Daily Republican., 1884-01-30
me Wess sewer system.

last night, composed Of members OF the Q
City Council, members OF the Board OF Il
Health, and citizens in general who are t
interested. An attentive hearing was t
riyen to DR.. Bell, who has been con- L
nected with the health and sanitary 1t
in connection with the GOV. r
eminent, and who gained large ana t
useful information by the reclamation 9
Of the city of Memphis, Tennessee, from {
being one Of the worst plague-strlcken
cities in the Union, to one of the best l
drained and healthiest cities BY proper |
system of draining and sewering Ia
No less careful and marked attention q
was paid to Mr.. West, Of the United h
States Sewer and Utilization company,
while he dnul1ai the operations of the
new systera. for which letters patent
have been issued to the company. From
his statement we CLEAN additional and
useful information to that before given.
The system seems to depend for its sue
cess upon gravitation, and at casual
glance it would appear that city loca-
ted upon level surface could not avail
itself Of its benefits for the need OF a
proper fall or gravitatioD. For instance
Atlantic City, New Jersey, would ap-
pear ss q city that could not be drained
and severed by that system.
fortunately that city is one in which
the company propose to test the COM
pleteness Of their system, and the works
are already 80 far under way that by the
middle of the summer enough Will Dol
known to show whether it will be al
grand success or grand failure, 30
far as fat surfaces arc concerned.
The system is already in operation at
Boston, but that city being located on
rolling ground, success was assured b.
forehand. Atlantic City il quite differ
entity located, and if the system Is a
success there, there is no good reason
why it should not be success In all
cities.
The plan Of procedure seems to DO
something like this
The company enters city under the
privileges of an ordinance, of course,
permitting them to do 80. They pro-
coed to ascertain the gravitation Of the
city towards given point which, in
Wilmington, would be in the fiat or neck
of ground below the jackson Il Sharp
works, between the Christiana and
Brandywine creeks. Wilmington seems
to be peculiarly and favorably located IL
respect to gravitation.
One line of main pipe could extend
up the Christiana and il need be VI
Mill Creek to Silverbrook village, while
another could extend up the Brandy
wine to Riddles mill, and farther il
necessary Laterals from either Of these
main lines Of pipe could be taken to all
sections of the city until every stree
and building upon that street is reach
ed, At the terminus or emptyinl
point of these main lines of pipe,
well is to be sunk and that well is II
regulate the gravity Of the main pipes
If Ave feet more gravity is needed
the well is to be sunk five feet deeper
if ten feet more is needed it is to b
sunk ten feet deeper. The deeper tn
we'll the more gravitation Is acquired
The pipes as they approach this hug
cistern or well will of course be lai'
deeper to regulate the gravitation. l
will be seen from this that it matter
not whether city is hilly or fiat, tn
required gravity is secured by the dept
of the well, hence Atlantic City can b
~ easily drained az the city of VIII
mington.
From this well the sewage is to b
pumped up and conveyed in anothe
pipe to q place where it is tiltere'
through screens, the water Invested o
its offensive and impure qualitit
turned into the Christiana or Delaware
and the solid excremeut will be utilize
in the manufacture of composts al
phosphates.
The company propose to do all tn
work without the cost Of dollar to tn
city. They will dig the trenches la
the pipes, main and laterals, and repa
and leave the streets in rs good col
dition as they found them. Branc
pipes will be laid to the building line I
every house the owners Of which wis
to avail themselves of the privileges I
attaching. The property owners are
be at the expense of laying the PHI
from the building line to the place
connection in their dwelling wheth'
the distance be ten, twenty or hui
dred feet, and the cost Of this pipe AL
laying it will be dollar foot. I'll
charges for attachment to the pipes a
to be annually seventy-fve cents fl
each room in the house, until the nun
Der runs above ten when fifty cents
room will be the charge. 1t will
seen from this that house with fol
rooms will cost s.; seven rooms, S2i
ten rooms, $3.50 eleven rooms $55(
fifteen rooms, $3.50. Special rates a
to be arranged for large boarding house
hotels, stores and manufactures.
These rates are to continue five year
when reduction Of twenty-five p
cent. will be allowed. 1t will be SET
that these charges are not much if an
thing in excess of the cost of cleanir
out cesspools, by the Odorless excayat
system, and then it must not be forge
ten that this system carries away 8
kinds Of sewage, including kitchen ga
bage, which has not only been q pr
life source of annoyance, but sour
by which malaria and other deadly Iii
eases enter the household.
No doubt these charges will be reg
lated upon more equitable scale whit
the system is introduced and in prop
working order.
No householder is to be compelled
make an attachment. The proprieto
believe that their system will be
popular that property owners will
anxious to make connections. Al
system ofdrainsge or sewering now
use will not be interfered with. A
such details will be regulated by t
City Council and the Board Of Heslt
This we believe is fair outline Of t.
West sewer system.
1t has been laid before tho City Cou
ell upon its merits, but there is no COZ
pulsion for tho city to accept 1t. III
will be for after consideration.