The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-26
ovERFLows AND SEWERAGE.


There is a remedy for the overlooking of
the city by Pegue's run every time we have
an unusual rainfall, and the remedy should
be applied promptly. The damage to prop
erty is so great at each of these floods that no
time ought to be lost in understanding and
applying the preventive. When the ground
now occupied by the northeast part of the city
was in pasture and cornfields, so that the
water falling in one of these unusual rain
storms would stand in ponds for days and
finally soak away into the earth, then the
channel of Pogues run was OF sufficient ca
pacity to carry off the water that ran into it.
Now that thousand acres of land along the
run and at the head of it have been con-
verted into city, and the streets graded into
the channel of the run, it requires twice or
three times the capacity to accommodate the
water and prevent an overflow. One of two
things must be done and done at once: The
channel of the run must be increased in size
making it twice or three time as large as it
now is, or lateral sewers must
be constructed tapping Pogue's run
at different points from Massachusetts ave-
nue. to Washington street, and running to
the river, OF. sufficient number and capacity
to carry off one-half or two-thirds of the
run. 1t does not re uire any great engineer
ing skill to discover that water will not run
up hill or that two inches of water will not
flow through a one-inch hole; yet the engi-
neering skill applied to devising our system
of sewerage has scarcely made these discover
les. If the Kentucky-ayenue sewer had been
made as it should have been, with three
times its present capacity, then these lateral
sewers from the northeast part of the city
could have been carried through it to the
river. No attempt should be made to carry
all the water from the northeast part of the
city into Pogues run. The bed of the run
should be lowered and the channel converted
into a large closed sewer, and other large
sewers constructed all of sufficient capacity
to carry off the water without any danger
from overflow. The Illinois-street sewer is
also a mistake. Its capacity is not equal
and many cellars along the street have
water backed up into them every time there
is an unusual rainfall. The City Council
and Board of Aldermen should take prompt
action and devise thorough and complete
system of sewerage and proceed with its con-
struction as rapidly as possible. 1t will, of
course, cost great deal of money; but
there is no other way out of the dilemma.
The damage occasioned by one flood will pay
the interest on the cost for years, and a
repetition of these calamities will bankrupt
the city. The Washington-street sewer,
when connected with Pogue's run, will do
much toward relieving it; but two more
sewers of equal capacity will be required to
do the work. One of these might be brought
down Massachusetts avenue, and the other
should tap the run half way between the
avenue and Washington street. These three
into sewer, will give complete relief for
many years to come andas new streets are
made in the northeast and the body of water
seeking outlet is increased, new sewers must
be constructed. But what is wanted now is
the adoption of thorough sewer system,
and its construction proceeded with as
rapidly as may be.