Wichita eagle., 1888-03-23
: SEWER CHAT
And Other Chat Said to be the Politics For Mu'
nicpal Action.

The report of Civil Engineer Maddox
on the saver question, given in yesterday
issue, created considerable comment IN
that line. Some thought the plan sug
gested meritorious and calls for careful
investigation at least, while others think
from data on hand it is impossible to get
sufficient fall without the pumping sys-
TEN. Concerning the report gentleman
said: "Mr Maddox is mistaken when ne
states that $4,000 would have to be ex-
pended for the erection and construction
of three pumping stations in case pump
ing system is adopted. The West system
carries all the sewage into one sink and
there pumping station is erected, consist
ing of double set of pnmps and boilers,
SO as to avoid any delay in case of accident
or needed repairs to machinery, and the
same to have capacity to do service for a
city of two hundred thousand inhabitants.
The cost of running said pumping station,
as Mr.. Jordan, of Atlantic City, ex-
planned it, averages $1,000 per annum in
his city where owing to the fact that dur
ing the greater part of the year there are
900 people the pumps are kept active
both day and night. Inasmuch as the
pumps would only require to be run dur
ing the day for while the cost in this
city would be less than 81 900 per annum.
The West system proposes to take all
drainage from roof to cellar, an ordinary
amount of storm water, but it has been
successfully proved and it is evident to all
that no system of sewerage can be adopted
that will provide for all surface as well as
house drainage. Cellar drainage is an i'm
portant factor in any large city and as the
West system provides for the same would
it not appear advisable to one whose in
terests are not purely personal to take
into serious consideration system that is
no experiment but is pronounced by all
eminent engineers as the best and most
improved system in use at the present day.
When we have the assurance that the
improved system can be introduced here at
figures not exceeding the cost of construc
ton of the Christie q Rose water system
or any other system of merit would it not
be economy to adopt that system which
has and is giving SO general satisfaction
wherever it is in use. The property own
ers in this city do not intend to sanction
any scheme on the part of any local COM
pany or individual nor do they intend to
know very little if anything about sewer
age. BY the adoption of such wild theories
several hundred thousand dollars might
be expended which would be money
thrown away if it did not give efficient SER
vice. Inasmuch as the most eminent en-
gineers in the country have studied the
sewering of level cities and solved the
problem as to the system best adapted to
such countries it is not likely that parties
who have not made this matter study
will discover some system more practical
BILE than the several systems now in sue
cessful use. Let the sewering Of Wichita
be for the good of Wichita and not the
gain of single individual or corporation"
Another gentleman said that in some of
the wards he felt quite certain the sewer
question would be the leading political
issue. He could not exactly figure out
what kind of system the dear populi
would draw but he felt quite certain that
the wires are being pulled in that direc-
ton. He named over three wards which
have been the scene of great word slaugh-
ter and under all there appeared to him
a digging of trenches for iron pipe at a
certain elevation. The elevation had in
his judgment been determined, the iron
pipe partly engaged and the contract
awarded. He could not exactly read it in
the stars but more in an enquirer sensa-
tional fake which coupled onto it a phase
of the sewer question or something closely
related to it. One hold over councilman
went so far as to say that one of the gang
tackled him on certain feature of the
Doodle question, and also remarked that
the fellow lost grip and went to hole for
repairs.