San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-01-14
the condition that all openings to the
sewers are TO be closed, and kept closed,
during any alarm of fire, or fire tests.
Yours truly.
GYnRGE " RPACEENpmGr

would be 90 to IS cents per month, and
the cost Of connection would amOuRt to
about $50.
City Engineer MatlSck was called be-
fore the committee and stated that
in regard to that matter he had had
some correspondence with Mayor
Humphreys at Memphis, and he main
tained that the average cost would be
$50, and that in many cases where
houses were small, that water closets
were not put in the house, but the bui d.
iDgs used for closets before they were
moved to the rear of the house and the
water-clOsets placed In them. The city
engineer on further inquiry stated that
the average distance of closets from
the main sewer would be 30 or 60 feet;
at the outside. 50 feet. The capacity Of
the proposed sewers, one on the east
and the other on the west side, would
average cost of 5000 a mile, or total
cost of $500, COO. At the Outfall the dis
charge would be 1000 cubic feet per min
ute, running threo-quarters full. This
capacity would be sufficient for 10000
inhabitants.
Belknap-lt seems to me it would re-
quire but very little engineering skill to
utilise some of the water In the bitches
for that purpose, especially on the west
side the bitches could be used for flush
ing the mains, and the Water-works
would have TO be used to flush the dead
ends where there is no volume OF sew
age to keep the sewerage itself clean.
Matlack said he thought all the mains
could be flushed with the bitches; the
water-wOrks would have to be used for
the dead-end, for which the water must
be regular and in body. Every lateral
will have a dead-eud. The main sewers
will not need TO be flushed Oftenor than
once a month. Some cities husR only
once every six months.
Mayor Callaghan said that all the
works he had ever read on the subject
condemned all systems of sewers except
those provided with sewer farms.
Belknap: Why cannot We just halt
where we are, and put it in a practicable
shape, and put it before the people
GrOOs: We have not had the report
called for by the Board of Health.
MavOr: The Chairman of the Board
of Health, DR.. Herff, says that 1t is well
to have a system of sewers, but it is bet
ter to have nothing at all than to have a
defective one.
Maverick wanted to have the endorse
ment of the Board of Health in proper
form.
Mayor: | want you to settle this
question to-day and | will get their en-
dOrsement.
Belknap: 1t is very unfortunate we
cannot get the things into shape and put
it before the people. | do think we
should not waste any more time on the
matter. In fact, we cannot do any city
work on some streets until this is set
tied. We ought to end this thing right
off if we are going to do anything or not
think it would be good to put all we
know about it into as concise a shape
rs possible and place it before
the Council and ask them to give an or
der for vote.
Common: 1t would be folly to put it be-
fore the people unless they know all
about it thoroughly and what il would
cost.
Devine: | am neither an advocate nor
an OppOSer of sewers, but | am in favor
of doing what | consider best for the in
terest of the people. ! think whatever
we recommend to the city we ought to
give the city an opportunity of putting
before the people all we know on the
subject. The people will have to pay
according to the City Engineers es-
innate, not less than $3.50, 600 and mil
y
Belknap-If man increases his health
and that of his family 20 per cent, it
should be done.
DeYine-The first thing is to ascertain
the cost and then the reasons why it
should be adopted.
The Mayor desire to state that
am strictly in favor of having a system
of sewers. | am an advocate Of sewers,
but do say that when you tax people
with $3.50, 600 to establish two main sew
ers and laterals, and you expect that
those who derive no benefit from it to
vote for it. | believe you are mistaken
If you take the assessment of San Anto-
MO at Sl5.000,0OO and raise the interest
of the bonds and sinking fund ii will in
crease your taxes considerably.
Psuly-It applies in the same way in
the Water-works.
The MayOr-Those who will not have
a chance to connect, will not voc for it.
GrOos think the people would be
very foolish. We propose to establish
sewerage in t { centre of the city
Right there is the most danger OF
epidemic if those people on the outside
vote it down. Here comes an epidemic:
those on the outside will get IL just as
we'll as the others. They have no res-
son to vote against it, because we can
not give it to all.
Mayor Callaghan: Those reasons are
good, but human nature is human
nature.
Pauly: From sanitary standpoint,
they might be induced TO vote for ii.
Devine-l have a very high opinion oil
our physicians and think they compare
favorably with those OF any other city,
hnf / hot hn NJ
our physicians nevertheless will go but
very little way with the people OF this
town no further than the newspaper edi-
torial, because the newspapers and our
physicians declared the city was one oil
the sickliest holes on the American con-
tinent, regular black hole OF Calcutta
and the people did not believe it aud
they are not going to bank much on the
sanitary report.
Belknap at this juncture showed a let.
ter he had received from Northern cor.
respondent, stating he had changed his
mind about coming to San Antonio, hs
being afraid of the smallpox epidemic
which had been reported through the
newspapers.
The Mayor-There were several cases
of smallpox developed here, but il is not
epidemic, and there have been no new
cases.
Belknap-We have either got tC
build sewers or make the river a sewer
Devine-COming down to business.
believe 1t is our duty to present to the
Council all the unquestionable facts il
our possession and the cost of connec.
tiOn and give as many reasons as pos
sible in favor OF the adoption. was II
favor ofthe sewers when il was uD be
fore.
The Mayor voted against it, Judge
Deyine