The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-03-18
A COMMITTEE.

One of the most important things we
need, as q city and as citizens, is full and
thorough investigation into the sources and
causes of the large quantity of water now
in our city.-Nothing is giving our people
so much trouble and annoyance, and to a
very large number it is causing no little
active loss and damage; everyone, of
course, comedies tho importance of large,
strong levees, but as they constitute no
protection against what's called sipe wa.
ter, no effort should be omitted TO ascertain
its sources of supply and to provide
all practicable means to prevent its ap-
pearance or to reduce its qauntity to the
smallest amount.
Some Of this water is sIPE WATER. some
OF 1t RAIN WATER, some of il DRIVE WE'LL
WATER and some of it SEWER RIVER WA.
TER; but as to the probable quantities of
each NO two persons will be found to agree.
This water is of very unequal depths in
locaaties having substantially the same
natural level. In some blocks, even very
recently, the water was one or two feet
lower than that in the adjoining blocks;
and in many larger portions Of the town
the surface of the water has been seen to be
much higher or much lower than in other
parts of the city. Some large sources of
the supply must be in particular places,
and portions of the city have been 80 stu.
ated as to receive very little other water
besides that which arose or came from
within the districts themselves.
There arc number of blocks in the
town which, had they been cut of from all
other blocks. would have suffered very lit.
tie in comparison with what they now suf
fer.
The water comes into the town in partic.
ular localities aud continually rising finds
its way into all parts Of the city, whether
it comes in as sipe water, sewer river water
or drive-well water.
AS for the rain water there is, Of course,
no preventive. The sipe water
presents questions of conceded difficulty;
but as for the drive.well water and the
water that comes in through the sewers di.
rect from the river, we are certainly able to
find complete and adequate remedy.
1t seems to me, Mr.. Editor, that it would
be well tor the city council or the tax
payers association, more properly the
former think, to appoint a committee to
give careful and full investigation to
these important questions and matters at as
early n day practicable.
We know the Fourth street sewers; We
known the tickle jade at Tenth street
which some have always believed kept
stick in her mouth, which VIM. McHale, in
years gone by, was never able completely
to stop with sawdust or anything else; we
know the sealed up sewer at the stone de-
pot, which needs to be opened to pour into
the Ohio what it has been so anxious to
pour into us; the sewer above the mill of
Gallagher & Son, long source
of annoyance, and last, the
sewer at Thirty-second street;
two of thse sewers, large iron pipes rum
ming through the levccs, being eighteen
inches in diameter and two Of them twet-
ty inches.
The records Of the signal Office here will
show the quantity Of rain fall every spring
since its establishment here and also, |
suppose the heighth Of the water, in the
Ohio and the length of time the rivers re.
NAMED high.
The drive wells, too, very indispensi-
BILE thing to our citizous, should be sub
subjected to strict regulations; and the old
mill or other water pipes, through the
levees, which have long ceased to serve any
good purpose should be withdrawn.
Ibid not intend writing 80 much, but
the importance Of this matter seems to me
to justify all the attention that can DO
reasonably given to 1t.
There are number Of other matters
connected with this subject to which l
would like to call attention, such as the
question as to whether this water can be
gotten out of the town faster than these
four sewers will carry it of, the prevention
of sipe water, etc. etc.; but space forbids
me. Lot US have committee.
JOHN M. LANsDEN.