Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-05-07

L
A usw 9swse 0ysess.
The expressions Of opinion which the
Journal ia securing upon the question
| Of new and first elaas sewer system in
this city. Indicate that but one senti-
ment In regard to the matter exists
| among our citizens. IL il today the
| mos important local question that con-
fronts "a. IL has direct bearing upon
the health and welfare Of all our citizens
There IA In the whole State Of Maine
no city better located for drainage, and
yet there are probably few IL any, that
| Il so utterly deficient IN this respect.
Manysof the sewers that have been put
Ia are little better than no sewers at all.
The Cour; street and Green street sew-
erg are conspicuous examples Of this.
Imperfectiy built Of natural stone,
loosely put together, they are the
fostering places for the foaiest
possible gases that come out from them
To peliute and poison the atmosphere.
Does any citizen believe that air laden
" it'll such miasmas i healthful for the
community: But some may think that
We are overstating the condition Of
affairs, IL so we invite them to come TO
the corner OF the Journal block
where the large volume of sewerage
that comes Through Court street makes
q downward jump Of tenor fifteen
feet TO connect with the sewer
that runs TO the river. This latter piece
OF sewer from he road wall to the river
is an excellent one Of glazed stone pipe,
though 1t IA to be doubted II il is large
enough to properly carry away the large
volume OF sewerage that comes over the
hill. On pleasant days 1t seems TO
An swer In this respect. but when a rain
comes the water backs up and rushes
through the'loose stones of the w;ill to
find its way to the river,ln large part, on
the surface of the ground. The
large spaces thus opened furnish an
excellent vent for the gases that
come from this big sewer. They per-
wade the whole neighborhood. On
fairly sultry days 1t does not require
specially keen scent to detect them
wandering about in market square.
The workers in Aliens blocks, the Post
Office, the JOURNAL Office, the Beef
Company, and all intervening buildings,
are forced to breath more or less Of this
polluted atmosphere. Its stenches are
full grown, and of migra
tory disposition. The connection be-
tween the drain from the river
to the wall, and the stone sewer
over Court street hill,was never properly
made. After the first big storm had
shown this, an effort was made to have
the fault RENE died. As a result the crew.
ices in the wall were stopped up with
cement, but the next big rain storm
washed 1t out, and once more the King
of stenches reigned supreme in that
vicinity, nor has there since
been any attempt to dispute
his sway, We do not know who orig
inaly engineered the connecting of these
two sewers but one thing is certain at
the present time the connection Ia de- |
cidedly OF the loose ioin,ed variety. |
Another abomination that goes by the |
name Of sewer is the one that drains
Green street. Mr.. Capen says 1t is ''ir
regularly constructed and this is doubt |
less the case. When it reaches the
Grove street gully the whole volume
of this sewerage Is practically
IRON THg SURFACE OF THE GROUND
The small stretch of draiu there
is loosely constructed Of large fiat
stones. These are not covered up
on the top but lay upon the surface
Of the ground Between them are num-
cradle large crevices extending down
into the sewer and through these host
of stenehes make their way to pollute
the whole neighborhood But there
is no need OF speaking of them, They
have a foreible way of speaking for
themselves TO the large crowds who
daily pass up and down this street and
fill their lungs from this never failing
reservoir OF gases, and to the large mum
Der of people who live in this thickly
settled neighborhood.
But bad rs are the two sewers we
have mentioned, it must be remembered
tina there are many places in the
city where there ia no sewerage at
all. The people of Cgshnoc heights
are fairly suffering for proper drainage.
Here is one of the most thickly settled
communities in the city, and one which
has grown more rapidly than any other.
Il is of the utmost importance to the
city that the sanitary conditions sur
rounding this section should be first
class. line of sewer down Bridge
street is also imperatiyely need
ed. There are many other places
where THE is also strongly felt.
Our citizens generally are glad
that we have our beautiful new
bridge; they are glad to see Water
street paved, but we believe that the
opinion is general that good system Of
sewerage would be greater public
Improvement. one that would be more to
the advantage OF all our citizens than
either one of these works -worthy
though they were.
One thing should be insisted on.
Whatever sewerage is built from this
time forth should be FIRST CLASS.
A poor sewer is but little better than no
sewer. Indeed, where it furnishes
place for foul gases to form with ample
vents TO let them loose upon the commu-
| nifty it is to be doubted IL it is as
wholesome as surface drainage. We be-
lieve there is no public Improvement to-
day for which our citizens would so
eheerfully be taxed as good system of
modern sewers and aartaipiv popa