National Republican., 1876-02-01
SEWER GASES.
Bow 7hty Can Fe AVoided-Views Of Mr. W.
q. Chase.

Eew 7hty Can Fe Avoided-Visvs Of Ny. W.
q. Chase.
TIE sanitary committee of ths Board of Health
Of the District recently submitted to Mr. VIM H.
Chase, the inspector of sewers, serious OF ques.
tiOns as to the system Of drainage in this District
their ventilation, the methods Of ventilation in
Lurcpe, and whether any practical system can bo
suggested for the ventilation In this city.
Mr.. Chase has submitted in reply an elaborate
paper, carefully prepared, in which he first fully
explains the system OF sewerage Of this District,
secondly states that no method Of ventilation OF
sewers exists here.
The third chapter gives with great minuteness
the several systems tried in European cities and
upon the subject, which he concIudes-"lrom the
evidence Of such eminent authority as have
quoted, 1t is clear that charcoal kept dry is prac.
tieaIly most eihcieEt material Tor purifying
sewer air, as it is not only disinfectant, but It
destroys or burrs up the noxIous gases"
afion Of our sewers in this ps,Pie isss,S ss YEN
complete, and 50 sDundantiy supplied with man n n
gases, and being mostly located on the line Of the
fcOtpavements or in the parkings. they can be
more easily and economically used"
probably By most of the methods hsys men.
toned in connection with European ventilation;
sewers through the man. holes and safely only By
disinfecting and rendering harmless these gases
as they escape from the sewers. This can be ef-
NNAS ~ WIZ uso VI INC
ais it practicable to ventilate the house connec.
tIons, 90 as to prevent seweE-gas from entering
Entirely Sc, by breaking the connection with
the sewer outside the house, and allowing FREQ
passage OF the gases through an escape pipe
located within the walls on the outside and
furnished with charclal-hlter. By means OF this
ity enter the house, as the trap breaks the force
ot the Inner pressure SO that Whatever gases pass
I. and enter the section Of pipe have lost the
the sewer, and will escape at the point OF least
resistance. They will have no power upon the
being the ypSnt Sh5t ISug1 Isast !iep tHe pipe
In this pipe is located the charcoal filter through
which the gasses pass and become purified. The
system Of trapping here proposed differs some
what from the ordinary one, and is intended TO
accomplish two ends !. To prevent the unseal-
ing which is so common in traps as ordinarily
used. This unseaIing is caused by the heated
air from within the house entering the pipe or by
the turning Of hot water from the kitchen sink
causes heating and consequent expansion OF
the air within the pipe, which frequently is sum.
allow eiTee passage OF the gases. This could
not possibly be the case if vent was given to the
pipe between the sink ard trap and near the trap.
Tbs Is done In the plan hero proposed via the
escape pipe. =. To prevent gases that may be
forced through the water in the trap entering
the house use the additional trap. itisa fact
that at times the pressure upon tie gases within
the sewers Is so great as 10 force them through
the water in the trap when 1t falls to uuseal them
force, yet without the trap they would be as
likely 10 enter the house as to pass up the pipe;
therefore put this trap in q surety to safely.
The advantages claim in this system OF ventila-
tion AID trapping house drains over Latham's
(the best now in use) are these: l. The two traps,
with the gas escape between prevents the POSI-
bllity OF gases entering the house, and also by
the first trap relieves the flow of gas upon the
filter, which is not the case with Latham's as in
his there Is an uninterrupted communication be.
tween the main sewer and the hitter. This Is all
wrong, as the object OF trapping and ventilating
the house drains is not to yentilate the sewers,
but simply TO protect the houses. 2. BY means OF
the vent pipe there is continuous circulation of
pure air through the soil pipe into which empty
the water closets, sinks, &c, Of the house. and
through which is conveyed the rain water from
the roof Of the building, thus keeping this pipe
thoroughly cleansed and sweet. 3. The filter is
placed near the foot of the escape pipe instead of
the top, as with Latham's, thus avoiding the
necessity for the use Of expensive material in the
pipe, as the evaporation Of the gases IN the filter
renders them Pewerless to iniure the pipe: and
especially is this an important point where the
escape pipe is located within the wall as the least
IDperfection in 1t would allow escape OF gas.
with the filter at the base this objection is OBJ
waited"