The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-11-14
Tie NIemnhis Sewers.

the facts concerning the " arInS system
of sewers in operation at Memphis,
Tenn. Memphis is confessedly the most
perfectly Selrered city in this country,
and the many experts sent from Eng
land, France, Germany, Mexico and this
country, to investigate. will readily ties.
tify to that fact.
The following letter was received from
the city engineer of Memphis. and with
it, map of sewers, sanitary regulations
and contractors specifications, all of
which may be found at the office OF THE
NEWS:
MEMPHIS, Tenn. Sept, y. 1856.
SIE-In answer to yours of --th,
herewith give you the leading points rel
alive to the Waring system of sewerage
in operation in this city. Any further
information will be cheerfully given:
The city has population of about
-, 900, and occupies the SUBMITS and
slopes on both sides Of the valley, which
is drained by stream known as Bayou
Gayoso.
The main sewers are located on each
side of the bayou, and as near to it as was
found practicable.
We have altogether about 10 90
miles of sewers. o. which four miles
are mains located along the bayou. and
dischargiDg into the river 10y one outlet;
the remainder are laterals draining into
these mains, except about 10 miles
of sewers constructed before the pres
ent system was adopted and discharg-
ing into the Mississippi 10y other outlets.
The mains are ten, hrirc. .G(teeH and
trCHfy inches tn diameter. OF tie later
as, about SIS per cent. are sir inches u
diameter, and the ytmUiRIcr eight inches,
c,rcept a few short lengths. uiich are ten
inches. The mains for the most part
are Idjd ,cjH q gr0dc ~ t,ro inches IN
one hHHdrcd feet.
The minimum grade OF SIX inch lat
erals is elk inches in one hundred feet.
At the upper end of each lateral is 10
Gated Que of Rogers Fields Automatic .
Flush Tanks, which discharges one hun (
dred and twelve gallons in about forty .
seconds. This tank discharges its con
tents au often as it is filled, but it : be- .
lieved once in twenty-four hours il suf- ,
ficient.
The system has man holes, distributed .
on the mains.
No surface or roof water is permitted .
10 enter the sewers, the system being de-
signed and proportional for house sew
eTage only.
The hoase drains are all four inches
in diameter. and no trap Is permitted on
the main drain. each fixture being pro
vided with a separate trap. The soil .
pipes are Of cast iron. with lead JOINTS .
above the ground, and extend four inches
in diameter above the roof. Each house
drain is consequently ventilator for the .
public sewer.
For the purpose of removing the sub
soil water, agricultural drain tiles are
laid III the trench with each lateral. on
the grade of the sewer, or below il.
which discharge, not in the sewers. but
into the bayou. Additional lines of tile
have been laid in streets in which no
sewer Is located. 81 6-10 miles Of sub
soil drains.
\ large part OF the treuohing has been
done by contract. but the pipes have
been laid with hired labor.
The prices last paid for eXCavating
and back filling are a. follows: Trenches
6! feet deep. 25c.: g. to Q feet, Boo; . To
II feet, be: - TO = feet, DC. per lin
cal foot.
The pipe laying, including laying drain
tile in the same trench. also the cost of
cement, sand. oakum and tile paper, is
estimated to cost 6-1O cents per foot.
The flush tanks cost. complete. about
So each, including $40 royalty.
The Si,r-h,ch pipes, "tth"Hgh training
houses on both sides, ia some cases for n
distance IF three HoESdad feet hare
HcUcF boon OrCrchdTged. and hare >,fl1m
brCH foUHd running hair fUH.
No trouble has been caused hy sewer
gas and the sewers are believed To be
comparatively free from it.
Some of the six-inch pipes have occa-
sioually been INSTRUCTED by sticks bone
etc. becoming fixed across the d ameter
of he pipe, all Of which have been
promptly removed. ut an average cost of
Sl3 30 each.
Some deposits have been found in the
mains, which have been rapidly and in
extensively removed by the passage Of
hollow metal balls throug them. These
balls are about three inches less in diam.
eter than the sewers, and, being lighter
than water. are pressed against the top
OF the sewer, and are rolled along by the
force OF the current. The velocity of the
ball is less than that of the water. which
in passing il is detected against the bot
tom and sides of the sewer so as to thor
oughly cleanse il.
y portion of the mains have been
CleanSei ten times since their Constrlc-
ton; the laterals not al all.
Pipe laying was commenced about the
goth OF January, 1eS0, and on July 1st of
that year about twenty miles had been
laid. The first house connections were
made about March 1st OF the same year
Hourly observations in the twenty
inch main, on the 30th of April Last
showed the greatest depth of flow. I2F
inches at 10 a. m: least depth. s inches
at a. m. On the 18th Of June the
greatest depth il inches at II a. m: least
depth, 10f inches at ( a. m.
Floats in the same sewer gave a surface
velocity of Clio feet Per second. the
depth being 12t inches.
The following is a statement of the
connections made with tie system to
date, but does not include those made