The Portland daily press., 1884-09-24

at rear of 6S Paris street,
OF John w. Hitohings and others that High
street from Pleasant to Danforth street3 DO
lighted.
THE BACK BAY.
After the meeting of the Board of Mayor and
Aldermen, by invitation of the Mayor, the
city council and committee of citizens on the
Back Bay nuisance met in the Common Coun-
Gil chamber in an informal manner. Mr..
Shedd was then introduced aud gave an out
line informal report of what he considered
the causes Of the stencil, and what should be
done to obyiate it. Mr.. Shedds report, when
formally made, will give detailed plan of
what he thinks should be done to properly
drain the city. The report made last night
may properly be styled the first section, but in
cludes all that he considers necessary to be
done at present. The following is
MR.. sHEDD's REPORT.
Mr.. Shedd thought there were several cans
es all operating towards the production of the
BacE Bay nuisance, and that reform could
be brought about in several of the elements
contributing to it without much expenditure of
money.
One of the chief difficulties. and one of the
most grievous, relating to the stencil is the
manner in which privies, aad cess-pools, are
maintained in the city, and ceansed Both
of these evils should be abolished at as early
date as possible. As long as any of them re-
main the method of cleansing them should be
radically altered. Cleansing of prvies aud
vaults should be prohibited at night. The
work should be done in the daytime either by
means of the odorless exeavator-the cart with,
hose and pumps used in Boston and which has
been heretofore described in these columns-or
by means OF small, tight buckets, a process
which is cheaper, ,and equally satisfactory. The
buckets hold tganfS-fOur ua1 1lOpc nd fho
tops are we'll screwed down. By means of these
buckets any one can clean vault, or cess
pool, at cost of about $1.20 cubic yard,
which ey the present process the expense runs
all the way iFoL So to So a cabc yard. A re-
form in this direction will make great differ
ence in alleviaIiag the nusance.
Another difficulty lies in tbs violation OF tho
ordinance In relation to dumping t3e 0ffsl
from fsh-stalls, and meat from butcher shons.
This ordinance should be strictly enforced
while there is ample evidence that it is con-
etantly violated.
The dumping of the silt from the culverta,
as 1t is done under the direction OF the author
tiles, leaving the filth uncovered, should be
stopped at once.
Mr.. Shedd thinks that cne Of the chief causes
OF trouble, the one which occasions the sicken-
ing odor, at times perVadiDg the city, has been
due to the rendering factory OF Thompson &
Eowler,in the vicinity of Dsering. Some modifi-
cation OF these rendering processes is desirable.
exist thT trying out of the fat, and other pro-
cesses, produces great clouds of sickening
smoke, 7hich under certain conditions of the
atmosphere, lies over the cities, near which
the factories are located, like heavy pail,
bringing sickness and discomfort. A great
deal of the odor described by Drs Gerrish aud
Ring in the report they made in 1879, could
only De explained by rendering establish
ment.
There is still another source Of had air and
hot IN ftar Il -.
lying on the Back Bay fats. These m5ssels
lie in great beds all over the fats, but especial
ly in the vicinity Of Tnkey's bridge. They are
full spsdehlade in depth and were formerly
nsed by farmers fer manure Whether this
evil can he remeded is question. Mr.. Shedd
does mo- consider himself authority On that
point and thinks Prof. Baird could perhaps
answer it more satisfactorily. That it is
great evil is certain. The mussels grow like
CLAIMS, but unlike CLANS, ara not used mp for
food
1t will TINS bs seen that the refoJm of these
abuses mentioned is a matter rather of careful
attention than expense. The chief remaining
evil is that which must be laid to sewage. This
sewage is row discharged at numerous outlets,
and carried over a large area, but it is not so
diffused in salt water as to bs harmless. Too
mnch of it is released on the fats and the pu-
trifying mass gives off its evil odors in low
tide until it ia again covered by the salt water.
The remedy for this spreading of the sewage
lect it and discharge it at single outlet in
deep tide water, where it will be diffused and
not returned to the shore. The situation OF the
Back Bay territory is snch that in order to give
GOOD drainage to portion of the low lying areas
the sewage from it must be pumped. AS
matter of economy and efficiency it is desir-
able thstthe amount OF sewage pumped shall be
kept at the least possible quantity, ard ia order
to do that, there should he high level district
and low level district for collecting the sew.
Hhn hfnh l.. I 81, y
all the area OF the city, at which the sewage
would be discharged by gravity at the proper
outlet, and thft which cannot be so discharged
must be finally pumped. Eventually-or
number OF years hence-it will probably be-
come necessary for all the sewage of the city
to be collected and discharged, not only in
deep water, but on the early portion of the
eb0 tide, SO that the sewage discharged may
be carried off at a sufficient distance from the
shore, go that it cannot bs returned to give
trouble
What the city does nov should be to make
beginning in the carrying out of the above
mentioned plan. Mr.. Shedd states that his
examination of the city satisfies him that the
nest Dolnt for the discharge of the sewage If
the Back Bay should be in deep water at q
dlscbarge this sewage on the first
half OF the abb tide there must be
reservoir erected to store all the sewage that
comes to the outlet at all the other hours of
epp piNCs GiAlbS EOLQ Roy q MOCK as Uu0 Do1nb
OF discharge it is one of the essential elements
OF good sewerage that the sewage should have
constant outward flow in the sewer. 1t ia
desirable to iDclude in that sewage which is to
DO discharged by gravity as large proportion
of all the sewage as is possible 80 as to have
the sewer as low may be- That fixes the
elevation OF the gravity sewer. Then having
determined the grade-whch may be ia this
case one foot fall in 1900 feet of length, we
nave determined location which can receive
sewage from the present sewers and discharge
by gravity.
1t is proposed that the gravity sewer be
built first and located with its crown at tho
outlet at Pomroy's Rock. at mean high tide.
The line, which it is desirable to build i'm
mediately, begins at the junction of Portland
and Forest streets, where it will be at an
elevation of about five and nine-tenths feet
above high tide with continuous fall to East
Commercial street, near THkey's Bridge. There
temporary outlet will take the sew age into
deep water about $50 feet from the shore, and
this will be all that it is necessary to do i'm
medistely. The gravity sewer would take
sewage from eighty-two per cent of all the
area OF the district available for building, and
more than tbree-fourths of the sewage from
all the sewers now constructed in this district
Having provided for 80 large an amount OF
sewage by this plan it will be well to wait
and see II the low-ievel sewer is needed, and
not construct it until proved, by experience,
necessary. 1t is Mr. Shedd's belief, With the
teioiHlS suggested Ia tne oaglnnlng o. ibis re-
port, anG With this amount Of sewerage con-
stueted, any furihsr expenditure If money
might ha postponed FIR The present, b4b il it
should be determined, by those most i.tercst-
cd, to make the larger expenditure to cover the
entire difficulty at once, he would still fol-
low the same plan, with no change in tae
scheme.
Mr. Shed3 estimates the expense OF such
scheme as his at $65, 900, if there is no ledge on
the line OF tho proposed sewer, and it will &C.
complish all that is necessary. This $65, 900
is based on the assumption that this work
should be done in the best manner; If it is not
SO done it will cost more. Ii necessary, at this
expense, the work can be carried on during
the winter provided the bricks, sand and NOR
tar pans are Kept hot But even if three
months for winter are allowed, when no work
shall be done, the plan may be carried out by
the beginning of the next summer season.
In answer to question Mr.. Shedd stated
that in the plans for the sewerage of the front
part Of the city, as perfected by City Civil
Engineer Goodwin, he saw no necessity for
any changes.
After short informal talk in the Mayors
Office, in which Mr.. Shedd stated he would
have his formal written report ready in few
days, the committee adjourned subject to the
call of the Mayor.