Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-08-11
a GREET WORK.
Ia Charge of u Lancaster COntractOr and n
Lancaster Engineer.

GREET WORK.
| In Charge of u Lun n:aster Contractor and a
Lancaster Engineer.
In the current number of Htrper's
Weekly there is series of illustrations of
the new drainage works of Boston, which
arc being constructed by Richard A. Ma
lone, contractor, of this city, and arc in
charge of u. NJ. Stauiler, engineer, also of
Lancaster. The pictures give the profile
of the tunnel under Dorchester lay, a view
of the work in the tunnel, the cage ut the
filth hoist, the main entrance to tho tun-
mel at the filth hoist, the shaft in the bay.
shed and 4 view of Moon Island, where the
reservoir will bc located. In further cx-
PLANTATION Of the work there is All extended
account Of 1t in the Same publication.
The trouble in Boston las been that the
tide ran up the present sewers, blocking
the exit Of the filth, the sewage filled up
the harbor and it was carried by the in-
ward tide upon the shorcands to the dctri-
mcnt of the general health. The new sys-
tcm Of draining off the filth comprises \
| system Of low interceptiOn sewers along
the margins Ofthc city to receive the flow
from the already existing sewers; main
| sewer into which the former empty, and
which, crossin. the city, leads toa pump
ing station ut tho sea coast pumping ma
chinery to raise the sewage about thirty
five feet III outsall sewer, partly in tunnel,
leading from the pumping station to res.
crvoir ut Moon Island, in the harbor, from
which reservoir the sewage accumulated
during the latter part Of cbb and the whole
of flood tide is to bc let out into the l,ar-
Dor during the first two hours OF tho cbb
tide.
Some Of the branch sewers, built in Il
cOmprcssiblc mud soil, need pile founda
| ton to support them. Sometimes they are
built by tunneling. The main sewer ends ut
what is called the filth hoist, massive
underground structure with several cham
bcvs, in which are hung cages OF screens,
through which the sewage flows, and
which intercept matters which would be
apt to clog the pumps. Thence the sew
age enters the pump wells, and is to he
raised by four large pumping engines
each capable Of lifting twenty five mil
lion gallons in twenty-four hours.
After being raised by the pumps the
sewage lows, with sluggish current,
through an elevated tank or deposit sewer,
twelve hundred feet long, in which any
sand Or other heavy matters in suspension
will deposit, and thence passes under Dor
chester bay through 4 tunnel about a mile
and a-half long, and ono hundred and
fifty feet below the surface of the water.
Short silhons, as that under the Seine at
Paris, and others, have heretofore been
constructed in connection with the sew
erage works, but 4 tunnel Of such mag
nitutlc rs the ono now building at Boston
for conveying sewage is novel and bold
engineering conception. 1t is built by
means Of three shafts in the bay, the up
per portions of which arc formed Of sec
tions Of cast iron cylinders bolted together.
For its entire length the tunnel is expect
cd to pass through solid rock, principally
Roxbury con:;lomeratc and argillaceous
slate. The tunnel rises to the surface Of
the ground 1T its farthcst end, Oh mar
row promonitory called Squantum Neck.
and thence the sewer il carried on i heavy
cmbankment across beaches and flats to
the reservoir ut Moon Island.
The reservoir is to cover five acres, and
will be cmptied just after each period of
high tide, at which time the currents set
ting scaward from the island will carry the
sewage we'll outside of tho harbor. What
will DC its ultimate destiny is 4 matter Of
surmise, but it has been stated by scientists
that all organic PARTICLES will probably be
oxi,lizcd by the water, or will be assimila-
ted by the myriad animal organisms wlicl,
rervadc the sea.
In all some fourteen miles of intercept
ing sewers, besides the other works, arc to
10 constructed. Eight miles Of these arc
now finished, or nearly SO, and it is hoped
that within three weeks tho whole works
will be completed. The total cost is esti-
mated at 81, ,0OO, 600, and if the results con-
fidently expected arc attained, it will prove
a wise expenditure of time, labor and
mOnev