Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-24

Question:. of Malaria and Drainau

Questions Of Malaria and Drainage.
To the Editor Of THE EVENING STAR:
The proposed extension of the White Houss
may or may not be the best solution of the prob
lem as to where the President of the United
States should have his official home Certainly.
there Is such contraction and dearth of official
and home comforts at the PresiI entail Mansion
that thousand of our citizens would rebel
against them if applied to their own homes.
But these are matters which, for the present,
may lie IN allegiance, because other subjects arise
which seem to as OF much more vital impOr-
lance.
Last year, during the illness OF President
Garfield. when the representative men Of medi-
cal knowledge were cropping their way most in
ehectually. great hue and cry OF malaria was
raised-the old cry of wolff" which we remem-
Der from our school days. Experts with keen
olfactories and owl-like wisdom, came from san
itarums to nose out the smells of the White
House, and with ponderOus gravity the edict
was announced that the SANITARY engineering
OF the Presidents abode was of an inferior char
acter, and the nations feelings were cruelty and
unduly excited at the dreaded specter of malaria
joining hands with the fatal bullet in threaten
ing the life of our chief ruler.
This ogre of recent days has been raised to a
wicked height by the sanitary engineers and the
another name when several of her best students
and best men were victims to actually bad DRAIN
age. 1t is made to answer for sins that belong
to other shoulders; but of this also we shall
speak at another time.
The suggestions of an addition to the White
House and the raising Of the ghost of malaria
naturally lead us to inquire whether the drain
age of this large aud growing capital can be
improved to the satisfaction of the doctors and
sanitary engineers; whether we can gather
from the experience of other cities some EVIL
dences and proofs that the actual malaria of the
broad flats Of the Potomac can be successfully
combattcd and whether the drainage of the
whole area OF the present and prospective capt.
tai can be thoroughly effected.
If we suppose the fats to be finally reclaimed,
either into broad parks as they should be, or
into restricted building areas combined with
smaller parks, the drainage will have to be eff
fectualy provided for. The storm waters must
ind their way as soon as possible to the river;
but-much more vitality impOrtant-the sewage
Of the capital must not find itself commingling
with the waters Of the Potomac, this side of
Alexandria, and yet it, too, must be transported
as quickly as possible. And, fortunately, we do
not need to resort to costly and doubtful expert
mentation for our guidement. London suffered
fearfully from the fOulness Of the Thames; not
only throughout the cooler part of the year,
with Ong-suffering, but throughout several hot
seasons, with unutterable disgust and a fearful
death rate from the zymotic diseases. Her
sewage found its way slowly but eventually into
the river in the heart of London. The subject
mission received evidence and plans for proposed
improvements. An examination of the Blue
Books will show how thoroughly every project
Tor drainage was ventilated. and finally that one
with the most advantages and the least draw
backs was adopted. The present system Of low,
level sewers, devised by Sir Charles Bazelgette,
was the final outcome of the millions of pounds
expended in its elaboration and completion. To-
day 1t stands monument of genuine sanitary
engineering, and has been adopted by the engf-
neers of Berlin; and its principles have been APP
proved by the United States advisory engineers
for the harbor of San Francisco.
The plan is simple, comprehensive and COM
pete The drainage of given districts is re-
ceived in great covered sewers, which are pro-
jected with grades adequate for the prompt con-
yeyance and discharge of all material received.
When great sewer has reached depth of say
eighteen to thirty feet below the main line of
drainage the material is pumped up to another
great sewer, which carries it to great reservoirs
lar down the Thames, where it is discharged at
each ebb Of the tide and passes to the sea, never
TO return. The Berlin commissioners have
adopted the system, and have been building
great sewers at Low levels beneath her filth
saturated soil to receive the drainage of Berlin
and carry it far below the city to the River
disturbs the rostrils nor jeOpardizes the health
of its citizens.
We need not refer to the sewerage of Paris,
because it is discharged by its great system of
sewers directly into the Seine without lifting by
machinery. But here at Washington the Lon
don system seems the only proper and available
plan. A great sewer can be carried along the
TILED up flats at such depth below ordinary
grades, SO as to insure the prompt receipts, car
rage and delivery of the sewage therein.
This great sewer may have several receiving
branches before it leaves the southernmost point
of the city; then it should follow generally the
course OF the river. When necessary, the sew
age may be pumped to a sewer at ahigher level,
say at point six miles below Washington;
thence by the second sewer it would be carried
BY gravity to great receiving reservoir at some
point below the town Of Alexandria, whence it
would be discharged into the outflowing waters
OF the Potomac; or in part treated for it's utili-
cation as fertilizer.
elaboration Of the idea here suggested; we are
perfectly satisfied that it is perfectly feasible;
that 1t Is absolutely necessary, and that it will
be done. and that it il mere question of when
it shall be done. 1t should precede all contem-
plated great improvements; 1t should. in fact,
be projected at once, and the details and minu-
tia be thoroughly studied understood and
planned. 80 that estimates could be drawn
therefrom.
With such system OF low land sewerage all
the drainage of the lower portions of the capital
could be as effectively done as in the most favor
able localities
If it be suggested that the crossing of the East
ern branch by such a sewer is impractisable, we
have the example of the great siphon of the Ca
your canal for irrigation crossing the torrential
stream Sesia beneath its boulder bed; of the
tunnel now passing beneath the Hudson, and Of
the tunnel beneath the Thames. although the
last two are on comparatively enormous scale
and for different objects.
We are satificd that the difficulties en-
countered In the construction of the
London low level sewers were. in the az
gregate greater than would be required here
And, moreover. We have implicit faith in the
holiness. originality ana persistence of our en-
glneers to overcome every obstacle that arises
no matter how great or how unique. When the
American engineer acknowledges his inability
to conquer this problem it will be in order to
attack malaria in some other manner.
X. z.
HOW GARFIELD LOOKS.