The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-06-09

To the Editor Of the Press:
It would appear from an item In your Satur-
days issue that the committee Of the City
Council has but just now obtained permission
from the harbor commissioners to put into az
ecution the plan last adopted for the disposal
OF the sewage from the northern slope of our
city; and, consequently, II Is not too late to
enter an objection to the whole project.
history of the proceedings OF the city gov
ernment, sand its committees in regard to the
sewerage of this large section OF our territory
would present many items Of csrioHs interest;
but desire at this time to call attention to
few only. Last summer the council, adopting
the wise advice Of a committee Of citizens, en-
ployed competent sanitary engineer to make
survey and report as to the best method Of
dispe1ing of the cewage. The system which
Mr.. Shedd advised was admitted BY the city
engineer to be the best proposed, but it was
not adopted. Instead of It, plan was chosen
which would give US a sewer incapable, at the
best, OF doing the work reasonably to be ex-
pected Of so costly q contrivAnce and, in the
opinion of some who have made special
study Of such affairs, almost certain to agra
vate the evils 1t was designed to remove. These
points were clearly made and sustained by Mr..
Edward G. Jordan in an admirable letter pub
lished in the daily papers last March, COM
munication which received nothing like the
attention to which its merits and the impor-
tance of the subject entitled it. The sewer
was begun; but, early in May. an alternative
project was made public, namely, the digging
OF bitches in the fats to carry the sewage to
the main channel of the cove. By this system
the liquids from the sewers are supposed to
fnd their way to the ocean; bat no account
seems to have been taken OF the incoming tide
or OF the peculiar conformation Of the basin.
Ii appears to have been taken for granted that
the force Of the discharges FROM the sewers
will be sufficient to overcome that Of the risiuK
tide, and that the filth hold in suspension in
the sewage will not rise to the surface, and be
carried back to the shores, when the tide meets
it, but will accommodatingly keep in the open
channels dug for it. believe that the hopes
which are entertained in this connection are
doomed to be blasted. The plan 10 practically
worthless, in one respect worse than that, be-
cause its execution will give the people ialBe
sense OF security, and serve to divert attention
for some time from one Of the most serious de-
fects in our sanitary arrangements.
All this, however, is In the domain not Of
conjecture, bat Of fact; and the object Of this
communication is not to discuss in detail the
dement's of the method, but 10 call the atten-
ton Of the citizens Of Portland to the manner
in which $17 600 of their.mone is about to be
wasted on the fats Of Back Cove. It cannot
be said consistently by the City Council that 1t
is too late to change the plan; for its sudden
abandonment Of the interceptng sewer is . de-
monstration of its readiness to entertain and
adopt new views. II the citizens will investi-
gate the matter, and give expression to their
views, 1t is possible that the city government
may yet be persuaded that the best way out Of
the difficulty is to employ as arbiter another
specialist in sanitary engineering, get his opin-
ion on all the plans proposed,-Mr. Shadd's
high level and low-evel sewers, Mr.. Good wins
tidal sewer, and the trenches,-ana follow his
advice. This style Of procedure would be in
accordance with universally recognized busi-
ness principles, and would undoubtedly be
adopted, If people could be made to understand
that human life has q distinct money value,
and that neglect of sanitary rules inevitably,
sooner or later, results in serious I'm ncial loss
to the community. II is hardly possible that
the citizens of Portland will content them
selves with q system of sewage disposal
which has nothing to commend 1t bat Its pri-
mary cheapness.
II anything is to be done to prevent this con-
templated waste, ii must be done quickly; and
Taxpayers who feel an interest in the matter
should speak at once.
FREDERIC n. GERRIsH, N. d.