The record-union., 1891-05-26
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO
ABOUT IT?

Farmers living below the city yester-
day appeared before the Board of Trus-
tees and complained of that abominable
nuisance, the drainage canal" They
accompanied their complaint with a threat
to compel the city to abate the offense
Whoever is acquainted with the situation
will sympathize with the farmers and
Justify their action. But in the face of
all that has been laid before the Trustees
within the last few weeks, in regard to
the disposal of the city sewage, the
officials did not appear to have any idea
how the city could dispose of its sew
age in any other way that by the drain
age ditch. The expectation that they
would say, ''Well, let us inquire and find
out how other cities do" was not fulfilled.
This is simply amazing. For the drain
age canal does not dispose of the drain
age at all. We have shown, and the
County Supervisors have verified our
showing by the survey of their own en-
gineer, that the outlet of the ditch is
higher than the head at this city. Until
the canal flows its waters up hill, there
fore, there can be no disposal of the waste
matter put into the ditch That ought to
dispose of that miserable concern-the
folly of Board of Supervisors twenty
years ago, which should never have been
entered upon.
The Trustees have agreed to go over the
route of the canal on Thursday next
what for? Certainly not with view of
throwing more money into that ditch {?
If not that, then possibly for the purpose
of acertaining what truth there is in the
statements of the farmers. There is no
need to take that trip to ascertain the
exact facts. All the rest of the people
know what they are, ifthe Trustees do not.
Everyone who lives within smelling dis
lance Of the foul thing knows precisely
what kind of nuisance the canal is.
Why waste time and money examining
thing that cannot be repaired, and the
only remedy for which is abandonment.
The RECORD UNION has no axes to
grind in this matter. 1t is concerned
only about the best interests of the city.
1t has studied this question of drainage
from the standpoint of the experience of
twenty other cities. The results of its re-
search it has freely laid before the read
Ing public. 1t has been at pains recently
TO do what the Trustees might well have
done-to write to and secure from the
authorities ofthe city of Worcester, Mass,
She details of the system adopted there.
which is successful and gives the city
freedom from all sewage dangers. These
facts it has offered to submit to an adj
yisory board, to ascertain facts. Yet we
are told that no other way is known for
disposing of the city sewage except by
the drainage canal. that does not drain at
all, for the very good reason that its cur
rent will not run up grade. In this con-
dition of affairs it would seem that we
must trust to the Board of Health to get
common, understandable, everyday facts
of sanitary science before that peculiar
body, the Trustees.
Let us recapitulate the situation once
more, in paragraphs so clear and succinct
that even a child viii be able to under
stand them:
l. We have sewer system that, poor
as it is, will answer. But we have no
means for disposing of the sewage after
the sewers have conveyed it to a final
outlet.
2. The city cannot single year longer
neglect the correction of the evil, because
it initiates against the health of the
people, the good name of the city and the
desirabillty of Sacramento as a place of
residence.
3. 1t is necessary, therefore, to provide
for the disposal of the city sewage-leav-
ing adoption of better sewer system to
the future-though not distant one.
4. There are but four methods known
for disposal that are worthy of our exam
ination. By gravitation, or artificial
pressure into tide-water, or a flowing
body Of water; by cremation; by filtra-
ton and the sewage farm plan; by chem
ical precipitation.
3. The first is impossible in Sacra-
mento for want of sufficient fall, and to
create it involves lifting to an artificial
hight at enormous cost. The second
is an excellent method, mainly for
garbage, and is not so economic
as the last. The third is out of
the question, because the machinery to
force the sewage out TO the land, as at
Pullman. near Chicago. is hevond the