
r,,r psAINAGE OF AoNDoN.

,.,, ma, TIE GEFUSE OF THRES|
,,,y,oyS ur rS0pLE-INPRo'sAC 1Hh
,,.,,rg az WRvLE DISTRICTS TAhfHG
~yr >Er4GE OUT OF TIE CITY AND
..,.,,v2 IT OFT To SEA-IG0TEEF EN-
..,,,> yog rgAPlSG TIE fILTH-HAPPfI
rs-,r-> or ENGINEERING SKILL, &c.
-,--.,,,n,icucc Of the Baltimore Sun.l
JoxpoS, November 20, 1874. :
,., -, the inha hitantS OF this great
,,,,. 4ny idea Of how the sewage Is dis
a.; II ruat The sewage goes toto The
i',,- ,n,y are aware. but what means are
"'N".,,I - secure the exit of this Hood
..u.,;,,. Impurities from these drains
49,, ,uf trouble thsm>elyeS TO lind out.
49,, ,5>y ,q>k. indeed. for those Inclined
'.,...,,..,,,r 10 ma>'er the whole scheme OF
.l,ltl, executed by the Metropolitan
D",s n Nu,h-. The area drained Is so
,,ttnr ramitc4tion Of the sewers so
....:yr:nd complicated. that 10 the unin-
...| :, forms an iul ting study. Think OF
.a-ryx HUNDRED NILES OF sEwsRs,
....,,,,. 4n1nc1 houses and overs, 1000 miles
t..,..,. $40 in Humbcr. and carrying OIL
~: ,.1s>. contributed by 5000, 600 people
1. in. III al the cX'ravaganceS incidental
...,..,l,h and modern civilization. Sewers
.,..'.. T., .iuutuL were made in the valleys
.,tar pA'u'al watersheds. aud III accord.
.r.,.,yrlh The most obvious convenience OF
,;..... IN ! circumstances. ana were ali maze
g.. .i~,tn bv Tx shortest route into the river.
When TIE population was small and the
rr.n,, wt> diving lis full quantity Of
,,',.r,pi> worked well enough; but as the
...,Yfttioa increased, and the amount Of
..S.,,, increased proportionateiy. and more
,,..,r wasu uli.i tXiracted from the liver TO
..,,a.v thp city. G,iticul'ieS began TO manifest
.4,.1...l,.. ~ Tar back as two hundred
y,a.r, 40 sir Christopher Wren was cilled
mn,a :, devise some system Tor the sewers
,>Ai... would secure better drainage. Very
,.r,fr va, effected at the time beyond some
,,urr,,r,arui in the size and grade OF the
sewers: hu. ,hry were still allowed TO run
INFO the river. because they could not see
,itir Sav clear 10 provide better mode.
E4r1 main sewer was acting on us own re-
.,ar,nhty and their arrangement was
without -y>tcln IN respect To eventually con-
r.r.irg them altogether. Sp2smodlc Efforts
y,., f:nm time 10 time made TO agree upon
,umr General plan. aud 10 induce some har-
,alry o' action between the eight distinct
CJi.li,il~>lbtl> bl Sthtis Hiti SpblioiitU thS
management Of the sewers in their respective
districts: bat it was not until lS4I that the
SpLrTIoS OF THE PROBLEM
Wa ftirIv commenced by substitution for
r,cpi.ht distinct commissions one c)mmis-
>f6n. called The Metropolitan Commission
Of sewers. Up 10 this time it was penal to
G!>clIar.c water. closets into the sewers; but
l!lc Metropolitan Board made it compulsory
tu discharge al hou-edrainase into them,
and within period Of six years $4,000 cess
pools were ato ished. and all the refuse tarn-
.: into ihcriver. This effected considerable
junr1yr,nrnt in the health Of certain districts
which had previously been visited severely by
cApIrra. Il le>ssned the danger from disease,
tut cropped out in another form. The river
commenced to complain Of being oyerbur-
U,l:vd. and sent up protest IN the shape Oh
such tout odorS that the Board was constrain-
tt T. seek q more remote outlet for the
sewage.
NATURE HAD BEEN OUTRAGED,
and il was feared she might retaiate severely.
The public press came to the rescue, and be-
.4n TO agl,a,e Tor remedy; but time wore
On. and tl.e nuisance gained strength all the
time. The sewer Commission was super
>,dcd six times in nine years, without arrl-
wing 4, any practical result. Finally, the
METROPOLITAN Board of Works was substitu-
ted for them, and in 1859 the present plan
wu> adopted and commenced.
All the existing sewers up 10 this time bad
:. General direction towards the river and
.mpticd into ii. Mr.. BaZalgette, chief engl-
neer OF the Board Of Works, conceived the
Idea OF in!erceptlng all the sewage and keep
IN positive control Of it until 1t was con-
ductcd 10 where it might be discharged
without creating a nuisance to the lnhabi-
tants of the city. TO accomplish this end he
provided seyera! lines of main sewers, cross.
lug the existing one at right angles ana Sc
curing AL their drainage.
o. Several of these lines had sufficient eleva-
ton 10 atf0rd proper grade to the new out
fall 70 carry of The drainage by grayitatl0n.
This new outinll Is
FOURTEEN MILES BELOW LONDON BRIDGE
but very large area would only afford fall
enough to empty directly into the river.
Seeing the necessity of maintaining the in.
tr.riiy Of his plaa-of taking all the sewage
oul ol the city-hc made the sewers of these
iow districts upon such grades as would sc.
cure the proper flow 10 a convenient locali-
ty: here he provided pumps, which lift 10 Il
htIgh; on level with the highland sew
els, and from this point on they flow away
together 10 the outiall, thereby, as Steven
>on expressed il, virtually lifting the low
di.tric,, out OF their filh.'' At Barking.
the northern ouliall, there is 4 large reser-
'Or, Of nnc anda half acres, all covered IN
with brick arches, and sixteen aud three
quarter feet deep. The sewage is detained
III This reservoir between tides. and at high
water the gates are opened and the impound-
- sewage i, sent out
on IT'S WAY SEAwARD.
On the opposite side Of the river is the
south outtaI, with a similar reservoir, SINH
Early operated. This one covers six and
hall acres. The arrangement Of these ln.
tel"tW!ug sewers was great undertaking,
j, there were thirteen hundred miles Of eX-
i>,lrg >"wer>to be consulted, so that the new
sewers would take in all their grades TO best
adyantugc- Then the amount of sewage 10
be dealt With by pumping would have APP
paed small minds, but Mr. Bazalgette was
ho' 10 be deferred by quantity when the re-
sun, to be obtained would justify the means.
nc accordingly provided three pumping sta
uohs, one on the north side and two on the
south side, which perform their functions
most admirably. The station on the north
'loe, at Abbey Mills, is built in the form of
cross, III each arm Of which there is pair
oi be'n.engiues, making eight separate
engines, each working two double.
ac'tnS pumps. The engines are filty-four
iliches in diameter and nine feet stroke.
me pumps are four feet six inches
aiailclef aud four feet six inches stroke, and
are intended TO run about ten revolutions
per minute, or one hundred and fifty mil
l'ohs oi gallons in twenty-iour hours. This
would make asewer forty feet wide and three