The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-18

Neauihg Oh the Paper Followed by
General Discussion of the Subject.
The rooms Of the Commercial Club
were crowded last night with those
anxious to hear Mr.. G. c. Wentworth'S
paper on the interceptor and the discus
sion that was to follow it.
In tho absence of the president and
vice. president Mr.. j. c. Rawn called
the meeting to order and introduced
Mr.. Wentworth. This gentleman stated
that Mr.. Pechin, president of the asso-
citation, had asked him for his views on
the interceptor and he had addressed
to him the following letter, which he
requested Mr.. Lucien Cooke to read
"Since you honored me with request
that should give my views on the sow.
age question of Roanoke, l have looked
into the matter with some care and
detail
Tho problem presented is how to
effect the desired end, and at the same
time do so with as small expenditure of
money as possible. have calculated
SAO duOuuJS Oh STORM water
and sewage we have to take care of in
the different parts of the city, but there
is no need of mentioning these in this
paper, as this Is matter about which /
think there is no disagreement. The
results Of this work are of more import-
anCe at present.
The first thing would do would be
to lower tho bed of Lick run from the
end OF tho present Campbell street drain
to Tinker creek, giving it q grade of
tenth and half in one hundred feet.
This would make the elevation of the
bed at the upper end Of Lick run, where
Il joins the Campbell street drain, $50. 8
feet above tide.
1T is no use trying to drain the
storm water out Of the cellars along
Salem avenue, Campbell street and
similar places unless the bottom OF the
drain provided is lower than the collar
floors. There ought to he eight or
nine feet from the street grade to the
bottom of the drain below, and the
lowering of Lick run which have pro-
posed will enable this to be DONE
1.-The velocity Of the current in Lick
run will not be reduced more than two
feet per second by this reduction of the
proposed grade from two-tenths to one
and one. half.
Having thus provided an outlet for
the storm water from the heart of the
town it should be utilized by drains of
sufficient size through the streets.
There are two which should be built at
once. The first is the drain along Rail-
road avenue, on the south side of the
railroad, to take the water from Trout
run, at the point at which it crosses the
railroad, to Lick run. This drain
should be eight feet wide and, as have
said eight or nine feet below the street.
The next drain to build would be the
low enough at present and can be re-
placed by one five feet wide and extend
ing from the interceptor proposed by
Mr.. Herlng to Lick run along it's pres
ent route. When this drain is built
the present drain from Railroad ave-
nue., running under the bulldogs to
Campbell street, can be closed up.
both these drains it would be we'll
to build with vertical stone side-w walls
about three or four feet high and COW
cred with nearly semi circular brick
arch. They should be paved in soft
ground. These drains, under the plan
outlined, would be used for storm water
only. as the present street pi pes and
existing outfall two feet in diameter
are sufficient for the present and can be
economically extended to take care OF
this part Of the drainage.
These two drains would take the
place of the present Campbell street
drain and be sufficient to take care,
certainly much better than one drain,
of the storm water now coming through
it.
The lowering Of Lick run and the
building OF these two drains should, [
think. be the first things done.
The time will come, when the West
END becomes built up and paved, that
these drains will be insufficient to take
care of the drainage from the west at
that time think the purpose could not
be better served than by building the
intcrceptor proposed by Mr.. Herring
This will take care both of the storm
water and tho sewage from the western
part OF the town and also of tho sewage
from that part of the town through
which it passes on its way to Roanoke
river, although great part of this tract
can he drained directly into Lick run or
Roanoke river by the ordinary street
piping. do not think that it is neces-
sary to build the interceptor in order to
take care of the sewage from the tract
1T traverses. 1t would be better to put
down the greater amount of terra Gotta
pipes that would be necessary If the
interceptor is not built, than to build
the interceptor for the purpose of taking
care of this sewage unless the city can
raise $4,000 for 1T in connection with
the work on Lick run and the street
drains mentioned heretofore. The inter.
csptor must he built wht tn sewage
and storm water from tho Yves End
have to be taken care of.
when 1T Is necessary to build this
interceptor the amount of sewage COM
ing into it will not for long time be