Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-07-20

are truly marvellous, and must strike the eye
of even the most casual observer as some
thing SO extremely stupendous as to be
ford some idea to the uninitiated of the size
of the sewer, it may be stated that it
is an arched structure of solid cut masonry.
The abutments, or side walls, three feet high
in the clear, are ten feet apart and the arch
springs to height of two and
abutments. The floor is made up of lay
or of concrete composed of "Macadam met
al or broken stones, mixed with cement,
above which is to be placed stratum of
brick on end. The centre of the floor will
have depression of six inches below its
outer edges, thus giving an extreme inside
height of six feet. These figures will afford
a slight conception of the size of the cross
section of the sewer, which looks to be al |
most large enough to admit of the passage
of load of hay, and there is little fear in
stating it is about the biggest thing on Garth
in the shape of sewer.
The price of that portion of the sewer
a length of about l,4OO feet-now under
contract, is $2S,36O or, in round numbers,
1920 per lineal foot, of itself sufficient crit
eron by which to judge of the stupendous
ness of the structure. But the amazement
excited by the preceding figures will sink in
to utter nothingness when it is learned
that the 1,40O feet in question only form
a 1.-THE of the whole--they are only
fea-bite when compared with the scheme of
which they constitute the mere fag-end. 1t
is the intention-or was the intention when
the Rice street sewer was conceived-to
make it part of a system, equally gigan
tic, which was to extend from Fort street,
the southern terminus of the present con-
tract, along Tenth to Wabashaw, and down
the last thoroughfare to the river. Taking
the price of the Rice street seWer-$28 800
as basis upon which to compute the whole
cost, there is no danger in placing it
at a quarter of a million dollars. The
1,4OO feet already named do not constitute
one-fourth of the entire distance contem-
plated by the original scheme to be trav-
ersed, which would, even at that
light estimate, bring the total
figures to $113,44O. But it has been
developed before the board of public
works that, owing to the specifications for
the Rice street sewer calling for a higher
class of work than the plans-an unpardon-
able blunder in the city engineers Office
the contractor will, in the end, demand
higher remuneration than that at which he
undertook the work. Again, the excav alton
on Rice street is of very inexpensive char
acter, only earth having to be removed, but,
when Tenth street and Wabasbaw street
have to be torn up, the solid rock will be en-
countered, which will either have to be re-
moved or tunnelled, most expensive pro-
cess in either case. Thus, then, is it affirm
81 a., l., 1lo
ever accomplished, will reach the sum
named, quarter of million of dollars.
Leaving out of considerations however, the
whole question of the extension of the sewer
and the cost thereof, let attention be fxec
simply on what is at present being actually
done. The structure now under way is big
enough to convey a water supply adequate
to drive all the ponderous machinery OF
mills rivaling those of Minneapolis in ex
tent. The sewer is wide enough and h1gf
enough to carry off the main wastes of any
city on any continent. So vast, indeed, is
its magnitude that any one beholding it is
very naturally led to inquire, in his ute
amazement, into it's necessity. Down Rice
street, it is true, an insignificant streamle
pur]s its glittering waters, in depth during
ordinary seasons scarcely sufficient to over
top lady's slipper and not greater il
width than an over modest boarding schoo
miss could spring across with the
utmost ease. Yet, for the accommodation
of this paltry body of water and the sewer
age of widely scattered population, space
of ten feet in breadth and of the extreme
height of six feet is being provided! If the
water of the Rice street stream was turned
into the sewer to-day, it would scarcel
cover the floor for fifth of it's width But
%,,yi01 bo
freshets. Let that be granted, and still tn
preposterousness of the concern is eviden
in another direction. OF course, the obiec
of the sewer is to carry eff the water name,
and what may be accumulated with othe
wastes drained into it from the adjoinin
tenements. The cross section of the sewe
contains, in a round-number under estimate
forty-fve square feet When the sewer, O
It's present portion, is completed, it will
empty its contents into the Fort street an,
Tenth street sewers by two holes of thre,
feet in diameter, together containing in sec
ton a very small fraction over fourteen
square feet, and these two openings are con
sidered to be equal to the task of the drain
age OF the sewer of forty-fve square feet il
area. In other words, a body of sewerage
for which forty-fve square feet in sectiona
area are being provided, can be accommo
dated by an area of less than a third of tina
amount. The merest tyro in engineering
or any one possessing mere title of com
mon sense, can perceive at once the supreme
stupidity of this whole business.
Let further glance be taken into thu
inner mysteries. The Tenth and For
street sewers have been tunnelled out of til
sand rock, and are about, it is understood
five feet in height, but their drainage capacit,
q To hn oct. 4oI Ix,& I'D
They are foored with brick work, three fee
in width by two feet in height, in the form
of an inverted arch. Their drainage capaci
ties are, therefore, to be computed on tn
cross-sections of the brick work. because, i
the water exceeded in depth the height o
the brick work, the flooring would stand ,
most lively chance of being washed out an,
destroyed Making liberal over-estimate
the area OF each flooring section in these
smaller sewers may be set down at fou
square feet each, or combined area of eigh
square feet. 1t thus appears that eigh
square feet of section are considered ampl,
for the drainage of Rice street, and yet
section OF forty-fve square feet is bein,
constructed.
The plan of the Rice street sewer, more
over, is extremely faulty in at least one par
tlcular. The floor is entirely too flat, espec
tally when its great width is considered. Elk
ceptlng on very rare occasions the bottom
Will be never covered by running stream
The consequence will be the sewer will b,
converted into pest-hole, because the sole
matter dropping into it at each place of tap
ping will never be washed away, being be
yond the power of the insignificant body Of
water at the centre. while to flood it artifci
cally and thus cleanse it will be task as
Herculean as that of purifying the fabled
Augean stables
These are plain figures, gained from an
examination of the plans of the sewers in
the city engineers Office. There is only
lI1a Incl .&<,l ,ol