Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-07-26


which was adopted subject to such
as might afterwards
De suggested on enquiry. This plan
was substantially to lay down an
pipe whether of terra
Gotta or iron was not decided) from
Second to First, along the north
gutter of Franklin, under the bot
tom of the gutter; to arrange that
the waste-pipes from the houses on
that side of the street shall discharge
into this pipe, which shall at its
western termination discharge into
the sewer which crosses Franklin
at First street and deseends the hill
with First street towards Commerce,
and then along Commerce towards
the river. As an after-thought it
was proposed to lay down similar
pipe along the hollow between
Franklin and Commerce above |
First street, which is in the same
way to receive the discharge Of the /
waste-pipes from the business houses
on the south side of Franklin and |
discharge it into the same sewer at
a lower point.
OBJECTIONS TO THE PLAN.
We much regret not being able to
speak of this well-meant plan with
approval. Our objections are:
First-Such pipe as is proposed
could not, in our opinion, if laid
deep enough to escape frost, gain
fall enough between Second and
First to carry off the required sewer
age; that is, unless the main sewer
was much deepened where it crosses
Franklin and thence for consid-
cradle way down the hill.
Second-That sewer would then,
being open at both ends, be a source
of malarious infection at those two
points, for the sewerage it would
contain would be of the very worst
character.
Third-Any sewerage apparatus
contrived for circumscribed local
ity like that will have to be all
. done oyer again whenever general
system of sewerage has to be planned
for the whole town, and that, we
believe, can only be deferred with
safety for a very short time.
Such partial contrivances for linn
tied areas are in fact beginning at
the wrong end. A general system
of sewerage for a place must be
planned all at one time by one man,
and is altogether beyond the powers
of our local mechanics acting under
the directions of the Street Commit
tee of the Board of Mayor and AL
dermen. The first thing done should
be the main outlet, which should be
down stream as far as the mouth of
| Red river. Then the main trunk
sewer running parallel with the
river the whole length of the city,
and the secondary trunk sewers
running down to it from the differ
ent districts Of the city, and when
the levels for all these have been
determined, then and then only can
the local minor branches be laid
down with advantage in subOrdina-
ton to the general plan. All this
comprises one of the most delicate
and complicated problems in engin-
eering; and still we have not pro-
vided for the ventilation of the sew
ers, which is a new topic within the
last ten years, but has been shown
to be so important that a sewerage
system which does not provide for
it is liable to poison whole COM
munity, and has done so over and
over again before the principle was
discovered, the resulting epidemics
being attributed to all sorts of causes
rather than the true one.
But our readers must perceive
that we have already far trans
cended our usual limits, and we
have many other topics Of interest
this week. But we shall not aban-
den the subject; we shall carry it
out in our coming issues until we
have treated fully of the hygiene OF
sewerage, and then even comes the
financial question, which in our
present state of affairs looks almost
| insOluble.
We earnestly adjure our readers
not to weary of this subject until
they have gone to the bottom of it
with US. We have fallen on times
when sanitary measures have as
sumed appalling dimensions before
which even our intense political
struggles sink into insignificance.
The sewerage question might have
been deferred for a few years if the
water-works had also been delayed
but we have the water-WOrkS here
now, and, whatever we do about
them, are here to stay. Whether
the contract is a good or a bad one,
whether it is fulfilled or not so far
as the Fire Department isconcerned,
we have the works here, and as re-
CARDS all the ways in which they
necessitate a sewerage system, it
will make no difference whether
they are used at all for fire purposes;
they are here, and a sewerage sys-
tenn must go with them, whatever
the difficulty, whatever the expense.
The matter is upon us for immedi-
ate solution, and we cannot escape
it.
I 7@a@lsz-azzazz3
OUR EDITORS "TRIP.
Feeling the necessity Of a change
of scene, we planned a two days
trip, and, by way of combining bus
mess with pleasure, timed our pere-
CARNATIONS so as to take a flying