Omaha daily bee., 1883-10-30
SEWER GAS.
Talk About How Council Bluffs is
10 Be Drained.
The Board Of Trade Wrestling With
the Problem.

by The BEE. The Importance of the
question, however, is such that thesC
difficulties must be overcome, and the
city council lie down in the mud anc
water and say it cannot be done. The
board of trade has a committee consisting
of j. w. Rodefer, +. l.. Shugart, An
drew Graham, J. N. Baldwin and Harry
Birkinbine, who have been wrestling with
the question. They we're to have met
yesterday afternoon, but put the meeting
off until last evening, it being more con-
venient than to consider some matters
not touched upon before, among them
being the favoring of a Legislative enact
ment empowering the city to issue bonds
for the carrying on of n system OF sewer-
age. Harry B%irkinbine, the engineer,
| who is an important member of the com
| mittee, left yesterday for Louisville on
important business, and will not be back
before the latter part of the week. He
prepared a report before going, which
serves as q starter for the commit
tee, on which they can work
| adding to and changing it as they may
see fit. AS a report of the committee it
is not complete, and is not adopted ven
by the committee as yet, but it furnishes
in its present form some topics for talk
and suggestions which are valuable. 1t
is as follows:
To THE PRESIDENT mi MEMBERS OF
THE BOARD OF TRADE: The sewerage of
Council Bluffs is a matter of great i'm.
p~ortance and one which should receive
ties.
There are but two systems.
First-Gravity to the Missouri river.
Second-Pumping into Indian creek.
Gravity system-The maintenance of
the gravity system is of ourse the leastex-
pensive, butthe construction is very costly.
1t would robablynecessitate the raising of
the entire city, except a small part of it,
and that built on the bluffs and in the
glens. The cost of this cannot be esti-
mated without a thorough survey of the
city. But it would be immense, when
VIC consider that there is not only the
streets but the lots to fill and all the
buildings to raise. Then it must be con-
sidered that the raising of a city destroys
its attractiveness and beauty for years,
such as shaGe trees, lawns and flower
gardens.
Before adopting this, or any other sys-
tenn, the entire city should be surveyed,
and a truthful map made of the same.
After this map is prepared it should be
put in the hands of the best sanitary en-
gineer in the country, who should be en-
ployed to make such a report rs would
enable the city to construct it's sewers
and establish a system of grades that
would be positive and final. To make
these surveys and plot them, and employ
an expert sanitary engineer, would no
doubt cost the city a large sum of money,
say $4,000, which though expensive,
would be money wisely spent.
OF course the city could continue with
its present system of grading, but it is
our opinion that it would be a matter of
great advantage to property owners to
know that all grades were finally settled,
and would not be changed. Then it
would be a matter of considerable saving
if the city would first locate and build
sewers and then do the necessary grading
oFcT tlcHi,
If upon careful examination it be
found that the city can afford to adopt
the gravity system of sewerage, it will no
doubt be the best. But let the city work
with some system in view 80 that in the
end their work will all DO available and
useful. 1t is therefor impossible to place
an estimate upon the expense of the
gravity plan.
Pumping System.-This system will
necessitate the construction of a cesspool,
erection of a steam pumping apparatus,
and the employment of an engineer and
two firemen. Now these look like ex
pensive things, but let us make an ap,
proximate estimate.
Two centrifugal pumps and engines,
capacity 10000 gallons per minute,
with foundation. .......,..,,. .SlO,OUS
Three 100 horse powers, set ........... 6,00t
teaspoon. b,OOt
s2l, OO'
Interest on plant at 10 per cent per
ltftiH - - --IH