The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-13
SURFACE OR SEWER.
The Drainage and Health of the
City.
Interesting Report Of City Surveyor
Brown.

Ing document.
BY way of introduction Mr.. Brown refers
to his recent trip to Chicago, and gives short
description Of the topography Of that city for
the purpose OF showing that the statement
that 1t ID similar to that Of New Orleans is or
roneous. On the sewerage OF Chicago Mr..
Brown says.
Chicago has about 900 miles Of sewers 611es
feet Ii diameter and has cost the city about
S5,0OO,ODO; for tho Fullerton Avenue conduit
100000. and tho deepening of the Illinois and
Lake Michigan canal $5,O0O,O0O making u
grand total of S1g,5O0.nO0, not counting the
cost OF raising the city SO as to give the sew
ers fall, which j. several millions more
Whenever the subject Of drainage ls dis
cussed we are called on to see what Chicago
has done In that way; and, tojudge from some
Of our local writer's, Chicago ID the eeanest and
healthiest city In the world | found 1t the
filthiest place ever visited, and am satisfied
from what hive seen, that their sewers, as
a sanitary measure, are q failure.
As to the praetIcability OF The sewerage sys
TEN In this city, he says:
In the report made by Gon. Blanchard and
myself we recommended mat inc Ptesehtsys,,
tenn of drainage be continued, and the more
examine the question the more am 10 favor
OF 1t. submit Q profile OF Chicago and OF
New Orleans, which, ut o glance, shows the
dlitpEF1f1nA Oil EIlbE tDGublpu bHICHtftu - pHllb
ON lnnd which needs no levee and the surface
rf which In never overflowed by the waters OF
Lake Michigan and which rises as 1t extends
bnak from The lake, so that at one mile dis
lance 10 has an elevation Of twelve feet above
Che waters Of Lake Michigan.
Underground sewerage may then be pOsai-
Die In such locality. but not destrnbtc, ~ the
danger and annoyance Of broken pipes and
bad odor are constantly occurring In all OF
fhe cities which have adopted this system.
New Orleans Ia built on land which is pre-
fsrted from overflow Of the Mississippi river
nv n continuous eyee. from the beginning OF
III river front to the ending OF 1t, n distance
OF about twelve miles, which has on elevation
above the natural soil Of from SIX to ten feet.
This land falls from the river bank to Clal-
borne street zone mile), where 1t Is twelve feet
bctOW the river.
In high water not an inch Of land IN New
Orleans Is above the level OF the river las
shown by the proiilel..
lit seems to us who 1--we here unnecessary to
saw that we cannot dig In the soil but q few
feet without reaching water.
H then sewer pipes were adopted what
could be done with them2 Run their contents
down to Claiborne street canalp What them
Rim them down Claiborne street for miles to |
Bayo,1 Bienvenu after that dig canal OF |
daenen the bay on up to the river when you |
would have a ditch twenty-four feet deep |
{adding height OF levee thirty feet deepl which
must be pumped into the river
III Chicago had to raise her grade to be able
to lay down sewerage pipes, surely New Or
leans will have to do as much. Are yOu
guardians OF the eitys welfare, prepared 70
ssntasr into such an expenditure, involving |
millions Of dollars and for all imaginary |
benefitP
But. In fact, what use shall we have for
sewer pipes when the pail and closet sys-
tenn" Is established and the prtvy system |
abolished2 Mono.
In consequence OF the actually existing |
condition Of the land on which New Orleans Is |
built IL is plain and sure that all matter de-
ptir,
the land must necessarily be dissolved or
taken up BY the water which underlies our
whole surface, and that the eflluvia Of fecuent
matter will pervade our whole CITY; there
face water be carried away in the cutters to
the draining canals, and as the cutters are TO
be flushed by the great pipe on the levee, the |
drainage will be 50 diluted % 70 be harmless,
the street carts and deposited In the garbage
or nuisance boats and by them carried much
further down tho river than any sewer pipes |
could possibly discharge them.
On the drainage Of this city. he says
DRAINAGE
The drainage of New Orleans. as now OK
listing, consists of large canals, thirty-tive
miles long, which receive the surface water
az the city cutters tower three hundred niles, |
and us they are not revetted, they receive by |
aeepdge much OF the filthy water which IN
derlies this city. II the canals were properly |
revettea this last annoyance would be |
avoided aud the drainage water would be |
comparatively purer and would produce no
plpr as the flushing system would destroy |
that, and the mud now so plenty would be |
greatly diminished
The canals are distributed as follows: In
the upper draining district, from the upper
protection Ieyee to the New canal, from the
river to the lake there is the tailrace from
Dublin street to the lake; on Fourteenth
street, from Dublin street to the protection
Ievee canal into the lake; the Tenth street
canal and Claiborne street canal, from the
upper protection Ievee along those streets 70
the New canal the Mepomene tailrace. from
Claiborne street along Melpomene street to
and along Washington Avenue TO Carrollton
Avenue and emptying into the New canal at
Dublin street; the draining canal on Camp
street. from Clio street to Felicity road, and
this empties into the Melpomene draining
canal. which runs from Camp to Claiborne
street. .,
closed nv b. brick sewer and also the Mel
Domene draining canals be lined with cypress
blanks on the bottom, and brick sides as high
ss the lower edge Of the cutters which lead
into them.
In the next district, extending from the New
canal TO st. Peter street (old Carondelet canal
and Bayou ~. Johnl there are the Claiborne
street canal, the Galvcz canal, the Hagan
Avenue canal, Broad street canal and the
Carrollton Avenue, running parallel to the
river and receiving the drainage OF the gut
tiers. Then the Poydras canal, from Galvez
to CaToliton Avenue, the taiIrace from the
Bienvile draining machine to the Orleans
draining canal, which drains this district
from Claiborne street 70 the lake.
These canals also should tie lined On bottom
and sides.
In the next district extending from Or
leans street bayou st. john to the lower
limits of the city, there are the Claiborne
street canal. opened from Orleans street down
to Poland street; the Broad street canal,
from ST. Peter street to Marigny canal; St.
Bernard and Marigny connect with Broad
street.
In nay letter Of the fifteenth Of April I
called your attention to the wants Of this dis
trict and renew the same
This vast system OF drainage must be still
more extended, as it is the best adapted to
our soil and to Its Typographical features.
1t Is a location which Is unique, as Holland,
rythnurh Love la mora layel. The protiip am