Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-01-27
THE CITY DRAINAGE.
An Open Letter to the City Board Of Trus-
tees by Dr.. I E. Dwinell

An Open Letter to the City Board Of Trus
tees by Dr.. L E. Dwinell.
+ Gentlemen: Allow me to address you il
this public manner, as the subject is one Of
public interest, and / wish to reach YOU
through the public, and the public through
you. see that the drainage question is up
again. and with the present system it is likely
to come up often. There seem to be insur.
mountable difficulties with our present sewer
age, inside the city and outside The fall in
the mains is quite insufficient, varying from
six to eight inches in block of 400 feet, l. e.,
at most, only one inch in 600 The connect
ing pipes in the alleys, which are smaller
about eight inches in diameter-have a
greater fall, or about one inch in $50.
Now it is found by experience that sewer
age pipe one or two feet in diameter needs,
to prevent the accumulation of deposits, a
velocity OF not less than three feet to o sec
ond, and to secure this an inclination Of
about one inch in 275. As we have not this
fall IN the small alley pipes, and not half of
It in the MANS we shall always be troubled
with accumulations in spite of the frequent
flushing of the pipes. And this difficulty
would be greatly increased if our houses were
generally constructed as the sanitary inter-
ests OF the city require, SO that the fluid
waste and fecal matters of the families were
discharged into the sewers instead of vaults
on the grounds. Bat if our sewers had suffi.
Gent fall and carrying capacity TO discharge
all the contents properly committed to them,
THE DRAINAGE CANAL Is ONLY PEsTILEN-
TIAL RECEPTACLE
At the back door of the city, wholly unable
to carry off what is intrusted to it, even now.
In times of high water it is filed with the
| river overflow, or back-water the outlet
twenty miles below being cut off, and the
current in the canal reversing its direction
and revisiting the lower parts of the CITY, at
such times, with no outflow and the sewers at
a standstill-as two years ago-the city sleeps
in its own corruption and breeds pastilence.
And at best, when the river is down in sum-
mer and the canal has an outlet, the liquid
deposit in it is left to work its own slow.
winding way, expanding and contracting and
having every possible exposure to the heat of
the sun, through channels and marshes and
ponds and lakes, and into channels again, for
twenty miles. loading the air of the wind
ward side Of the city, where we are to look
for our healthful and inspiring breezes, with
poison, and by the many expansions and con-
fractions shaking out all the seeds of disease
possible among the wayside people. If the
sewage of the city must have this outlet, by
all means let it be carried, not as if it were
something we wish to have affect us as much
as possible and were proud of, but in pipes or
a closely. covered canal, till it reaches the
open river.
But IS THERE NOT BETTER WAY?
Allow me to make suggestion as con-
! tributon to the discussion of this subject.
| Let cistern be sunk below the city and near
the river, water tight, and large enough and
| deep enough to allow the contents of the sew
ers to enter it so far below the surface of the
ground as to afford ample fall for the effective
relief of the pipes when adjusted to that
grade then let pump be employed to dis
charge the conteuts into the river. At first
q ground discharging main at right angles
with the mains which are parallel with the
rivera reconstruction and continuation of
the present one on the north side of the r
street levee, but sunk lower and with
greater fall-might be made to receive their
contents and carry them to the reservoir.
! Then as fast as new mains are made or the
old ones repaired, let them and the alley
pipes have the benefit of the greater fall thus
made possible. This would not involve
any great immediate expense, and no
greater future expense than we shall
! be obliged to incur with the present sys-
TEN to keep the city inhabitable. and single
pumps, of less capacity than the Holly pumps
at the Water Works, would answer the pur-
pose. The sewerage when discharged in the
river-at high water over the levee, at low
water through pipe running into it-would
be comparatively harmless, as there is no
back flow here from the tide, and there are
few people living below near the city on the
banks of the river; and whatever injury it
would be in the river to the city or to them,
it is inconceivably more harmful now to both
when turned into an open plain and
sTAGNATING UNDER THE NosTRHs OF THE
]
And those living below, in one continuous
! flow or counter fow-crossing now this way
and now that, for twenty miles. And GER
tainly it would be no worse for us to utilize
| the river as the carrier and at the same time
the concealer and neutralizer of the contents
of our sewers, than it is for st. Louis, Gin
cinnati, Louisville, Albany, Troy, and other
inland cities situated on rivers. In time,
when fertilizers are in demand, the material
might be converted into native guano,"
| as in London or poudrette, as in
Amsterdam and Leyden, at profit
In this way we euld have in time city with
excellent sewerage, capable of carrying off
all the liquid waste and fecal matter of the
homes, and adding greatly to the comfort and
health of the city, and at comparatively inn
perceptible expense. Pumps are used in
London for lifting the sewage, and if our
river-bed is allowed to be raised up much
it may not be long before the river-bed will
be raised above the level Of the drainage
pocket, and pumps will be obliged to be used
to relieve it, or we shall have below the city
a dead sea of putrefaction and destruction.
I would therefore suggest that this subject be
submitted to a competent engineer, and if
after general examination he thinks favor
ably of the plan, that he be employed to
make detailed report on the method of car
/ ont ha NJ hn
tees and the public. Truly yours,
[. +. DwINELL.
CRIMINAL CAsEs.-An unusual number of
criminal cases were disposed of yesterday by
Judge benson in the Superior Court. The
following prisoners pleaded guilty to informa-
lions against them, waived time and received
sentence: George Franks, for petit larceny,
sentenced to so days in the County Jail.
Alexander Dalzel, for burglary of the gro
Gerry of J. Lambert & Co., corner of Tenth
and X streets, on December 90, 1880, SEN
fenced to two years imprisonment in Folsom
State Prison. Gus. Wager, for burglary of
the livery stable Office of John Wagner. on
Ninth, between l ard j streets, and stealing
a watch therefrom January s, 1851 sentenced
to one year in Folsom Prison. G. Harris and
+. Smith, for burglary of the carpenter-shop
Of Falconer Bros. and stealing tools, at cor
ner of Seventh and [ streets, January 4,
1881, sentenced to term of ore year
at Folsom. In the case of William Flem-
ming, alias Jack Lee, charged with felony,
in attempting to commit rape upon two
women in the lower part of the city, imme-
diately after previous term in jail, the
charge was reduced TO assault, and he was
sentenced to another sixty day in the County
Jail. George Williams, previously convicted
as one OF the robbers of A. III. MeA1artin,
known as the deaf mute, was sentenced to a
term of FIVE years in the Folsom prison. This
il the third man who has been awarded a
term of five years in that prison for the rob-
berry of this man another turned States
evidence, and the fifth was acquitted. Will
lam Search pleaded guilty to burglary of the
house of Edward Breiling, on l. street, near
.. Seventh, in June last, and he will receive
sentence at 10 A. N. tomorrow. Q. w
Brown and H. S. Burnette, alias Samuel Da
: Wis, were arraigned upon information fol
stealing the span of horses from Jackson'i
ranch, on the Stockton road. They pleaded
not guilty and were remanded to Jail to await
!, trial.
POLICE CoURT-The following business
2 was transacted in the Police Court yesterday
George Ayers was tried for battery, foune
guilty, and fined SO and costs. Jas. Kalahel
and Thomas OKeefe, arrested for battery