Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-11-16


SAVANNAH, November 15.-Eiitor Morn
i'ag Ne,0s: A memorial appears in your issue
of this morning which urges the Legisla-
ture to enact into law the sewerage bill
proposed by the Sanitary Commission, and
which is Endorsed by the City Council. l
declined putting mS signature to the said
memorial for objections which now wish
to bring to the notice of the public and OF
our Representatives, and l ask the use OF
your columns for this purpose.
Ny first objection to the bill is that for all
sanitary purposes it will prove useless, be-
cause it fails to provide for the establish.
ment of well matured system, which In
every undertaking is necessary to success.
1t is left to the option of msjority Of the
owners of lots abutting upon any street or
lane, or to the will of any City Council, who
are "hardly ever" experts In such matters,
to say whether there shall be primary or
secondary sewer laid down In IL, or none
at all.
Shall we entrust so important matter as
the sewerage of our cty-a matter which
involves IN q great measure the health and
prosperity OF cur people-to such plan as
this? It is such a plan as this winch mas
produced the abominable sidewalks for
which Savannah is daily execrated by its
own inhabitants and long remembered by
all who visit US.
Ny second objection is that # permits the
continued use OF the present large porous
brick sewers for the conveyance OF sewage
from houses, when experience has shown
that they become clogged and actually filled
up with filth, as in the Barnard street,
jefferson street, Liberty street and other
sewers. II Council should elect to use the
sewers under the law which is eought to be
passed, they would greatly increase the
nuisance which now exists and which has
introduced a class of diseases formerly IN
known in the city, for these sewers, or
drains as they properly are, are built Of
materials which permit the percolation
| through them OF fluid contents, leaving the
| solid portion TO accumulate aud rot
poisoning the air not only OF houses having
| defective connections with them, but
through the cesspools and catch basins the
air Of the entire city. The sewers
are not provided with man holes
or any other means Of en-
they are too large to be flushed, and even If
they could be it is not possible to cleanse
| them thoroughly on account of the rough
ness OF their surface and the lack OF "fsll."
Ny third objection is, that it contemplates
| the discharge OF the sewage into any
canal leading to tide water. l have now In
| my minds eye the Bilbo canal, which has
been used for this very purpose for the last
ten or twelve years. Any one who has ex-
| amined 1t as | have, and has seen the ebb
| tide running out of 1t, almost clear, while
| the greater part of the solid sewage of the
| city remains deposited upon its bottoms
and sides, must say that 1t is an abomina-
ton that should not be permitted in
any civilized country, and that the
| idea that the sewage can be car
| ried off by being admitted into a
canal into which the tide flows is a fallacy.
Yet this canal has an advantage not pos
sessed by any other around the city. The
water is admitted to 1t twice every day, and
| although most Of the solid material Is left
| behind, the soluble parts are diluted and
carried away. Now the Cuyler Swamp Ca.
nal will be dry through the greater part Of
| its length during at least six months In
| every year, and should it be used for this
purpose, as 1t might be under this bill, the
| entire filth of the city, distributed over miles
of country, would be exposed to our blazing
| summers sun and would spread death and
pestilence around it. This important work,
which ought to be great benefit to the
county, would be converted into a curse.
| have also a general objection to the bill,
/
erage Of the city by assessments upon the
lot owners, who are supposed to be more
directly benefited than the public at large
| ANY good system of sewers must prove a
| benefit to the whole community, and the
whole community should pay for teach
man according to the stake he has in the
welfare of the city-that is money should be
raised by general taxation under existing
| laws.
While l have for a long time advocated a
new system of sewers, and am OF opinion
that a good system is absolutely necessary
for the health and prosperity OF the city, !
believe that the law PRINTING it, if any
such law is required, should begin by pro-
hibiting the City Council from undertaking
such a difficult and complicated task, in
volving the expenditure Of 50 much money,
until 1t should have obtained the advice Of a
competent sanitary engineer, expert in
such matters, and by whose plans and
specifications it should be guided.
| J. G. LEHARDY, NJ. D.