Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-08-30

Final Remarks on Sewerage.
1t was our intention to discuss this
question in a final paper with refer
ence to the ways and means for car
rying it out; for our readers are
probably aware that the present
taxes do not pay the expenses of the
city, and yet that they are levied to
the utmost extent of the powers of
the City Council as granted in the
charter. 1t is obvious therefore that
no general system of sewerage can
be adopted without an appeal to the
Legislature for power to lay a spe-
cial tax for the purpose.
Further, we understand that the
plan for partial drainage and sewer
age in the business portion of Frank
lin street is not to be executed at
present, the Street Committee to
whom it was assigned deeming it
beyond their powers and too heavy
a responsibility. All this points to
an order of things found necessary
in other cities of the dimensions to
which GAINESVILLE has now attained,
where business of that kind is taken
altogether out of the hands of the
City Council and placed in those of
a Board of Public Works, the MEM
bers of which are selected specially
with a view to their knowledge of
that business. All this requires leg
islation, and will be better discussed
a little before we elect representa-
tives to the next State Legislature.
Meantime some private efforts at
are being made which are
worthy of attention. Advantage is
taken of the peculiar geological
confguration of GAINESVILLE, which
is situated on a bed of rock pene-
trated in all directions by great
chasms. This peculiar formation
has been utilized in draining some
of our ponds. Wells are dug to the
bed rock in question, and it is found
that any amount of drainage once
conveyed to these wells is carried
off along those chasms to the river.
Much has to be considered before
we can hope to establish a general
system of sewerage on this basis
though we are glad that these ex-
periments are being made by indi-
and we will defer further
on the subject till their
result is known.
We have examined with interest
one case where this formation has
been so utilized. Capt. Gracey, in the
back part of his premises, has had a
deep well dug down to the bed rock,
into caverns which rapidly
carry off any quantity of water that
can be thrown in. His house con-
tains all the modern cOnveniences |
which are rendered possible by the |
of water-WOrks, and the
drain pipe conveys the water-wash-
ing to this chasm, which is covered
over with earth and all the pur
poses which could be gained by the
best system of public sewerage are
attained. Anyone who desires to |
make a similar experiment would |
do well to get advice and informa-
ton from the Captain, whom we
found very accommodating in an
swering our enquiries.
In another instance, which has
been abandoned on account of dis
on the part of the neigh |
bors, a mistake had been made by |
the Street Commissioners which we |
hope not to see repeated. They |
had granted the right of way for a
private sewer to be used only by |
two hOuseholders, which was to run
along about two hundred feet of one |
of our principal streets. The eX-
pense of digging and constructing it |
was to be betrayed by the two |
in question and the |
right of using it granted |
to them. Apart from the legality |
of such a grant, which we consider
very questionable, it is easy to see
that such an arrangement would be |
a great obstacle to the future con-
of public sewerage. There |
are six other houses on the part of
the street along which the sewer in
question would have extended, and |
each of these has as much right to |
private sewer there as the others. |
Were they to claim the right we |
should have the whole street honey |
combed with private sewers, no one
of which could be made available |
as part Of the public sewerage.
1t was intended that the sewer in
question should empty in the pit |
which had been dug for the drain
age of the Mcdaniel pond. We |
think it likely that if that pit were
constructed for that pur-
pose it might be utilized for the
of the neighboring houses,
but no portion of the sewer which |
might be constructed for the pur-
pose so far as it runs on public |
ground ought to be placed under |
private control.
New Music.
We have received from the pub |
fishers two new pieces composed by
Prof. Meininger. They are a church
,,.DlI olonfn1 10