The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-10
MEMPHIS SEWERAGE SYSTEM.
An Answer by Mr. Rudolph Herring to
Col Gao WarinC ,Jr

Col. Geo. Z. Waring, Jr.
In justice to Mr.. Herring we copy the fol-
lowing letter by him from the Engineering
Neps in answer to Col. Warnings letter which
appeared In THE APPEAL few days ago:
THE MEMPHIS SEWERAGE SYSTEM.
NEW YORK. April % 1889.
To the Editor of Engineering News;
Your late issue contains a letter from Col. Geo.
T. Waring, Jr., in which he makes several state
ments upon which trust you will allow me TO
lie remarks that after my visit to Memphis (se,
my letter In Engineering Nelps, January ~, ISL
had found the sewerage works 10 far changed as 10
be substantially another system from that which
he built The magnitude OF this change Will APP
pear from my statement that the difference between
the Warng system as patentable and the English
senarate system was almost infinitesmal." III the
ralnwater from even single rooi is admitted, its
patent charm Is at once broken. AS some rain
water did enter the sewers, maintained II was no
longer the patented system.
In quoting that said the Memphis system was
las good us any city or town suitable for ia appli'
cation could wish II 10 be" he should have con
tinued the quotation. "yet no better than II would
have been had IL been built In exact conform
ity with English practice"
Tho reason for its working satisfactorily declared
to be due to the Intelligent management and con-
tinu.lly necessary vigilance OF the local officers,
and not 10 any novel features OF the design. Had
II been built upon better principles, much less Wig
lance and expense for maintenance would have
been required, as proved by other localities and
have therefore never In any particular modelled my
own designs after IL.
He says further that an examination showed my
Communication TO Engineering kclrs referred 10
above, TO be essentially untrue" l have care
fully looked over II, and find that everything |
wrote was strictly correct except ono word which
was either misprint or an error OF writing. say
'stOppagcs have occurred 20 an extent which made
II necessary 20 build mantoles every few hundred
feet" Instead OF necessary II should have read
desirable" They were continually adding man
holes, and during my visit expressed the wish TO
have them at every Intersection.
Col waring states that rainwater was never sub
stantially excluded from sewers until II was done
at Memphis Alnwick, In England. with n popu-
outlet sewer Is ins: diameter with grade OF ll0O,
since about 1886. Tottenham in 1882 was severed
by an lS-ln sewer $1,000, with population OF
about lnM. An lS'in, sewer for so large a. pOpu'
lation, should say substantially excluded rain
water.
Reading oxford and number OF other towns
likewise excluded It rs far rs II was considered
practicable.
Regarding statement In the last paragraph Of
Col. Warnings communication. desire from pro
ieSsional point OF view Ia take decided exception.
lie states that tho memphis system, essentially
unchanged, Is now In active operation In between
forty aud tity towns In the United States Else.
where he has named some Of these fifty towns, and
among them number Of which other engineers
including myself. have made tho designs. lie Ia.
a right 10 claim only such systems as he designed
himself, OF where his patent Is valid. aud not
NAR1' NhlAh hAN' burAn hIpu AiiN faAlNAl1l
practice. As far as am personally concerned,
have IN no respect modelled any system OF sewer.
after Warnings patents, and have therefore had tho
satisfaction Of avoiding the large number Of stop
pages and the difficulty Of removing them, which
are reported from Memphis. A substantially out
lined In Rawlins0n's "suggc.t ons" and based
upon knowledge which has been gathered In Eng
land by experience In sanitary works for many
years, the essential features OF the separate Sys
tenn Of Sewerage conciscy stated and a. recognized
In England before lssO when believe his patent
was obained), are
l. Exclusion OF mlnwatcr rs far as practicable
even every drop Of roof and surface water, "
where this can be accomplished
? sewer pipes laid Perfectly straight In line aud
grade between points oacccss, 10 allow of complete
inspection.
g. Manholcs or lampholes at every change Of line
or gmde which change Is made BY a smoothly
curved channel within such holes.
T. Size @! aewcrs pfoporiioned TO carry not less
Than thrtS times, better six times. the average
daily wa'sr supply. Sire Of public sewers 10 be al
least Mrs inches diameter.
g. flushlng channels at heads Of sewers and
drains Automatic syphous or other appliances.
G. Ventilation through perforated mhuholC
covers u least once every hundred yards
No s'stem OF sewers built on the above princi
Piles u rightly called the Memphis or the Naring
systcs, kuDOLm liEgiSG.