Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-07-01
How to Deal with Sewer Gas.

How to Deal with Sewer Gas.
The belief that much of the disease of cities
is due TO sewerage is becoming quite general,
but there seems to be conflicting opinions as
to the proper mode of dealing with the poi
son. A citizen whose opinions upon sanitary
matters have deserved weight writes to us as
follows
II beg to call your attention to the enclosed
cutting from the Sth page of yesterdays N Y.
Herald, and suggest that you should give its
substance IN your paper: I think there is
gas should be absorbed and neutralzed by
water, and not drawn by pipes (elevated) into
the common air The washing out and flush
in London, is not attended to here as it
should be-
Another plan has been advised, viz: To
erect al the head of the sewer tall chimneys
with constant fires, which shall be fed exclu-
Sively by the air drawn from the sewer.
Along PENNSYLVANIA avenue, especially from
9Th to 18th street, the OdOr of sewer gas is at
NmeS very percepuhe, and will inevitably
lower the tone of the general health. A
great mi take, in sanitary point OF view, in
my opinion, has been the failure to remove all
the rotten wood from the streets where yege-
table matter animal excretiOnS, moisture and
heat, present all the conditions required to
produce the maariOuS poison. Take away
the dangerous wood and go back to the mad
and the dust, which, il not pleasant and slightly,
are at leasI safe
The clipping referred to by our correspond
Henry E. Knapp, civil engineer of New
York city, before the polytechnic branch of
the American Institute. in which he attacks
The theory OF ventilating sewers and drains.
After speaking OF the amount of study that
had been devoted by scientists to the subject
OF sewers. he said that the conclusion seemed
almost unanimous among engineers that the
poisonous and mephitic yapOrs should be al
lowed to escape into the atmosphere SO that
a oh 10
words, the point is to cOntaminate the atmos
phere if necessary, but purify the sewers.
tranSpOSe the pure air into the sewers, where
it is not needed, and from the sewers bring
the poisonous gases where they will act most
detrimentally to animal life. The prevalence
OF this theory, which MIR. Knapp declared to
be an egregiOuS error, he attributed to the
writings of Robert RawlingSou h B,
personal friend of the Prince of Wales, who
after the illness of the latter by typhoid fever,
devoted much attention to the subject, and
spread his views by means of the press. The
first objection Mr.. Knapp urged against the
theory was that the liberated gases are
heavier than atmospheric air, and if liberated
from the sewers would hug the surface of the
earth like fog, so that inyigOraiing air could
not be l. ID inside the city. II would be as
sensible to yentiiate graves. The sewers, like
cOrpses, are buried mainly because the earth
is the best absorbent of the products of the
decay of animal and vegetable substances.
The proper way TO deal with sewers, he con-
tended, was to give them plenty of water,
which carries the matter contained in them to
the sea, impedes decomposition as long as the
solid matter is sufficiently immersed aud is
powerful absorbent of sewer gases especially
the ammoniacal, which it takes up to the ex-
tent of about One-third its weight, or some
four hundred times its own bulk. If this be
done, and proper traps are constructed. no
evil results will follow. To the Scanty supply
OF waste water in Washington he attributed
the malaria and much of the peculiar and un-
wise legislation Of that locality. "Our Board
OF Health" he continued, has committed a
great error in compelling the ventilation of
sewer pipes, sinks and cesspOOlS of all sorts
The poisonous gases that are emitted through
them by reason only of the heat of decOmpos
ton, temporarily making the gases lighter
than atmospheric air, drop to the ground i'm
mediately on BECOMING reduced to atmos-
pheric temperature and make up large part
OF the air We are compelled to breathe" Sui
phuretted hydrogen, which is one of the great
est and most deadly products of decOmposing
sewage, IS so heavy that it can be poured
from one bottle to another. Carbonic acid
another product, is even heavier.
The lecturer then quoted he results obtained
Dy MT Lauth from an analysis OF Paris sew
age, showing the progress OF DEVELOPMENT of
animal life in it. In sewage that has had air
blown into it, life is very active. The algae
and 1nfusOria develop in large numbers. Ii
being maintained by many scientists that bac-
terra and various infusOria are the direct
means OF communicating contagious diseases,
MIR. Knapp claimed that ventilation o. sewers
is thereby shown to be injurious. He further
claimed that it was need eSS, "a, 1.-THE traps in
common use in sewer pipes were made with
sufficient altitude, the water they would hold
would afford a perfect sea- and prevent the
escape of the gases. Tbs altitude should not
be less than six times the diameter of the pipe
of which it is made but twelve times the diam
eter would be better. trap with twelve
inches altitude would require gas pressure
of half poV1d TO force i-self through the trap
and no srch pressure could ever accumulate
in sever furnished with manhoeS for clean
ing HOut.
Whether or not these views of Mr.. Knapp
are correct, they are certainly worthy OF co.,
SideratiOn at this time, when the sewage
question is occupying so much considera. ion.
In Washington the problem is some what COM
plicated by the difficulty of finding an ade-
quate outlet for the sewage in the parts of the
city Oh a level vi h tide water.
Tie Potter Committee after mpandarinp