The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-13
THE CITY SURVEYOR ON DRAINAGE
AND SEWERAGE.

We have received q copy Of the printed
report OF City Surveyor Brown on the drain
age and sewerage OF New Orleans, made
after an examination Of the drainage and
sewerage Of Chicago, at the request Of the
New Orleans Sanitary Association. whose en-
ergetlc cooperation with the city authorities
has enabled the latter to improve the san
itary condition OF this city In a manner to
| assure the citizens Of New Orleans and the
rest of the country that uncleaniness will not
this year contribute TO the propagation Of
disease.
Instead OF being able to take Chicago as q
| pattern, Mr.. Brown speaks very disparaglngly
Of the system Of sewerage of that city. and
points out quite clearly the reasons why 1t is
not applicable to New Orleans:
Chicago is built upon land which needs no
| levee and tho surface Of which ia mover over
| flowed by the Writer'S Of Lake Michigan; and
| which rises % IT extends back to the lake. 50
TINT ut one mile distance II has mn elevation Of
| twelve feet above the waters Of Luke Michigan.
| In such n locality. but not desirable. the
| danger and annoyance Of broken pipes and
| bad odnrs are nstantly, occurring In all the
| cities which have adopted this system.
New Urfehns is butt upon iand which Il
protected from the overflow of the Mississippi
| river by a continuous leyee from the beginning
II its river front 70 the ending Of Ii. a distance
| of about twelve miles which has an elevation
above the natural soil of from six to ton feet.
| This land falls from The river bank TO Clai-
borne street tone milo. where 1t is twelve feet
| hefOir the river.
| In high water not an inch Of land In Now Or
| leans il above the lsysi OF the river.
| In order to secure the same conditions MS to
grade In New Orleans as prevail In Chicago,
we would have to fill at Claiborne street
| twenty-four feet.
Mr. Brown declares TINT the stencil from
the main stream and branches of the Chicago
river Is much worse than from any Of our
draining canals.
| Tho Surveyor recommends continuation
and improvement OF the present system OF
drainage, the revetting of the canals. the re-
moval of the draining machines to the lake
end. thereby increasing the reservoir capacity
Of the canals, and proposes, by lowering the
| water level, to efrectually drain all the low
| lands from Claiborne street to the lake.
The report indorses the views of Doctors
Holt, Loeber and PIatt on domestic santa
ton, opposes the erection Of double houses
advises the laying off Of new tracts in lots
12o feet deep, with III alley In the rear through
the block.
One OF the most sensible suggestions In the
report is that touching tho manner OF filling
low lands In the rear of the ridge, and this is
a principle which may be SO far improved
upon as to most effectually reclaim all the
low lands adjacent to the Mississippi river.
BY u system Of conduits 1t Is proposed to
convey the river water to the low places, re-
| peating the processes until the deposit OF sed-
iment shall have reclaimed the swamps.
It Is recommended that q main pipe along
tlas .JaHaa shell e,'rniv nvnrv n1ttnr 'pndin0
2 number Of most excellent suggestions are
made, which we will take occasion to refer to
hereafter