The Portland daily press., 1879-09-23

partly artificial which runs through the CEN
trail part of this basin, the water at hlSn uue
has depth of not more than seven ieet III the
deepest part. Thus it will be seen that, at low low
tide, the LIQUID from the sewers can not now
over the irregular surface Of the bottom Win
any considerable velocity. AS mater OF
fact. it runs out with very little force, dlstriDc
utes itself widely over the flats, and much Oh
it waits for the returning tlde, wnicn
back to the mouths of the fifteen sewers willch
empty along the low shore. The sewers ter
nitrate respectively at the foot OF Green, Brat
tle. Paris, Hanover, Preble, Elm, CeuaI'
Chestnut, Pearl, Wilmot, Franklin, boya,
MAYO. Smith. and Anderson streets ihey are
nroloneed a few rods beyond the shore by open
fronobs. The conditions here are very dlirer-
ont and far less bad than in the Mill Pond. a
much larger amount OF sewage Is, lnMueeu, M
emptied into the Cove, but, instead OF peing
confined by DAM the water WIN d s 10 Senaced ,o%
by sea-water which is probably nearly pure,
and which is supplied to the amount OF nVe
millions of tons at each tide. Most OF the sew
ace is probably washed out even by the srae-
uaily receding tide on the flats; but some IS
surely deposited, and if the same arrangement
is continued many more years, we shall nave
nuisance compared to which the present is put
a trife. We have visited the Cove at an
times, by day and night, and excepting nltny
smell around the outlets OF some OF the sewers,
we ourselves have not been able to detect any
odor from the Cove more offensive than that
which usually arises from flats. The evidence,
however, as to the existence and oHehsiVehess
of stenches is of too large amount ana Oh 700
resDectable character to admit OF doubt, espec,
ialiy as the conditions are such as would lead
us to expect such result.
AS we have stated above, the tannerles,
especially that at the foot of Green street, had
been the subject of frequent anlmadVorslons'
Stories which we now find were eXtravagant,
were rife about them, and we determined 10
investigate them with especial care In ofder
that no process might be suppressed or con-
cealed from us, we took occasion to INFORM our
selves on the subject OF tanning py opse1sa s1sf'
tion of the methods pursued in large estaD-
lshment in another town, where we were
shown every process to when the hiues gre
subjected, from the moment OF their recelpI
till they are ready for the market IN tne siiapo
of finished leather. By inquiry of Responsible
and disinterested parties, we aseertalnea tnat
this tannery, though situated right III the
midst of the village, gave no ohehco " 0ile
people around, except slightly by the ouor VI
burning hemlock tan, which is used as luei,
the smoke of which in certain states OF the at
mosphere settles down on the nelghDorho2u.
One other exception should pc maue: tiie
waste water of the tannery is discharged INTO d
little pond in the field OF the next lah9-oWn neI
to run the works of machine. shop; put, Iof
few wears past it has not been drawn OH con-
stanty owing to the suspension Oh the worhs'
and during this time, it has been growing Oh
fensive, so that now ITS agltatloh Is lollo"ou W
a disgusting smell. This circumstance seems
to MS to be very Instructive showing, as IL
does, that if sewage is rapidly conveyed away
as fast as it is formed, 1t is lnofiehslve; p9t' II
allowed to accumulate and settle III poois' IL
coon becomes vile. With this model freSn IN
our minds we visited all of the tanneries IN
Portland Everywhere we were most cour-
teously received, given the most absolute
freedom of inspection, conducted frankly 10
the places where the most dlsagreeaple pro-
,,nIO a,,1sh the "a
lures of the establishment. And it is q peculiar
satisfaction to US to be able to say that we see
no possible reason why the tannefles mere
should be Immediately more of nuisance
than that to which we have referred as benS
in close proximity to the dwellings OF wealthy
and fastdious people. But we can not help
seeing that as the entire sewage from an theSe
works sooner or later gets INTO the MIL Ionu I!
or the Oaks, and is allowed to remain uhals-
turbed for long periods OF time, IL iiusI oo "
prominent factor in the production on the pu-
trid masses of animal refuse which are lllo
source of such abomnable stenches as are COM
planned of. That this is SO, however, WS we, uo
not consider the fault of the tanners. Iney
simply put their waste stun Wnere tne Guy
nuts its own: if better methods were adopted
bv the latter, the former would doubtless
cHeerfully comply with the improved arrange
ments
Eleven sewers discharge on the front side of
the city, at the following wharves: Atlantic,
Galt's, Custom House, Portland Pier, Union,
Merchants Berlin Mills, Hobsons, Perleys,
Maine Central r. r. and Forest City Sugar
Company's-eleven in all. In most of the cases
the sewer terminates at the upper end OF the
dock near the wharf; in all cases, above low
water mark. That at the head Of Portland
Pier, instead of ending abruptly with an open
mouth, is prolonged by wooden extension
which finally turns downward and emptles
within large open-topped box which is sunk
in the dock, the opening of the sewer BENG
| thus always submerged. The advantage ,'d oI
this arrangement largely is that, as the VIII ti,a
cannot blow into the sewer the traps p, ii,,oiv
| house-drains connected with it are not Iikeiy
to be forced. In some cases the mouth OF the ass
sewer can not be readily found, BENG 9eheaeH ot
the wharf. The worst example oil TINS Is M ae
| Atlantic wharf, where the sewage ron ,,S .ls
Fore streets is discharged directly in the midst