The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-06-20

To the Edltor of the Press:
The PRESS gives from several correspond
ents proposed remedy for the bad smells pre-
vailing at night in the city, viz: to dam the
outlet of the Back Cove at Tukey's bridge.
This is short-sighted remedy good for few
years but fatal in the future, as it would simply
make large cat ,h basin of Back Cove for all
the sewerage from the north-wc5t slor o. the
city, where it would Eettle upon the flats
heavy deposit, which, in time, would smell
worse than the small amount now der ositad on
the flats, the ebb tide ct present taking most of
the sewerage away.
A dam at Tukey's bridge would stop the ebb
and How twice every-twenty-four hours of nine
and one-half feet of pure yea water into and
out OF the cove, &C bling and purifying the at
mosphere OF the whole city. With dam this
sanitary and refreshing effect would be lost to
the peninsula of Portland. Then again it
would take from the harbor the securing effect
upon it, of this body of water moving into and
out OF the basin twice in twenty-four hours
from the ocean. The harbor comms5oner
would be sure TO oppose any such project or
plan to the injury Of the harbor.
The only SIRE and certain remedy for all
this sewerage trouble and bad smells is to con-
struct on the northwest front large inter-
cepting sewer - run all sewerage matter from
the northwest slope OF the city, its mouth ter
minating below the Grand Trunk railroad
bridge far enough out to strike the ebb of the
Presumpscot TIDE winch would take all matter
out to sea during the ebb,
This would be an expensive job but it would
be good for all time, aud be economy in the
end, saving all temporary expedents to allay
in part the troubles at the Back bay.
1t is not alone Back Bay odorsIthat trouble us
at night when our sleeping room windows are
open; nor is it confined to the northerly side of
the city. 1t is felt at certain times in all parts
Of the peninsula. A large portion of it comes
| from the abominable system allowed by the
city OF emptying vaults and carting night soil
| in leaky, bsd-smelliDg carts, during several
hours at might through our streets 1t is
| during these hours your correspondents COM
| plain OF the smells and they are endured in oil
| parts OF the city. Before these evening hours
and after, these late morning hours the air Of
therefore Inferred that the night carts produce
| most of the bad smells complained of.
There is a remedy for this fearful night cart
nuisance within easy reach Of the city authori-
ties at moderate expense, which would be
| sure to abate the bad smells from this cause,
and perhaps settle the question whether it is
not this, rather than the Back Bay, which pro
| duces the poisoning of the air. refer to the
odorless machine for emptying privy vaults in
| the daytime.
1t is made at Baltimore, having large hose
| with suction and force pump combined, coup
| led to large round tank on wheels like our
| street sprinkliDg tanks. 1t has an open escape
| pipe on top for the bad gas, opening into a
| CuarCOal Duru6F, where IL ID consumed WlJl-
| ont escaping to the air. A large vault can be
| emptied in thirty minutes without smell; in
fact the writer saw it SO done while standing
alongside of it undisturbed by any odor.
1t costa the same to empty vault by this
process, and no more, than it does now by our
| present night cart system, and that too with.
| out any contamination of the air.
The city could no doubt introduce it here by
| giving a contract to some reliable person OF
means to empty all vaults for FIVE or more
| years at the same price as now paid the night
carts. Or the city could buy the machines and
recover its cost and interest by retaining GER
tain per centage from the bills for emptying
| the vaults.
1t is hoped the city will look into the merits
| of the plan of relief here suggested, and ACT
upon it at once, which would be sure to meet
the approval of all who are suffering from the
present nuisance.
The city is now doing bad thing all ovel
the city in the way OF contamination by sewer
gas. Men are now in the daytime emptying the
sewer catch basins Of their dirt and sand with.
out filling them at once with water to stop the
escape of such gas We have not had rain fol
some time and may not have any for some tim,
longer to fill the catch basins unless it is done
from the bydrants. Surely so simple and easy
a thing as this can be done byofficials careful O.
public health and sanitary matters.
| CITIZEN