The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-26

sewers built before 1870 inconvenience
has been felt from the fact that the
sewers are too shallow to accommo-
date heating apparatus and elevators
in business buildings. In 1870, II
was assumed that such occasion for deep
sewers would be confined to the four-milo
district, and the financial condition was
such thatno provision for future possibili.
ties OF this character could be made. II is
next stated that gradient of to 80 is
rarely attanabe for house drains. This
statement must have been written some
what carelesslv. In much more than one
half OF the cases, the ground in the rear
OF the house is rs high as the ground over
the sewer in the alley. The sewers are
more than six feet deep and the house
drains need be, and generally arc, only two
feet ut their upper ends, giving fall OF
four feet, which is at the rate OF in 80 for
more than the whole depth OF the lot. II
is impossible that quite 1000 obstruc-
tons" occurring in house drains within
year. can be due 10 lack of gradient. The
real cause, like that OF the oyercharging OF
some OF the sewers. is probably indicated
at the end OF Mr.. Hartfords final report,
where he recommends proper skilled in
spcciion OF plumbing work, lie says
"Bad practice has now become the com
mon practice, and IL is clearly attribute
bic TO lack OF intelligent supervision. Our
force il too small 10 make this. II is GER
tain that poor and illegal work Is costing
this department large sum each year for
cleaning and repairing sewers, and it is
not improbable that Il has caused, prema-
turely, our oycrcharged Mains
The ,,raalaaf 1.faal IL found In iha
smallness OF the main and sub-main lines.
There is sufficient evidence that these
lines are too small for the duty that they
larged sooner or later. This, however, has
nothing to do with the merits of the sys.
tenn 10 which they furnish an outlet.
As evidence that the sewers of Memphis
are not yet entirely without merit, ! sub
nit the following extractirom u letter from
Mr.. Hartford, written October II, lSSS
"Your letter OF the 18th ult., addressed
to Maj. Moriwe,hcr, was handed 10 me for
reply. Since II was given me have had
n thorough examination OF the system
made. Every line of sewers, whether
OF low or high gradient Is thoroughly
clean. We have no fouling upon any line,
and upon many | am certain that a We
lOclly lnehnl Ol not even lcet sfcACilcu
On one OF low gradient u in 200 in a
distance OF 200 feet. the maximum depth
OF How is not morc than inches OF Is b.
inch line) or perhaps 3 inches with the
flush; vet even here, where the mean We
,ocity cannot exceed l.S feet, the pipe Is
perfectly clean.
eve have. II is true, occasional stop.
pages, but they are invariably caused by
foreign substances such ~ sticks, rags
etc, never by deposit Of sewage"
am very sorry TO have taken 50 much
Of your space, and should Of course be
glad II were able 10 say that the Mem.
phis work done nine years ago. under con-
ditions that wcro altogether unprece-
denied" had been originally, so good
and complete as TO need no improvement
and rs TO meet with only friendly and
honest criticism. As am denied this sat.
isiaction, must find such consolation rs
can in the fact that that system, essen
tally unchanged, Is now In active opera.
ton in between forty aud fifty towns Of
the United States, and that its use is in.
creasing rapidly.
Gro. T.. WARINo, in.