Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-10-26
BACK AGAIN
From an Inspection Of the West
sewer system.

sewer system.
City Surveyor w. T. Lambie, who has
lust got back from trip East with the
committee which went to investigate the
West Sewer System, was interviewed
yesterday by representative of the
HERALD, and questioned as to the jour
ney and the opinion formed by the COM
mittee on the practicability Of the system
for the city.
"The trip was in every way pleasant
one," said Mr.. Lambie, "save that the
weather was bad a good deal of
the time. We went first to Chicago,
and from there visited the city of Pull
man. The system is in operation there
except that the water is not filtered, but
the sewage flows away merely relieved
of it's evil odors. We did not look into
these works as carefully as we did those
ct Atlanta City for the reason that Pull.
man is much smaller city than Los An.
gelee and the plan that it is proposed to
adopt here contains filtration as a neces.
sary element"
1--WE spent considerable time at Allan.
tic City and thoroughly Inspected all the
workings of the system. the population
Of the city varies considerably between
summer and winter but the sewer
accommodations are for place of over
10000 inhabitants. As the country
around about it is fiat, pumping works
add q considerable figure to the expense
which here might be avoided. The
refuse pours into well, the gas from
which is exhausted up chimney by the
buoyant power of heated air. The stuff
then spreads out over perforated floor
and is mixed with lime. No other deod-
orizer is used"
els there any disagreeable smell about
this part of the performance?
"The whole establishment is per-
fectly free from unpleasant smells.
The only odor that detected
anywhere was a slight smell of
decaying wood. The concern has been
in operation about two years, and the
filter being constructed of wooden timbers
which are constatly soaked in water they
are beginning to decay little. The filter
is formed Of earth, which, as every one
knows, is natures own machine for the
purpose. By the time the water has
passed through a succession of strata OF
earth and gravel, it comes out perfectly
pure, leaving all the solid materials be-
hind. The water as it flows away is as
pure and clear as that from a mountain
spring. We dipped up some in tum-
blers."
"Did you drink any of it,"
"Well, no." said Mr.. Lambie. "The
fact is prejudice under the circumstances
is very natural. The only running ex-
pense of the system outside the item of
the pumping works, which latter could
be dispensed with here, as l said. is that
of removing and replacing the fltering
earth. It is carted away to the beach
and dumped down on the sand. There
is no unpleasant smell about it what
ever. In every respect the system
seemed to the committee to have accom-
plished all that was expected of it,"
"How about its application here ?"
personally, 1 have no doubt" said the
City Surveyor, "that some such system
of filtration will be adopted here. If the
West system patents shut us out from
taking up any such scheme on our own
hook, we may come to accept that. do
not believe the plan of an outlet to the
sea either economical or healthful. We
cannot afford to waste such an amount of
water. The proposition made by this
company seems to me a reasonable one.
I think may add that the views which
! express were for the most part enter
tanned by the other members Of the dele
cation"