The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-04-27
Chicago Drainage Outrage.

While 1t Is probable the Chicago Drain
age Bill-or legallzed outrage on the peo-
pie of the Illinois yalley-will be passed
by the Illinois Legislature, still the follow
ing facts compiled by practical civil en-
gineer, and published in The BuiIdiag
Budget of Chicago, will be Interesting
reading, and, among other things, will
prove the utter falsity Of the statements ~
that only by poluting Illinois river can Chi
cago get the relief desired, and (2) that di,
luton Is a decent or modern method of
sewage disposal. As matter of fact, 1t is
out of date has repeatedly been found to
be a sanitary fallacy; and has been aben
doned by every sanitary engineer acquaint'
ed with modern sanitary science, except
the so-called sanitary engineers of Chicago
and the State Board of Health.
From the article in question we select
the following, touching the question, call
Ing particular attention to the last para
graph:
While In committee gentlemen of prom
inence were invited to address the commit
tee Having the bill in charge before 1t
was sent to Springfield, and from the
speeches of two the following extracts are
indicative of the!plan of action. Mr. Me-
dill said, In the course OF his remarks
at has been proposed to dispose of the
sewage by liberation, but that plan has
been tried in England and failed, and the
sewage deposits when used for manure
produced pestilence. II had been tried In
Holland and had failed. The only place
where IL had been partial success was at
Berlin where the sewage is deposited on
the sand plains and the malarial conse-
quences had not followed as at other
places"
Mr.. Armstrong of Morris, was somewhat
more reckless, and in the course Of his re-
marks said: "Every considerable town in
the world had its sewage system construct
ed on the principles of dilution." As a
comment on the statements of both gentle
men, we will simply give Il list of the most
considerable towns in the civilized world,
with their methods of disposal:
London is in great trouble; after eX
pending many millions 10 carry her sewage
to point where it was thought il would be
sufficiently diluted to create no trouble be.
fore II should be swept out 70 sea, she finds
herself worse off than before, and spent
100000 last year in chemicals in vain
attempt to deodOriZe the sewage; she is
now building precipitating basins
Paris has for some years applied por-
ton of her sewage 10 land and last year
acquired more land, and is about to apply
all sewage in this way.
Berlin applies her sewage TO land, and
changing her methods in accord with eX
perience, now produces eilluent water
which is drank by those who live upon the
farm.
New ork discharges into sea water and
the strong current sweeps the sewage out
to sea.
Vienna discharges into canal and so to
the Danube.
Philadelphia discharges into her rivers,
but is not thoroughly severed city.
Boston pumps her sewage out to sea-
FilteratiDn has been recommended for
such of her suburbs as would find this in
convenient
Glasgow is considering method of land
disposal.
Manchester has pail and land disposal,
but is about to abandon the pail system
and dispose of all sewage upon land.
Birmingham disposes upon lana.
Edinburgh disposes upon land.
Breslau disposes upon land,
Frankfort on-the-M Main is about to dis
pose upon land, Notwithstanding a strong
current and great dilution'
Sheffield disposes upon land.
The list night be increased indefinitely,
but this shows only two of the large cities
of the world disCharging into fresh water
dilution and still depending on dilution
Each year several towns abandon and dis
pose upon land by some method of treat
ment which is reasonable proof that the
treatment is not failure, nor productive
of pestilence.
About dozen persons IN Chicag0 are dd,
u0cates Of dIlut'On; as many more hold
strongly that the sewage should be purified
so far as possible before discharging into
the river; these two dozen are all of Chi
cago that demand anything except that our
river and water supply be relieved from
its present condition in a manner which
should be permanent.