Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-08-07
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Isl, LOG pearle or t54, LOG more than sac
ra,nento, 1t is the seat of great
enterprises, having OK
tenSiye factories for WOODEN goods, cotton,
silk. lace, needles, iewelry, fax, earthen-
ware. colors, linens, woodenware, ETC. The
citv i located upon the river Oder, which
is probably one-third larger than the Sac
ramento. 1t rises in Moravia, northeast OF
Olmutz, and flows by a tortuous course TO
the Baltic. Its whole course is about 500
miles: that of the Sacramento is about 400
miles. The Oder is navigable for about 400
miles by vessels of fifty tons, or by about the |
same sized schooners and sloops that come |
I'D the Sacramento TO this city, while steam |
ers of 400 tons come to this port daily. On
the Oder are situated as chief towns Ratj-
Dor. $50 population; Kosel, $500; OPP
pcln, 5000; Brieg, 4,oeei Breslau, $50, 1o6;
Glogau, 1900; Frankfurt, $4,000; Kus-
trim. 5000, and StettiR, 1000 They ali
drain into the river The population thus
giving sewage to the Oder, exclusive of that
of scere of smaller towns, aggregates
800, 716, The aggregate population upon
the Sacramento isi towns, similarly stu
ated, does not exceed 5000.
So much for far comparisons Of the two
streams. Now, Hulna has jast critically
examined the Oder above Breslar i'll its
course through the city, and for ten miles
below it, to determine the effect q sewage
epon its purify. From the pofnt little
above where the city water supply OF the
4 city is taken out by pumps, the river water
slightly deterioratcs, but by 'the filtration Is
made fit foT domestic uses. As it passes
through tie city it grows worse by increase
of oxidizable matter, and of chlorine, am
monia, and albuminoid-ammonia, and the
microscope disclosed the presence Of much
of the organisms of putrcfaction. But
farther down, the process ofself-puritication
r became noticeable by contact with oxygen,
and by the cooperation of vegetable and
animal life III the stream. At fourteen
kilometers, between zine and ten miles,
below the city, the influence of the sewage
could not be detected by either microscopic
| examination or chemical test the water
being of the same character as at the point
above, where taken out for city supply.
ii The objections to the discharge into the
river of some of the sewage drain of this
city are thus shown to be more technical
, than otherwise Sacramento does not pro-
pose to do as even her neighbors above do,
but to act upon plane of defense against
preventible disease, and in so doing she is
conserving the interests of the entire valley
and of all the people. It is probable that
the PROPOSED discharge into the river will
he but temporary, an expedlent to be
adopted until permanent system OF sew
age disposal is agreed upon. This will as
, suredly be one of two other things, to wit
driving out the sewage by air compression
in close pipes, to a sewage farm; or the
cheaper plan Of lifting the sewage from a
common receptacle into an elevated flume,
| to secure fall, and the running it off above
the land to a sewage farm or to tide water.
In case it goes to sewage farm, it may be
| disposed of without cost to the city, and
thus relieve us Of a great burden, and there
are many reasons to believe that this will
be done Self-interest, therefore, suggests
that we viii not continue to discharge into
the river for any considerable time, and
that very soon we will have better system
of sewage disposal than any gravitation
system can possibly give, and that we will
have the cleanest city on the slope, since il
+ is possible of accomplishment, and oul
: people are resolved upon it.
In the meantime, because this subject i;
agitated, it must not be assumed that Sac
ramento is filthy city. Its health is good
= its situation as inviting as eyer. But tC
e place it upon plane of sanitary excellence
/ commensurate with its growth, the ole
e drainage system must be supplanted by
some more adequate means, and all invita-
4 ton to epidemics be removed, precisely a
t should be done in every town in the State
:, whether situate upon rocky mountain
d side or in q levee valley.