The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-06
THE SEWERAGE SYSTEM.
Resume Of the Report Submitted
by Col. Waring.



nary the City Council engaged Col.
George T. Waring. the eminent SAM
t@ry engineer OF Newport, Rhode
Island 70 prepare u repcrs on suit
able system OF sanitary sewerage for
Seattle The results Of Col. Na-sng' :
investigations while in Seattle are
shown in tie very elaborate report
submitted BY him over date u EEehru-
larry IG. which was read st the last
meeting OF the Common Council. and
which Is now under consideration by
that body and tie city engineer.
| The very comprehensive system
suggested by the report covers the dis
| tricts included within Bluff Valley,
Harrison, Lincoln. Depot. Thirteenth.
Broadway. Eleventh and Main streets.
The system is arranged for the re-
moyal of foul waters eniY. that IS TO
say, il Is to receive no raInwateTT from
any source whatever. ~ it Was found
up0n estimating, the sizes needed for
carrying roof-water wouId add mate
rally 20 the cost of the vcrk. In a
place WITH such a good fall Is that OF
Seattle this is unnecessary, rs there Is
no rainfall 10 speak OF for half OF the
year, and this half at the time when
/ flushing of sewers is most needed.
Flushing is the only reason why
rain water should be admitted Is Is
necessary, . says the report. ito main
tain a good and cieanIy condition OF
the sewers at ali times, and any ar
raagesnent that will maintain this
condition during the summer season.
will be equally effective in winter. I"
Seattle il so well situated for the re-
moyal of surface water that Col. War
! ing does not consider is worth while
to expend money for increasing those
facilities, unless il is in places where
RAIN water may accumulate To dan
gerous degree.
The principal part OF the proposed
system is divided into two large areas,
one sloping in general way toward
Front street and delivering through
the Columbia street outlet. and the
other having its natural drainage to-
ward Lake Union. After much con-
sideration OF the plan for draining this
last area into Lake Union by means of
a submerged outlet reaching far out
into the lake, Col. Waring came to the
conclusion that while it might answer
good purpose for years to come. the
chances were favorable to its becoming
Objectionable In time, as large sewer
age ostlet into the lake. even If not OBJ
| jectionahle in itself. would be made
the scapegoat for any fouling of the
water on the shore that might re
caused by foul surface drainage. He
finally determined that the only en-
tircly satisfactory solution OF the prob
lem would be to furnish direct out
let into the harbor by means of brick
sewer to be laid in tunnel under Lake
avenue and Republican street which
would also take the sewage of North
Seattle and the western slope north of
the Front street system. Ii is pro-
posed to furnish this tunnel with an
oval brick sewer three feet wide and
six inches high, so that it will be large
enough to be entered by workmen for
cleaning or repairing. The cost of this
sewer is estimated at about So, 900 and
with fair conditions it may be con-
structed for $4,000. A small tract
lying too low for connection with this
sewer win have to be discharged
into Lake Union.
In relation to the ultimate disposal
of the sewage, Col. Waring says he
has formed very decided opinion in
favor of carrying each outlet into the
harbor distance OF from 1900 TO 1000
feet by means of iron pipes. His opin-
that the lateral tide movement along
the city front would hav9 sufficient
securing effect to remove all possible
deposits in an UNDERSTANDABLE man
ner, he finds fully confirmed by exam
ing chart issued from the United
States coast and goedetic survey
office. which shows such an immediate
deepening of the flow of the harbor
az TO make it safe to use pipes of much
less length and cost. This chart indi-
Gates that pipe 1000 feet long at Col
umbia street will reach water about 40
feet deep and will be well beyond the
influences of eddies caused by the
piers in that vicinity. At Lake avenue
a pipe 600 feet long reaches water also
40 feet deep. and will be far enough
beyond possible wharf building. The
pipe at Columbia street will be II
Inches in diameter, and that at Lake
avenue Ia inches.
To provide against accumulation of
| deposits flush tank OF very large size
is proposed at the head of each OF these
iron pipes. These tanks will hold
1900 cubic feet and will be discharged
4 Il
will be placed in the course of the out
let sewers and will be filed with sew
age When they become full their
contents will be discharged with great
velocity aid in sufficient volume TO
ensure cleansing current throughout
the whole length of submerged pipe.
In case of both of these outlets a
branch sewer is TO be connected with
the main pipe below the outlet of the
flush tanks, one at Columbia and
Front streets. and the otser at Lake
avenue and Water street.
A few of the sewers are laid out in
north and south streets in connection
with the present Main-strees sewer.
which Col. Warning sees no necessity
for modifying at present, although he
thinks that as the city grows TO the
south il may become necessary 70 es-
tablish an entirely independent set of
sewers. with an outlet OF a special
Icharacter to meet the difficuit condi-
tons of that area. and the Main street
sewer and its tributaries may
be provided for in connection. In
addition to the Main street sewers.
Col. Waring has provided in his plans
for making use of the following exist
ing sewers: Columbia street, from
Front To Twelfth; Marion, from Front
to Fourth; Madison. from Front 10
Second; Seneca. from Front to Filth
Union, from Front TO Eighth; Pike,
FROM Front TO Eighth, Front, from
Pike To Union; Fourth. from Pike 200
teet north. These sewers are all II
inches long, except the last which is
eight inches. and according to the re-
port, are all unnecessarily large; bat
the only objection TO this is their cost
and this has already been met.
Where they are sometimes used a.
mains for other sewers of the s7steni
they will receive the benefit Of the
flushing of the iaterais and where they
work independently flush tanks will
he provided at tt.eir. heads.
The total length Of sewers in the
several proposed series is as follows:
Those ttischarglng AZ Lake avenue.
BOO feet; these discharging at Lake
avenue, future extensions, . $50 feet
those atsehzrsing at Columbia street
SO 800 feet: existing sewers OF the Col.
1mbia street systesu. II $50 feet: Main
street tnew work., 500 feet: existing
Main street sewers. $50 feet; total,
is6 $50 feet, or 3S4 miles.
Ono recommendation OF the repor,
- that every hose drain be made a
sewer yentilator. thereby insnring an
adequate circulation of air to secure
the complete dissolution of exhaI :.
items and the oxidation Of the ifnpa.
rsties with which the walls OF the
sewer may be Slimed. 1t is confidently
stated hy the engineering authorities