Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-21
DISPOSAL OF THH SEWAGE.

EDS REcoRD-USIoN Regarding che suggestions
OF your correspondent to pump the sewage OF this
city to higher level would like tosay why not car
ry out his idea he limited at about Philadelphia using
the water power CT the river in close proximity
By mooring a scow with = water wheel below the
gas works there will be enough force generated to
pump the water to a higher level, and taking ad-
vantage OF another power vind-mills could be used
to assist in doing the work the same vessel Fur
ther, by the cable system our own water works
would have sufficient power to sIare to do pumping
in, ard forcing out at the same time. The plant is
already there, and only wants enlargement if nec-
essary.
To bring water from Brighton to do our pumping
ia Just as much feasible as to the water power
of Folsom and transferring that power by dynamo
electricity, which l suggested some time ago in
your paper. As am advised by Sieman and Aalske
OF both Berlin and London, there is not the slightest
doubt about the feasibility, but the main question
is " viii il pay ?" If for the sole purpose of forcing
our sewage out of the city water power has to be
introduced from i distant point, 1t will be an ex-
pensye experiment. The most reliable is steam in
the end, and that force is mainly applied row to
force the water into the reservoirs at PhisdelPha.
When BaIon Won kalb carried out that noted
work at Philadelphia the river undoubtedly held
larger volume Of water than at present, and the
city was probably not onefourth the size than at
the present time. Ii your correspondent will visit
the works now, he will find that steam is the most
reliable source in pumping the water into the
ceptacles intended for the city supply.
/ do not think it a great engineering feat to
pump the water out of the city, the question most
important is, What's TO be done with the sewage
il not permi ted to pass into the rverf" There is
the rub, and there is where the expenses Of the
city will increase continually
The town of Pullman, which you praise in your
mornings issue, deserves undoubtedly all the sud-
alton, but if you remember the whole affair is
private enterprise, managed by thoroughly pract-
cal person who employed the best of superintend-
ents and advisers, and the town was it should
be, built up, looking to the drainage first before
the buildings were erected. And in doing this
work, the surveying and other work necessary was
not left to the man whom this party or the other
one lifted into Office trying to make water run up
the hill without equivalent force. 1t was left to
the care Of competent persons selected by Pullman
himself or his assistants,
think there is many a city far worse situated
than Sacramento on the sewage question. Take
Berlin for instanc' with its large increase in pop
uaton. There is. think, far less fall there than
We have here, but yet means must be found to
carry off the sewage Of the city but, in spite of
cleanliness of the streets in the cities Of Europe it
BY no means smells everywhere ss Arabia the
Blest. There is many disagreeable smell on the
Streets and houses, particularly in Europe, far
worse than here. E.
Sacramento, September 49, 1888.