Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-14
STRUCK BY A SNAG,
Difficulties in the Way of Enforcing
the Ordinance Enacted to Abol-
ish Surface Drainage.
CASES WHERE 1T is PREFERABLE
10 Making Connection With City Sewers,
on Account of Danger of Disease
From Faulty System.
SOME THREATS OF SUING THE CITY
II the Immense Sewage Of Certain Districts Cannot
Be Safely Carried Away.
CASES WHERE 1T is PREFERABLE
SOME THREATS OF SUING THE CITY
II the Immense Sewage Of Certain Districts Cannot
Be Safely Carried Away.


store when it comes to q question of en-
forcing the ordinance, lately passed, making
it obligatory on property holders to make
proper sewer connection between their houses
and the main channel. Especially will they
meet with opposition in the East End, where,
in one district. so far from desiring any con-
nection with the main sewer, the inhabitants
have found it necessary to cut off all means
Of communication as a necessary safeguard
against disease. Neither, as far as these
people are concerned, is the matter to re-
main there, for some of them talk of enter
ing SUIT against the city for the recovery Of
damages because of the useless condition of
sewers for which they had to pay pretty
stiff price.
According to the statement of DR.. A. J.
Davis, of the East End, who from his
lengthy residence in the district may claim
TO know q little about the matters whereof
he speaks, the sewers in Beatty street, Kirke-
wood and Broad streets, which drain a pretty
considerable area, are entirely inadequate TO
carry away the sewerage, and in rainy
seasons become so flooded as to FIJI the cellars
and cesspools of the neighboring houses with
refuse matter, to the imminent danger to
health of the inhabitants. Rather than
take any chances, very many residents have
severed the pipe connection with the street
sewer, and returned 10 the original plan of
surface drainage.
NOT ALL SMOOTH SAILING.
When the enforcement of the ordinance is
directed against these people, there are
likely to be 'ings on the green" They
have paid for sewer accommodation, which
only accommodates them with threatened
disease, and they are not disposed to return
to a system by which they incur danger
instead of benefit, without a vigorous fight.
The ordinance referred to, and which
went into effect this month, was passed by
Councils partly as a sanitary measure and
partly as a matter of expediency. But to
quote Superintendent OF Highways and
Sewers James P. Andrews, who was called
upon yesterday in reference to this subject:
"The ordinance referred to-" said that
gentleman, ''is in the line of that dealing
with the paving of sidewalks. If an in
spector ound a sidewalk in such condi-
ton as to warrant repair or construction, it
became his duty to serve notice of the fact
on the property holder. If, after 20 days,
the work had not been done, the city
could then appoint a man to do the
work, authorizing him to call upon
the property holder for payment. If
the latter refused to pay, the contractor
could, at the instance OF the city, obtain a
lien on the property. Similarly with this
new ordinance, the inspectors will ascertain
what houses are unconnected by pipes with
the main sewers and will serve 20 days no.
tIce on the property holder to make proper
connections. After that time. if the work
s undone, it will be performed as in the
case of sidewalks. The inspectors, of
whom there are eight, are now serving no
tices in such cases as come under their no.
tice. They are not making any special eff
forts to find ont where surface drainage ex-
lists, but do so in the routine of their duty.
THE ORDINANCE NEEDED.
''It was necessary" Mr.. Andrews contin.
ued, "to pass this ordinance. The custom
of throwing slops and refuse into the yards
was becoming not alone public nuisance,
but dangerous to the public health. In
winter time these aecumulations would |
freeze into hard cakes and it costs the city |
between 81, 800 and s., 900 each month to re-
move the filth"
Asked to indicate some particular district |
where surface drainage was much in vogue,
Mr.. Andrews mentioned the Point ''Sec-
ond street." said he, sis nothing more than
a mound of cinders. From Penn avenue to |
Duquesne way the property on the east side
belongs to the Schenley estate. The street |
nould pot ha navad hacausa rho ordinanca
provides that one-third Of the property |
holders should petition before any work |
could be done. Here there was but one |
owner, and Mrs. Shenley, understand, re-
fused TO petition, and of course nothing |
could be done. For the same reason there |
is no sewer in the street, and necessarily |
surface drainage must exist with all its |
evils. The East End, too, cannot have ade- |
quate house connection with the sewers, be- |
cause the latter have not been laid long |
enough to admit of the work being done. |
There is no doubt as TO the desirability of |
underground as against surface drainage, |
and as soon as the Inspectors report, meas |
ures will be taken TO en- force the ordinance"
1t was in the neighborhood of the flourish |
ing locality Of Highland avenue that the |
conditions Of affairs referred to above was |
discovered. Mention of the ordinance and |
Its conditions was made to q gentleman who |
has resided for some time in the district.
"Though uuiuiormed on the matter, said |
the resident, 81 have no doubt that many of |
the houses hereabouts are unconnected with |
the sewers. judging by one thing you may |
notice about H. e houses, should say they |
were not. You Ill observe that the pipes
carrying the rain water from the roofs dis
charge onto the sidewalk, and so into the
streets.
THE PROPER COURSE.
"well, it is very evident that if the city |
authorities pursued the right course they
would utilize this great flow of water to
flush the sewers and help carry away the |
stagnant refuse rather than have it wasted
in this manner. OF course, il ultimately
finds its way into the main sewers, but il |
house sewer, where il would do most |
service. Besides, the rampipe, being
connected with the sewer It would
carry away the gas above the roof where it |
would be innocuous. The very greatest dis
exists in this neighborhood re- |
Rarding the fatty construction OF the sewers
In some streets, ] am told, they are worse |
than useless, because when a freshet occurs, |
the pipes being too small to carry away the |
pressure, allow of the deposit being driven |
back into the cesspools. where it engenders
sickness"
A call was made on DR.. A. j. Davis for |
q confirmation of this statement regarding |
sickness being brought about through stag |
mating sewage. Conversing on this point
and the state of the sewers in the locality, |
the Doctor said: 81 cannot say that am
aware of any sickness existing at present |
to faulty sewerage. But there isn't |
any doubt at all about the wretched condi-
ton OF the sewers. To live in this neigh
borhood is to be made amply aware Of
it, both from experience and from ones
neighbors. The main sewer here is on
Beatty street, and the sewers in Broad and
Kirkwood discharge into it. II my memory
serves me right, the Beatty street sewer 10