The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-25
House Drainage suggestions.

Editor Morning NeicS: have read with
Interest your article in this mornings
NEWS urging that immediate steps be taken
to expedite action upon the subject of
house drainage.
Thisis the most important question before
the public, involving, as it does, the health.
comfort and prosperity of our city. What
is the best plan, and how this purpose can
be best achieved by the least outlayl are
matters requiring much thought and study.
The first step, as you say, Is to procure
map showing accurately the grades of our
city Without this nothing can be done.
Some years since John Postell made a map
giving the grades of all the corners of the
streets in the citv-Which | think are laid
down on Mr. Towards map. The city.
however, has extended, and the work ought
to be resurveyed by some careful and relia-
Bile person, so that accurate and positive it,
formation can be had, as this is the founda-
ton stone up-n which all systems must
start.
The drainage of the western portion of
the CITY reed not be so troublesome
matter, if it is concluded to drain into the
Savannah river All the eastern and west
ern slopes need no underground sewerage
as by paving the streets the rain water can
all be carried off on the surface.
And the house drainage for these parts,
and for the entire city. must be carried off
on what is called the "intercepting PLAN"
that is, each grade must take care of it
self. Having fixed upon the outlets for
sewer, the city must be divided off into dis
trictS Those parts that have the advan-
tage of plenty of fall must have the full
benefit of that fall, so as to make them self
cleaning sewers, running directly and with
out curves into their outlet. Those streets
49, L. foII Il
| outlet-not destroying The fall and self
cleaning properties of the high grades.
| Those that run on a nearly dead level must
| be to themselves. They must not drag
others down to such grade that they will
| not be selfcleaning.
Sewers without fall are not self-cleanng,
but mere sewers of deposit like the West
Boundary sewer This sewer runs on dead
level is a tidal sewer, the gate being shut
when the tide is on the flood. or when a
freshet is in the river. 1t Will be a great
mistake to undertake to drain any part of
the western slopes of our city into this sewer,
except that portion west of Farm street.
A sewer put on Farm street would
have fall OF or feet
from New to River street, and would be
self-cleaning having fall enough, and would
effectually, with drains running up each
street to West Broad, drain all parts of the
was used as an outlet instead of this sewer,
that portion Of the city west of Farm street
could be kept efficiently drained also.
Our city sloping from Bay street to the
park, all the lanes from Bay to South
Broad can be one section, if they should be
found TO havea uniform grade, having their
outlet at East Broad street. Then South
Broad to Liberty street another grade, and
Liberty to the park another grade. In this
way the city would be laid out in lot OF
small districts, each draining on a different
grade and independent of each other, but
draining into common outlet. In this way
the high grades would have all the advan-
tage of height to be self-cleaning, and the
low grade would not be placed at
any disadvantage. But all the immense
expense would be avoided of carry
ing all down to common bed
level. In this way part of the work could
be done at a time, and the city would not
have to Cypress ITS taxpayers BY making so
large an outlay ut once. 1t does not seem
to me that flush tanks are necessary, but
that flushing could be done directly from a
water main provided for that purpose, and
| do not see that upon well devised plan
any artificial means, such as pumping, will
have to be resorted to in the low levels TO
get rid of our sewage water.
If the Waring plan is to carry down to
bed level all drains, where many places the
pipe will go down to quick sand. and if the
pipes are at all porous and the joints not all
perfect, they would be subsoil drains in
stead of house drains, think it would be
All act of folly for our city to undertake it.
The 'intercepting" plan, as used in
many cities in England aud upon the CONT
nent, where cities Of forty or more miles of
pipe have no stoppages, with plenty of man
holes TO get at the pipes, 10 pipe being
under 10 inches in diameter, is the only wise
and practical plan for this city.
X. ID. GUERARp.