The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-04
THE SANITARIANS.
A Readable and Valuable Report
ON City Drainage.
A Suggestion Regarding the Inmates
of the Parish Prison.


(leo Horter. r. J. Woodward. jos. Bowling. T..
&C. Kruitsohnitt, Jas. Jackson, W. D. Schmidt
Chas. Citation, NJ. j, Huntz, Dr.. @. y, White.
Thos s. Elder and w M Burwsl.
The committee on canals and drainage sub
mltted the following
INTERESTING REPORT.
Mr. Chairman Your committee appointed tn
offer q plan for luahng the street cutters, and
aisunsinp IF tho matter. have Tho honor 10 sub
Before sntsrtng npOn IN osflentlon OF the
| special suhie / opuf led 70 them. It was deemed
eminentIy pruper-in Differences not only to the
VOL known views OF considerable number OF
our most intelligent and sntsrprfaiBs eitizsns
who advocate n system Of sub-sewsIlug but the
| rsueatedly EXPRESSED opiuione Of mary scion
tinn gent emsu from distant cities. who have
tuRen ~ deep interest In tbs imnr ,vensent of
The sanitary condition Of New Orleans to &
tend tho aeope OF our Inquiry and consider tho
ptaetlesb ity ut this particular time Ct re-
moving matters out Of sesb e. w shsts de9 he
| GATED and, IA got. not absolutely perfect s. stem
OF cub sewerage.
will admit that. as preliminary 10 undertnk lug
a work Of such magnitude. very thorough to-
geographical survey OF tho city and ohVtfons
would be absolutely necessary to enabia eari
tgry engineers to- determine tho mode and prob
able coat Of n plan adapted TO tue paeu iar to-
Biography and character Of the soil o. THE CITY,
Fforesdtpg In that careful and Deliberate
manner. we might hope to avoid tho arrurs
which have been made Ia saWetine many Of the
large cities OF The world.
While your CON mittee dtselatm any INTENT
To underrate the bsueH which might bh de-
rived from carefully executed eystem of sub
sewsrnge they feel it incumbent upon them. in
tho exercise If their duty. to D ssent fpr Fonf
information n few Of the objections W ieh have
occurred to them pertinent to Its adoption In
New Oflaans nj THIS time,
First--The cost of perfect ayHfern OF sub
beverage. adapted to the peculiar Topography
Of this city, Its annual ipaintsnanee and annual
working expense. will eEcsed tbs present pHeus
MARY ability OF property owners.
Seeord-A perfect cyst IN OF sub sewerage
could not be completed In period short 81 five
years M such work In our climate could not be
prosecuted In summer.
Third When Finished, n large majority of our
citigaaH would be found unable, ON strt ss ot
circumstances. to connect their dwellings With
the 90 usrs.
Fourth Your committee have consulted the
works of wtiters whose views are n0Cep ed rs
the highest authority on sawerHgs. and ita dan
gers II improperly construct O. and they nad
That many most ingenious but costly devices
have been tried. with varying resnlts. for the
prevention of dangerous smhnaitona from
q. W rs. 1t is ret down ~ M asiotn thu the
work Of connecting buildings with tho sewers
must be done Ia the most perfect manner, by
honest aud experienced plumbers. nni watched
and guarded oonfinnslig; Th r. yantl .a
@ ,vered with cowls OF various and peeuliHf
construction. We quote from Baldwin Latham,
Page a 4os. The number and siss Of ventilators
required for the efficient ventilation of house
drain ought TO be equal 70 III. d. charging
number and size OF veu'ilating pipss now in
use are too few and too small for efficient ven
tilatiuu."
seleGfiou ~ convention point for The tsrmi1n-
ton of these vsniiatinG pipes. especially IN
those cases whore they ars not btted with
ether coal apparatus for absorbing or destroy
ing tho noxinua properties ~ tho sewer air.
Tho point Of exit should neither be near y win.
dow veutilator or tho top ri a oh meey. Hrsat
ire shonld nlso be exercised In tho selection Of
the material for tho construction Of yentilating
pipes and for forming Iolnfs. ,s =, .ho o,n
sruotou Of house drains and in the Interior.
tit lbgs OF house require careful asacttnnt
and constant inspection Is SO needed 10 "s9er-
tain that the works are sound
Page 1863: Ono of The most importa ant things
to be considered Ia o2nnectinn 81 me vnntllt
ton OF sewers Il the disposa OF tho sewer bir
In M lrnoouous manner. 1t should be OBJ
served In reference to this matter, that tho
mere evidence Of smell. or its absence. ~ NJ IN
dication or otherwise OF danger. hmeil'ne
gssen may hs harmless while those in others
which sra most pernicious arc usually devoid
Of ndOr."
Page 10. American edition:
Such pipes may bs ussi with advan aRe. and
eapeeial ly In Connection With the ysntila.i9n ot
house drains, M they will act efficiently for the
purpose Of allowing mir to eaeape when II oe-
comes compressed ms. for example, when any
water Is passed into 81 sewer or drain. Tor u
may b ! token as n ruls that every drop 81 water
poured into n sewer or drain causes dtspiaca-
ment of aa equal amount Of the foul htr oil the
sewer"
Page no. Tho evil effects Of tho want Of ven.
tilntion were conelnsivtly shown In the curly
sewerage works, OF Coryden in which nla,ga
no aooner were tho wOt ks OF drainage drawing
toward completion than thetown was visited by
mn epidemic Of typhoid fever
''sulpbureited hydrogen Is gas whteh Is tho
product of decomposition. 1t Is found more
or ssa la sswsrs. If hos been known 10 lire
In sewsra. It. ID The most poisonous OF nli
gnses Of known composition.
This ventilutihg pipe presents dtmeulty
we'll worth considering In II city where low ana
lofty houses are 80 freey lntermtngled. bn-
eaa oTaer OF sa,ne a a nni G t
be- "near u window. ventil tor or The top OF the
ch nney" Of the adjoining three..etory house.
the danger OF sewer gas entering the sleep ng-
rooms OF tho more lofty house would be immi
neut no matter how scientifically and careiul-
ly that house may be- guarded.
II y. EhesbrOugh Ia hts FInnl Report OF inc
New Have n Sewerage y stem" says; In the
construction OF sewers the greatesl care should
be tnken to make light joints. 50 that tho Sow
age may not leak into the porous soil
To drain u city peril city the sewers shoula
DO Of such tizs. form, inclination. workman
ship and depth below the rurface ~ to convey
without deposit or stoppage TO the main outlet
and by means OF the ordinary quantity OF Whttf
used for domestic and other PURPOSES. oil the
snbstpncea that are usually discharged Into
them from private houses. These requisites
are not always at reasonable eFpehse. ana hsncs
compromises are often resorttat TO especially
when It Ia deemed imeraoicabie 70 raiae the
funds necessary to carry out perfect systern.
Az our necessities do not admit of delay, qua
some action must be taken His eetate, to im,
that with the strictest regard TO economy We
will Cis1ntsB any further consdera lon OF u
system SO cos ~ and environed with SO many
difficulties until the effect OF plan. III ore elm.
pie cheaper and In some respects better suited
to our soil and climate. has first been trfed-in
oonnectlf n. be- It understood. with thorough
reform Of our present pr y system, for we are
convinced that immediate removal is the cor
| rect principle OF the management, OF human
exereta that the conseryancy or the aeeumu
| latiys plan Ia au incorrect principle: that now.
In fnct. In our system Of sanitation We are
ch DOSING the least Of two unavoidable eviIs.
| Your committee therefore, recommend the
adoption Of tho plan proposed by II, 9. Brown.
| city surveyor In his report Of July %, 1879.
namely tho introduction of water from The
Mississippi river iutn pipe running the entire
front OF The city with outlets to the cutters oil
every pc, pend ienlar street, which ~ surveyor
present system of drainage" Surveyor Brown
eati m .tes the cost OF this introducing water Tor
the purpose OF flushing the street CUTTERS rs
| follows
The cost of four miles Of iron pipe from
| the Copvent to Felicity road will BE-.
| at Ave dollars per foot. 49,. BOB Gef
And the adoption Of outlets to Streets. $40,