The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-04-25
SEWERAGE.
the Following Is the Report Of City Ii
gineer johnson on Sewerage

The Following Is the Report of City En-
gineer johnson on Sewerage.
DALLAS. April %. lssS.-To Hon Mayor and
Committee on Sewerage and Drainage
GENrLKNKS:-AiIer acareful consideration
OF the subject. have concluded that IN
cheapest and most efficient system of sew
ersge and drainage Tor our city consists in a
separation of the sewerage from the drain
a &c, the sewerage TO be discharged through
!: n perVlous pipes, and the drainage through
porous brick drains.
To fully understand my plans il is necee-
sary for YOU 10 remember that sewage"
consists OF foul, filthy and offensive matter
discharged through suOterrauean channels
called sewers, white drainage" consists OF
surface and subsoil water discharged
through cutters and drains not always sub.
terranean.
IL is now the opinion Of large majority
OF sanitary ana civil engineers that a sepa.
ration of sewerage from drainage is advis-
able for many reasons, and
principally for economy, and with
out any experience you can readily
understand that to build large and costly
brick sewers throughout the city, to EN-
brace general and comprehensive system
| OF sewerage, would cost more than Dallas
can afford,
To discharge foul, filthy focal matter
through porous brick sewers would not
only permit the escape of noxious gases,
out would permit the sewage liquid to
percolate through the brick work, and so
pollute the sub-soil as to render the whole
system nugatory.
In large sewers, unless built with sufii-
cient grade TO cause a flow strong enough
hu ANKt,a raxFtN. a,
viii be necessary to flush them daily with
water, consuming greater quantity than
our water supply can afford, and grade
sufficient to carry sewage Oy its own gravity
requires fall Of foot in 80 feet, whereas
we cannot obtain u greater fall than foot
IN 2UO leet without going down into the
very bowels OF the earth.
IL Il sewer-pipe SIX inches in diameter is
sufficient TO convey and discharge all the
sewage of n district, il would be useless
expense TO construct u large brick sewer at
ten times the cost. For these reasons,
recommend pipes for sewage to be dis
charged into the Trinity river at the mouth
Oi Mile creek, and brick drains for drainage
to be DISCHARGED into Dallas branch, Town
branch and Mil creek ,.olowinga us much rs
possible the natural channels.
My plan Tor the present sewerage of the
Ousiuess portion and the most densely pop
ulateu section OF tn, city is to lay tix.inch
pipe east along Elm street from Jefferson
street TO Murphy street, l, $50 feet west, and
an eghtinch pipe west along Elm street
from Sycamore street TO Murphy street,
iVo ieet west. Also a six-inch pipe east
along Commerce street from Houston street,
SO feet west, and an eight-lnch pipe west
along Commerce street from Sycamore
street to Murphy street, 100 feet west. Also
n lttaan.Inah nat al
street from Elm street to Town branch and
thence to the Trinity river.
These four pipes will sewer south side of
Main, Elm and Commerce streets, from
Houston to Sycamore streets, and will cost
SoiU, but the greater part of this amount
Is Tor the hlteen-lnch main, which will be
used for the sewerage of the whole city.
This should be paid for out of the general
fund, but all service pipes and house con.
nec'ions should be- put in and paid for BY
the prOperty-owners.
1t Will not be necessary Just now to 20
into detailed explanation Of the future
extensions OF this system into the different
wards OF the city as cirCum stances NAV re-
quire IL, but the system will sewer nine.
tenths OF the city, and extend from the
northeast to the southwest corner of the
corporation.
AS to drainage" | recommend that
brick'drains generally three feet in diane
ter ana Tour and half inches thick, be
butt as district sewers, and taxed upon all
properly benefited by them.
ms Will convey surface water along
natural channels into Dallas branch on the
north and the Mill creek on the south.
All water falling east of the Houston &
Texas Central railroad should be kept on
that side, aud generally all water falling
north Of the Texas e. Pacific railroad should
De drained north into the Dallas branch
TINS VIII relieve the Town branch and the
Fourth ward branch of u large portion of the
water discharged through them.
There will be about six OF these sewers.
to-wit No. |, east of the Houston n Texas
central railroad, south along Good street TO
Elm, thence east to Mill creek No, 9, east
along Flora street to Pearl, thence north 10
Dallas branch No. B. north along Masten
street, from Bryan street To Dallas branch
No. A. north along Magnolia street to Dat,
las branch, from Patterson avenue: No. 8
south along Cabell street to Fifth ward race
thence To- Mill creek; No. g, down MAR
street to Town branch, thence to Mill cree 4
The exact location Of these six
district sewers can duly be de-
termlned by actual instrumental sur.
Vey and careful calculations, TO be
made rs fast NJ circumstances will admit.
have copies of specifications for pipe
laying contractors, and if your committee
approve my plan of piping Elm and Com.
merce streets, would suggest advertising
Tor blds Tor furnishing and laying the nine
as soon as possible in order thai this work
may not delay the paving OF Elm street,
ana III order that the mains may be laid
during tho dry weather and low water in
the river. Respectfully,
w. NJ. JOHNSON, City Eng'r.