The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-08-05
INTERSTATE DRILL.
TIE GALLANT TEXAS RIFLES OFF

TIE GALLANT TEXAS RIFLES OFF
FOR GALVESTON.
Yesterday the Texas Rifles, under the
command of Capt, Will Stacy, left for the
Island city, to participate in the inter
state drill. The company is a fine look
ing body of young soldiers, and if The
STATESMAN prophet is not woefully off his
base, the boys will come away with
prize. The company leaving yesterday
numbered twenty-seven men,
RANK AND FILE,
as follows:
Captain Stacy, Lieutenants Kinney and
Cummings, Sergeants Hutchings and
Brush, and Privates Robertson, Edmon-
son, Davis, Lee, Corwin, Bacon, Ledbet-
ter, Bostick, West Moore, Wilson, Warren
Moore, Pinckney, Dawson, Scott, Daugh-
erty, Price, White, Bee, Keevil, Southgate,
Jernigan and Goebell.
THE SCHEMES ADVANTAGE DE-
TAILED.
To the Statesman
My last communication on the subject
of sewerage, met such kind editorial re-
marks at your hands, and liberal public
approval of DR.. DuPre, which must large
ly account for the numerous enquiries and
interesting attention of prominent cit
liz Ems and officials, for further calculation
of the subject, that l feel urged to add
other suggestions, at this time, not so
much with the idea of urging my views on
the public, to secure their cooperation,
or conversion to my proposed plan of
sewer relief; as to excite if possible, gen
teel and healthy discussion of the subject.
That it may be understood, that / am
not log rolling, to secure contract, beg
TO say, that my time is almost entirely &C.
cupied; with the operations of my present
business, which covers no less than 70 sta
tions within the state of Texas alone, and
which furnishes quite all the labor l care
to perform.
That our city must and sooner or
later will have sewers, l feel sure, no good
citizen will question for one moment;
that their existence now would improve
the general sanitary condition, l think
will meet equally prompt approval.
That the sewers must, from the stand
point of economy and perfect operation,
empty into the river at the city front,
cannot be questioned. There is absolutely
no other place to empty them that we
can reach. That these sewers can be con-
structed as cheaply and better now, while
the street traffic is light, as compared to
what we may reasonably anticipate in the
near future, for city growing as rapidly
as Austin, and before more expensive and
commodious business houses have replaced
the majority of those now occupying the
business center, will, think be agreed to,
by all thinking men.
If the above propositions are correct,
then it is equally true that the present
channels of the river must be changed, as
suggested in my last communication.
Why? If the present level, or river sur
face, could be maintained; if this surface
could be prevented from rising as the
rainy season approaches with its
floods: you would then have barely
from Pecan street south or riverward and
would be obliged to place the mouth Of
your sewers so low at the river bank, as to
cause proportionately more serious
trouble by their filling up greater dis
lance toward the city, as they will inevita-
bly, fill up with deposit from the river at
flood tide, to the level of the flood in the
river.
Again, the current in the present shape
of the river, is SO sluggish, that it does
not now carry off its own and the city's de-
post, and is now quite shallow and rap
idly filling up. Unfortunately, as the bed
of the river fills up, the surface does not
rise, nor the current increase. 1t simply
does as all rivers do. 1t widens out over
more ground or divides into several chan
nels, as is instanced at the county bridge,
where one of the channels is seriously
threatening its security and permanence,
and preparing to work additional damage
by washing in the adjoining property, as
its force increases.
My plan of Strengthening contemplates,
as a natural result.
First-A large addition to the current
force in city front.
Second Combining the current to a
permanent channel. Thus securing its
full benefit for all time.
Thirdly increasing the amount and
combining it, we promptly carry away the
sewer deposit and also the present de-
post, thus deepening the river at the city
front, lowering its bed, and, in conse
quence, lowering the surface level.
What do we thus procure! Grant that
the average depth in front of the city is
now three feet, with your surface level at
the given point. If we wash out the bed
three feet, do we not, at the present stage |
of the river, place the surface level where |
the river bed now is, and retain an equal |
depth of water! think none will deny !