The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-06
ENGINEER puNLAp's REPLY,


To THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES: AS
matter OF personal interest / desire to
notice throus your paper, If you please,
the criticisms of Mr.. Herring and MIR.
Churchill, as communicated at last
meeting of Council, concerning my
plans. when severe comparisons were
made between Mr.. Hering's plans and
mine.
In writing to Mr.. Sheehan Mr.. Herring
says: at is true that by now building
large sewer to the mouth Of Lick run
tho interceptor would not be necessary,
but to build the former properly so that
it will in the future be an equally Gre
ditable structure will cost great deal
more at the first than to build the in
terceptor," but really the very drain
and sewer he proposes on Lick run,
even after he builds the interceptor,
will cost little more than twice as
much per foot as my combined sewer on
Lick run. And his interceptor to the
south will cost three times as much as
mine on the north, while mine inter
cepSs the larger stream, and his only a
Pahu VI UhC othollCIs anu ICdllJs 40 hO
says, will not do that at the time of
hard showers after the river is high
what we call clearing-of shower-then
his large drain along Lick run will have
the maximum work to perform it was
planned for.
We all recognize the fact that in the
near future the business portion of the
city must he relieved of excessive
floods. My plan keeps the larger
sire ,m clear out of this portion, and in
consequence allows us to build COM
bined sewer that will carry off all kinds
of filth, while the 2O-foot wide drain in
dry weather, with part of its flow
intercepted, will not be able to do this
cover the bottom, unless flushing is
resorted to-. besides the cost will not be
half as much.
The main question then is, Will my
design accomplish the work. Here is
the problem in round numbers. Given
the area 1000 acres, the grade OF sewer
19 per cent, what will b. the cost of
a circular brick sewer, assuming the
rain fall and population.
Mr.. Herring has another favorable rec
ommendation for the interceptor,
namely, 1.-THE fact that there will be
larger growth in this territory to be
severed by the interceptor than in the
territory near Lick rum" then this fact
should give that section boom. 1
should think the improvement Of the
waterway through the costly business
portion of the town greater necessity.
AS TO the disposal of the sewage 1 con-
fdently believe it can be demonstrated
that Tinker creek, with the expenditure
of seven or eight thousand dollars, can
dispose of more sewage than Roanoke
river.
Mr.. Herring suggests that sewer
capable OF carrying only the sewage Of
the interceptor could be built down
along the shore of the river, the very
same thing 1 suggested last April for
Tinker creek whenever 1t should become
necessary.
l was astonished at Mr.. Churchill's
estimates and remarks. He found my
estimates for Mr.. Herings plan reason
ably fair, while he found that on mine
considerably too low" In other
words, he thought S1S per thousand for
thought $40 per thousand in my sewer
not too large. Then he thinks the
sewer propose too small, not noticing
the fact that provide for intercepting
Lick run. Why, he even says the
cement lining in tho stone drains pro-
posed by Mr.. Herring unnecessary, and
would not stick to the stone masonry.
Why In the world then did Mr.. Herring
specify the inner surface of the drains
ito be plastered with rich cement"
He further says the stone paving as
sneciflen will not be necessary all the
wuy-still seemingly to reduce the es-
innate, but In fac. 70 pave the bottom
so as to resist the velocity of ten feet
per second, as mentioned by Mr.. Herring,
will require even more costly paving
than calculated.
thought we were called on to calcu
late the costs, and not to revise the
plans. 1t Is not my purpose nor desire
to continue this discussion further than
to answer such unwarranted attacks. 1
made plans as requested. which were
not adopted; Mr.. Hering's were, yet
mine are brought up and treated as in
significant, in order that the other may
appear more desirable. Now it be-
hooves Mr.. Churchill to solve the above
problem. remembering this: that we
still believe in the rainbow, and that
we do not expect another Noah's flood.
w. NJ. DUNLAP.