The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-12
The City Council and Sewerage.

The inference to be drawn from the
| action of the city council in reference
to the right of way asked by the state
for the construction of a sewer from
the executive mansion and temporary
capital, places our city fathers in
rather a ridiculous attitude. 1t either
confers upon them profound knowl-
edge of the sewerage problem or de-
monstrates most conclusively their
utter ignorance of the necessary
requisites for perfect and complete
sewerage system. They have allowed
the question of the line or direction of
the sewer to prevent the granting of
any right of way whatever, which the
state has been waiting for, for months
and months.
1t is usual in all cities, with the eX-
ception of Austin, to refer the loca-
tlon of any line of sewers to some
competent engineer, who, upon care
full survey of the proposed routes
and topography of the city, sub mits
his estimates and conclusions. A pre-
cedent established in all cities having
sewers is, that that the mains shall
be placed in the center of the widest
streets and the cross streets and al
leys used for internal branches, hav-
ing sufficient fall to discharge by
gravity into the mains. This well
established custom is made necessi-
ty here in our city, owing to the pc
culiar topography of Austin. Con-
gress avenue being natural drain
for large portion of the city proves
very conclusively that it is much
lower than the other streets, which
fact will necessitate its apparently
sound precincts being invaded, SOON
er or later. by sewers both for sewer
age and drainage purposes, if the
Capital City of the state ever wishes
to improve her present system of fl
thy side-drainS, break-neck pool and
other bridges, and avail herself of
other much needed sanitary regula-
lions, now almost universally adopted
by almost every city of her size.
Until this is done our beautiful thor
oughfare, by nature, will always con-
tinua to impress the stranger with
the idea of Limburger cheese mart,
with almost the same forclble charac-
teristicS peculiar such an institution.
The impracticability of one who
would suggest the drainage of valley
to be effected by laying his drain pipe
down through the top of the adjoin-
ing hills, would be apparent to all.
Such would virtually be the effect of
a sewer placed in the alley. In the
mountain case the level of thesmoun-
tain must be obtained by digging
down into the mountain in order to
drain the valley, and so it would be
in the alley case, having a rock foun-
datiOn to contend with, requiring
blasting to get the required depth
necessary for establishing the proper
grades, and running a great risk of
endangering the buildings located so
near on either side, besides very nat
urally increasing tt e cost of the work,
and also rendering the same unavaila-
bic to that portion of the city west of
the avenue, as connections from that
side would be almost impracticable,
having the avenue to cross and thus
ascend to higher ground.
Perhaps as this question of location
requires more engineering ability than
our council has as yet manifested, it
may be advisable to submit the whole
question for adjudication to the legis-
lature, with the hope that they may
prove themselves a more efficient
corps of engineers than the city alder
men appear to be. CITIZEN.