The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-23
THE SEWAGE OUTLET.
Engineer Herring Thinks Savannah
River the Proper Place.

River the Proper Place.
Mr.. Rudolf Herring, the New York sani-
tary engineer, left last night for home.
Yesterday he went over the city with City
Surveyor Winn, Supt. Manning OF the
water works, and Alderman Falligant.
chairman Of the drainage committee. In
the afternoon he went over the rice fields
east Of the city.
In an interview with a MORNING NEWS
reporter, Mr. Herring expressed some disap-
pointlnent that the typographical surveys
| promised him when he was last here have
not yet been made, but be said that he has
| been assured that they will now be prepared
and when they are forwarded TO him he viii
prepare report, TO be submitted 70 coun-
cil, embodying what, In his Judgment, will
be the best plan for the city to adopt.
Mr.. Herring said that he Understands that
City Surveyor VIM aad Dr. Falligant have
each formulated plan, both of which he
WlH consider, adopting such features in
them as he may deem practical.
One thing Mr.. Herring is very positive
about, and that is that Timber Landing
creek IS not suited as point of discharge
Tor the city sewage OF it, as a terminus,
ne says that it would be most uusanitary.
There is not enough head water there to
carry the savage off which he says would
be deposited on the marsl and would con-
Uamlnate the atmosphere, and the winds
"ould orlng the poison t. the city TO the
great danger Of the city's health.
Wilmington river, as a point Of dis
Charge, ho thinks, is only few degrees less
Objectionable than Timber Landing creek
1t might answer, he says, for two or three
years, but Savannah, growing as it is, will
require permanent system, as such an ex-
penslVe system should not have to be abau-
doned IN few years. From the tidal OBJ
servatlons taken at Wilmington river, Mr.
Herring feels satisfied, that it is not a practi-
cal point OF discharge, and the expense is but
very little less than to the Savannah
river. lie says that the sewage, if
deposited at Wilmington river, would ac-
cumulate rather than be taken up in DISC
luton and carried of. This would not only
DC unsatisfactory to the city as a point of
discharge, but would be Objectionable to
| the people living along the river, and es-
pecially to the people of Thunderbolt, to
say nothing of the oyster industry, which
would be affected, for while the waters
| might not hurt the oyster no one, he saws,
would want oysters fed by the city sewage
and ia that way the Industry would be
crippled if not destroyed.
The Savannah river, Mr.. Herring thinks,
is, after all, the best point of discharge, and
the farther down the river the better. His
| preference at present is near Fort Jackson
Where the sUfong currents would thoroughly
| destroy all vestige of the sewage long be-
fore 1t could be brought to the city by the
incoming tides. Ia fact Mr.. Herring
says That one mile west of the
| point Ok discharge, that is, in the direction
OF the city, it would be impossible to dis
| cover any particles of sewage. as it would
be reduced to minute particles and taken
up in solution and carried outward with the
ebb and currents. It may cost more, he
says, but it will be- a sanitary a1d perma-
nent method of disposng Of the city's sew
| age Tor all time to come, and equal to tae
| New York system
Mr.. Herring pointed out two other lines.
with the point of discharge farther west
ward, which are practicable, but he said
that If it be found that there is little differ
ence in the cost he would recommend the
point OF discharge to be the one farthest TO
the east, as there the currents of two rivers
would the more thoroughly and rapidly
carry off the sewage.
The entire city can be drained into the
| Say annah river there with possibly the OK.
ception of the low section on the west side.
and that Mr.. Herring said can either DO
pumped or drained directly into the Savan-
nah river. He added, however, that he can
better determine the drainage system of the
western section Of the city wnen he receives
the typographical surveys
Mr.. Herring is interested in a professional
way with the drainage of Atlanta, Mont
gomery, Ala, and Charlotte, N. c., which
points he visited before coming to Savap-
nah, and he contemplates a trip to the
northwest on his return to New York. He
said yesterday that the mayor gave him to
understand that drainage improvements in
Savannah will be inaugurated about Oct. |.