The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-26
IN FAVOR OF WILMINGTON RIVER
Capt. Blaudford's Plan for the Drain
age Cutler-

T
age Outlet
The plans Of Capt. Blandford having in
view Wilmington river as an outlet for the
sewage Of the city are being generally dis
cussed. and as they propose, as City En-
ginesr VIM puts it, 70 take the sewage out
the back door instead Of the front door, IL
is thought Of interest to review the Bland
ford plans. Referring 70 them, Mr.. D.
Douglas, the chairman OF the committee on
canaIs and drainage Of the Citizens Sani-
tary Association, in bis report says that
Capt Blandford has not Yet reduced his
plans TO writing, nor has be made a regular
profile Of the route, nor exact measurement
Of the distance. and there may be some mac
curacy in the lines indicated, but as he has
recently made an exact survey over all the
ground his general outlines II the proposed
plan may be accepted as practically correct.
In the first place, Capt. Blandtord takes
exception to the conclusions Of Mr. Herring
as 70 the suitability Of the Wilmington river
as an outfall. The observations made by
him in 1889 were most carefully taken. He
sought for the main current, and his OBJ
servatiOns were taken at the best points OBJ
tainaole, and where, consequently, the out
let should be. He found That the current
varied according to whether the tides were
spring tides, neap tides, or mean tides. The
maximum current in spring tides
was three and half miles per hour.
and the average current for the same tide
two and half miles per hour. On neap
tides the maximum current was nearly
three miles per hour and the average was
over one and three quarter miles per hour,
the average current in the river being for
all tides about two and quarter miles per
hour
Commenting on this tidal flow Mr.. Doug
las report says, "When we consider that
a flow of five hours means that the sewage
will be carried ten or twelve miles, and
when we further consider the immense
volume Of water in this river varying from
one-half mile 70 over one mile in width and
from twenty-five to fifty feet in depth
when we add to this action of the
tides, the really very important volume
OF fresh water carried into the Whining
ton river, especially by the Skidaway
river. which the sewage will certainly reach
on every ebb tide; when we further con-
slider that Mr.. Herring himself says that in
the Savannah river, with the sewage emp
tied almost close to the shore, the sewage
will hardly be observed 900 feet away, is
it not reasonable to conclude that it is prac-
ticaly impossible to foul the Wilmington
river except very close to the outfalll The
presumption is that if the outfaIl were
placed deep and near the middle of the
river, as it can easily be done, without any
danger to navigation, by meaus of iron
pipes, that the sewage would hardly be
seen at all unless very carefully looked for. A"
Capt. Blandford proposes to start the
main outlet sewer at about the same point
as indicated by Mr.. Herring, on East Broad
street, and take line southeast to the bend
in the Casey canal, the sewer to this point
being Of such size as may be necessary
only for the city sewage. On reaching the
Casey canal the sewer will take the bed of
the canal, thus saving excavation, but will
be enlarged 50 as TO enable it to take all the
water unusually running in the canal The
sewer will then be continued to the point
where the canal turns nearly due south, and
is there enlarged possibly TO the size of a
culvert, eight feet in diameter, and is then
continued of the full size on a line to the
Wilmington river.
The hearty cooperation of the county
commissioners would be secured, as this
sewer or canal would afford a channel for
carrying off the waters of Cuyler swamp.
and the addition of 50 large a volume of
fresh water in the canal, it Is argued, would
be OF great assistance in the dilution of the
sewage, and would be further safeguard.
if any is necessary, against the undue &C.
cummulation of sewage in the Wilmington
river.
Capt. Blandford further claims that by
adopting this route the sewer could have q
uniform grade of about four feet to the
mile. without the necessity Of any part of il
being placed on piles and timber platform,
and that there would be no particularly
heavy excavation; that the only part OF
the route where anything like heavy worR
would have to be done would be at the
high lands as the approach is made to the
river, the maximum depth of which would
be about twenty feet, and that for short
distance only.
1t is the conclusion of Mr.. Douglas that
the distance of the Blandford route being
very little more than the shortest route sug
gested to the Savannah river and the en-
cheering difficulties less, if the combination
of the sewer with the Casey canal were OBJ
jected to, the cost of the work would be les
than that proposed by Mr.. Herring.