Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-10
CLEAN THE SEWERS.
What Capt. Lusk says About Appropri.
ations and Sewers.

he investigation Of the sewers BY Tn srAs
he's created great deal Of interest," especially
among the people IN the flooded districts. The
cry Of ''clsan the sewers" has already been
raised and the Commissiousts ere daily in TO
sewerage facilities are defective.
The estimates for cleaning and repairing
sewers and basins for the Hscal years lss7-s-s
were, respectively, 90, 900, essooo, and sss 900
the corresponding appropriation were e2s, ZOO,
eSo,ooo, and $4,000, or els.ooo les than the
estimates.
In like manner the recommendations for ap-
propriations for replacing DISTRACTED sewers
wsre q follows: For the fiscal year lsSs. go, ooo
IUI asSs, sisoCS The co.resgonding apPro-
In conversation with Captain Lusk, who has
charge OF the care Of sewers. he said 10 Q STAa
reporter: Prom these hgures IL can readily
De seen that IL hes not been possible 10 replace
number OF old and almost useless sswers
which have remained . nuisance to the people
connected with them, and have absorbed con.
siderable portion Of the annual appropriations
for cleaning and replacing sewers, without any
permanent improvemement
Last year also several Of the old sewers on
!, wn,ss repair had been from
condition that absolutely demanded attention
The worse cases threatened the destruction o,
buildings and streets and could not be further
postponed.
THE TIDAL SEWERS.
As result, when the end Of the Ascal yea,
approached the balance Of the appropriation
was simply insufficient to undertake the clean
ing Of the tidal sewers at the usual period, viz
the last quarter Of the year.
There was nothing In the state Of affairs 4
create any serious apprehension because, sinc'
the completion Of the East Boundary sewe,
and the turning into it Of the bulk of tho
storm-water that used to food the Tiber valley
Il has not been found necessary TO cleaa til,
Ifber sewer each year. Thus in 1886 tina
sewer was cleaned; in 1887 IL was not cleaned
N the spring OF 1883 il was again cleaned.
DURING TIE PAST sPRrSa
the condition Of the tidal sewers was such tina
the enormous rainfalls Of April and May wer,
discharged without difBculty. The freshet o.
June and 2, however, put q different face on
the matter, especially a. concerns the north
street and Missouri avenue sewers, which, OF
July !, were the most seriously flooded.
DAMAGE BIT THE FREsHEr.
The freshst not only caused considerable de
posit In these sewers, but the mud left on III.
streets and avenues overHowed was washed di
rectly back into the sewers either by the use o.
hose or by subsequent rains. These sewer
should have been cleaned, as . sanitary meas
ure, as soon as possible after the freshet, ant
the work would have been undertaken but fol
the lack Of funds mentioned.
The freshet carried away or destroyed the
stock of boats used in cleaning the sewers il
question. This cleaning has, however, beer
commenced with hired boats pending the con
struction of now ones.
The cleaning Of the B street sewer was conn
menced on the morning OF the 4th instant.
No matter how clean the north street eve,
may be, it has not sufficient capacity to carr,
of violent rainfall coincident with an excep
tionally high spring tide. This conjunction O
high tide and rainfall was reached to nicely
on Monday, the LIST instant