The Portland daily press., 1879-09-23
TERMS $500 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCE.

of the closely set piles of this large structure
| The effect of this arrangement is to favor the
deposit of the solid matters, making an accu-
| mutation which gradually fslts up the dock
and is of a nature most injurious to health.
UNAUTHORIZED SEWERAGE.
In a number of places we have found that
citizens were emptying their sewage into other
than the proper channels. For instance, the
| low marshy ground about the embankment of
| the Maine Central Railroad, in the vicinity OF
| Congress and Portland streets, IS made the re-
ceptacle OF animal refuse to such an extent as
to render the place a nuisance to the nelghbor-
hood House drains are sometimes directed
into the surface gutter of the street. The en-
tire sewage of certain residences ON the Bram-
hall slope of Congress street is emptied into the
gutter and runs. down to the foot of the hill.
But the most striking case of this kind is to be
seen lust to the south of Portland street, be-
tween High and State streets, where is q large
pool of stagnant liquid formed mostly of sewage
from Sherman street. There is no opportunity
for this collection to escape into the Oaks for the
embankment Of Portland street is an etfectuai
barrier; and as it lies and putrifes in the sun,
giving out, at times horrible odors. We have
no doubt that this pool is responsible for not n
little of the annoyance experienced by the citi-
zens of that region.
MINOR NUIsANCEs.
Complaints have been made of pig-sties
being kept near dwellings, and investigation
account. In one place swine are kept in the
midst of densely settled district, and close by
the residences of wealthy citizens, in open de-
fiance of the well-known ordinance which pre-
scribes that these animals shall not be kept
within hundred feet of any dwelling-house.
In another region to which our attention
was directed the accumulations of manure in
the stable of a gentleman were the source OF
great annoyance to the neighbors, who are
among the best Of our people.
The Offal carts came Tor small snare OF
blame, on the score that they are often allowed
to stand uncovered good while in front OF
residences whose occupants are sickened by
the odors.
Though they were not q prominent subject
of complaint at the public hearings, we desire
to call particular attention to what we believe
to be a fruitful cause of stencil and actual dis
ease, to wit:
THE CULvERTs
The gullies, or culverts, as they are general
ly called with us, are of several varieties, al
most all of which, however, may be reduced to
two as regards the purposes Tor winch they
were made and the principles involved IN
their construction. The object III view III
building the earliest OF them was simply 10
afford channel from the street gutter 10 the
common sewer which should carry off the sur
face water. The culvert, therefore, was only
a brick tube with 1aring upper extremity
so situated with reference to the gutter that
the storm-water could readily flow into it and
beneath the middle of the street. The city
engineer informs us that, of the five hundred
culverts in the city, about one-half are OF this
variety; no others were built previously TO
1869.
1t will be readily seen that, in this culvert,
there is nothing whatever to prevent the en-
trance of sand and other substances into the
sewer, or the escape of gases from the sewer;
the other kind mentioned was designed to ac-
complish both these things, the first of them
because solid matters are liable to accumulate
in the tube of the sewer and obstruct the pas
sage of the sewage, which may then flow back
into cellars; the second of them because it
came after a while to be a recognized fact that
sewer gas was injurious to health, as well as
offensive to the sense of smell. So, for ten
years past orr culverts have been constructed
with a catch-pit to detain the solid matters
which enter from the gutter, and what IS
known as water-valve to keep the sewer gas
from rising into the street. The general plan
will be understood by glance at the following
diagram of section of such culvert