Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-02-19
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Sewer Relief.

Editor .Stdr:-If an inclined tube be copiously
deluged With water. IL Will seek escape at the
loWefinoSt end; f escape there be hndered,
II only 10y everything or opposing water then
the tube will therefrom fail somewhat as a
waterway, and II such hindrance be great, viii
either overflow. leak or burst: the same Is true
oi sewer. The 18th street sewer from PennSYl-
Nania ave. is forced at times TO relieve itself by
bCTSllhg pitS man-hole covers aud sp0utiny
out There It's oNercharge OF water 10 flood
streets ana cellars, by reason that II has its
discharge end (i1 street sewer at such times
below atd damned by overlying river water,
which means that it has then no real mouth
ana so Is IN effect, no longer a free waterway
out rather Is become a temporary ana greatly
0NeT-taXed reservoir
Remedy for this is honestly due a most eN-
cellent sewer, wisely devised. faithfully exc
cUted, tested as 10 its integrity by time and
oNer-seNeTe usage, and competent no doubt, II
unlnI eded, 10 do Its whole duty. The 40 tive
dnecJ and radical remedy is the simplest and
most bNiOuS One-the cheapest thoroughly
eGlcaciGus one-and N view OF the unfaillng
ELECT or local Improvement to cOntin lally raise
The high-wdter line OF adjacent sire amS)-the
only lelmaEenty SerViceable one: and II is one
Wholly beA ond suspicion OF failure. though at
tie same Tine capable OF comparatively inex-
pensiye trial and thorough test As on a single
separate sewer, and without prejudice either 10
IL or 10 whatever subsequent remedy may be
proposed for II OF for any other sewer. IL is 20
tecede tie sewer-mouth or intended discharge
end sufficiently back from the river About this
new mouth make sufficient relief basin Ia
calSSCn al the present mouth on the marsh and
U1aGer high water might be ilnpract icabIeI
water-tight and protected at all times from
river overflow; and furnish this basin with a
constant steam pump or pumps. cOmDatent 10
empty al once from IL into the river at its high
est possible present or future Hoods all the
water the sewer may at any time deliver There
VIII remain, then, on hand only sedmentary
matter lett unintentionally unDumped un IL
should on no account be emptied anywhere into
Tie Potomac 10 clog its current, lill its channel
ana poison its waters: IL should not be wasted:
II Is valuable as fertilizer; IL is rich in lost
Valuables and thick with records OF crime and
guides TO Its detection and consequent diminu-
ton.
Further: The sewer having thus n constant
doWn-cunent and never any back-water Will
pe Doth less liable TO foul. as I'm time OF scant
down-fiow. and more readily clearabie by flush
ing, 10y these means TO decrease the production
OF sewer-gaS, which now. despite every hitherto
claimed preventive, comes out at one time by
1oice only OF It's own simple eXpansiNeneSs and
minute pemeatiyeneSS, and at anot her driven
cHywald by blow from the river into the ey-
posed, oIen sewer-mouth. In fact, with the
system Low lndicated-and with some such
alohe-the insidiOuS invasion OF this every
WheIe-pelvasiye and incombatably poisonous
gas INTO streets and houses, can positively be
prevented; the pump when not engaged I'm
elnptying the basin or water coming down the
seWer-and SO dragging out the gas by cOntac-
tive current-being exercised as an alr-exhaust
10 sewer itself THUS. n Will be noted, efecting
In one way or the other a constant out -draftle
dlschargtng its gases as both blower and feeder
direct, at once, and so TO become Immediately
lnnocuouS-iLto the engine fires
Where two or more sewers may have contigu-
Gus outlet, they might, OF course be brought to
unite In single basin and Joint exhaust, all
served by an engine or engines common TO the
whole.
The plan herein suggested is not antagonistic
10 anything that has been already done: nor
In fact even supplemental, but rather IL seeks
TO provide now as Complementary thereto what
does not seem TO have been originally required
and what perhaps the original projectors OF the
present completed works would have themselves
approved for the new emergency. The present
system ana sewers may be good; the disasters
or TWO summers do not necessarily prove its or
their ipadequacy; the fault may be elsewhere
IN good II and they should be permitted TO do
its and their duty before being unfairly con-
demned. III with the relief herein suggested
the sewers still do not suffice. then il NAV be
admitted that they are self-inadequate and need
TO be reinforced by auxiliary sewers. In any
event. however, 10 be Oerdtire sclCer-trags (and
without reference now 10 sewer gas prOtectlon,)
all setcers must hare at al times JulI free OutfdI
undiscouraged even by adverse winds