The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-24
COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.
The Allowance OF SIS per Week TO the City
Hospitals to be stopped APP IL l.
Routine Work.

Routine Work.
The council was called 70 order by the
mayor. There were eleven members pres
ent, as follows: Buckeridge, Carson, Cas-
well, Coffin, Glaze, johnson, Marion.
Mossbacher, Mckee, Schnitzler and VIII
Jams. Brown was absent.
The minutes of last meeting were read
and approved.
The report of the city weigher was re-
ceived and placed on file.
The following communication from the
city engineer was read and referred TO the
sewer committee:
CITY ENGINEER's OFFICE.
WICHITA, KAN, Feb. %, 1881.
To the Honorable Mayor and Council;
The object of this communicate is to
bring to your notice the urgency of reliev-
ing that portion of the sanitary sewer sys-
tenn known as mains B" and &c" of dis
trict No. l. The relief TO be a supply of
water for flushing the mains. When
planned it was not contemplated that AT
the very upper end OF the system there
would be introduced sewage OF the
nature of that which emanates from the
packing houses. From d sanitary point of
view the location of these packing houses
is unfortunate The question that now
confronts US is the disposition of their
sewage in manner that will prove to be
of the least Inconvenience to the residents
of the district through which this sewage
Is carried.
During the spring and summer of 1890
many complaints were lodged with you on
account of the packing house wastes being
turned into the channel of Chisholm
creek 1t was seen that something must
be done to change the then existing condi-
ton of the creek. As result of that
agitation the wastes from the packing
houses now find their way into our sewers.
That from the Dold establishment into
main "B," located in the alley be-
tween Market street and Lawrence
avenue, and that from the Whit
taker plant into main &c, located
from Seventeenth streetto Douglas avenue,
in the alley between Emporia and Fourth
avenues. The upper ends OF these main
sewers are on Twenty first street where
the packing house sewage is introduced.
When the slaughtering for the day is COM
pleted, the emptying of the tanks and the
washing down of everything connected
with the Strengthening and cleaning de-
partments takes place, SO that much not
water from the scalding tanks IS mingled
with the refuse. AS this is usually done
in the evening about half-past O'Clock Its
presence is felt at Douglas avenue about
Gas p. m, or an hour and quarter after
it enters Several conditions viii, or
course serve to modify this velocity
1t will not answer to close the perfora-
lions of the man-hole and observation hole
covers. for then ali means for yentllatlng
the sewer would be shut oil. Sewer gas
might then form and find its way into the
houses of those who are using the sewer.
The prevailing odor that arises from these
mains is not due TO the presence OF sewer
gas, as this is not found until decomposI-
ton has taken place; and no decomposi-
ton is present in the packing house
sewage on its passage through the city.
Although very disagreeable, and composed
chiefly of animal matter, 1t cannot be Sc
unsanitary as is decayed vegetable matter
1t is to be hoped that many houses will
soon be connected with the sewers. As
yet, the number is small The more the
sewer is used by the district the better
will be the general results accruing there
from, as it is ordained that each
house connected with the sewer shall have
fixtures for sufficiency of water, and the
water applied so as to properly carry on all
matters that are permitted TO enter mus
it Is. that with the constantly increasing
use of the sewer its efficiency is enhanced
in the same ratio. This is due 10 the In
creased velocity consequent upon the
greater volume 1t will be many years be
fore the eight (S) inch laterals will be tax
ed to the NAHUM of their capacity oy
the service they are required TO perform
From this it will be seen that for long
time the service will continue TO increase
in efficiency. In view OF this II Is recon-
mended that Tor the time being the rool
water be introduced into the sewers. This
will add to the efficiency of the flush fol
the laterals Notwithstanding the flush
tanks located at the head ends OF all the
lateraIs are discharglng from JOO 10 ~
gallons OF water each, daily. according &c
locality, the quantity of sewage is so small
that the flushing IS not nearly so effective
as it would be were the volumes OF sewage
much greater.
As the packing house sewage is admitted
direct to the mains at their head ends, the
treatment of it so that it shall have ~
noisome features eliminated before reach
ing the resident portion of the CITY Is o
paramount necessity. The most effective
means that suggests its self 10 my mlnc
is to conduct the water from Chisholm
creek by a large sewer pipe conduit K
mains ''B' and "Ci at Twenty-first street
This water is TO be controlled by system
of gate valves that it may be diverted intC
one main at time. or division made as
local conditions might warrant. tn:
sewerage from the packing houses should
be controlled in the same manner by tbs
building of a common catch-basin at the
crossing point of the private sewers. This
catch-b basin was recommended al the time
the private sewers were planned, Witt
such arrangements as these IN operation
the greatest Objectionable features OF thi,
sewage would disappear; for with ad
mission Of a large quantity III water th'
seweraged will be diluted and cooled; IL
velocity will be increased, and the move
ment of all other admitted sewag,
through the city will be greatly acceler
ated.
Were the city as far north as Seventeenth
street within the limits OF the sewer dis
trict we'll occupied with residences. anc
| each one contributing 70 the volumes o
the sewage into both the laterals anC
main sewers, the conditions for carrying
through the sewage from above would b
very different. but il will be many year
before this condition Of affairs viii exist
Hence the necessity Of, IN some sp-cia
manner, providing for the conducting o
the packing house sewage through tb'
city without lis presence being - man
ifest.
Much might be done By the packin:
establishments themselves in rendering
their sewage more iuodorous and eliniDat
ing fherefEom mucn more OF the ANNA
matter before il IS permitted 10 escap'
from the premises. II - true that each o
these establishments have yAts for the col
lection Of the grease that rises 20 the sur
face OF the sewage before IL Is permitted Z
aow into the sewers; bat no means j. pro
vided whereby it may be cooled II thl
were done much grease would lie obtainsC
that row finds It's way into tes sewers
where the tendency o. the same is 20 col
lect and 20 adhere TO the sides, gradually
lessening tbs CAPACITY and .nteEruptins
the flow.
This cooling might De done By eonduc;
Ing 10 a chamber, surrounding a wFoagk
iron tank. pipes charged n tse same man
ner as those used ia the ice nznufzctuYin.
plants connected with each packing eStAb
tshulent This would result IA wv.