New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-19
A GREAT RELIEF SEWER.
THE FLOODED DISTRICT TO BE PRO
TECTED.

by the excess Of rainfall the carrying capacity
Of the existing sewers. The difficulty has been
steadily Increasing for years for the growing e1
tension OF building In the uptown wards has increased
the amount Of water to be disposed OF In the sewers
the covering Of the ground with buildings prevents
rain from soaking away and the usc OF water in new
houses steadily increases. Under Mayor LOWS ad-
ministration so many complaints Of the damage 10
property IN the low ground along flushIngave. In
the Nineteenth Ward made that measures OF
relief were sought. Various schemes considered
but il decided by the engineers Of the City Works
Department that the only feasible scheme for per
manent relief TO construct a great interceptng
sewer uptown 10 carry the surplus water away to tide
water in South Brooklyn and prevent it flowing TO-
ward the Wallabout In the Eastern District. The great
Of he work delayed beginning 1t, but finally the
sum OF 81 200 900 was provided for by the issue
Of bonds by the city. Meanwhile the resi-
dents of the flooded district" banded together for
seldefence in an association and began suts against
the city TO recover damages. The courts sustained
them, and large had to be paid out The amount
originally provided the relief found too
small, and 100000 was appropriated in Mayor
Chapn's first year in his present Office Last summer
contracts for the work awarded, dividing 1t into
two sections and for several months the work has
been in progress at several points.
The great depth OF the sewer beneath The surface
for considerable part Of its length at one point
being ninety feet below the pavement, mode 1t nee
essary to tunnel for the unless travel was to
be interrupted and great public inconvenience was to
be caused 1t was decided to build the sewer in
tunnel for nearly two miles The outlet of the sewer
viii be at Butlerst. and the Gowanus Canal. The
line of the sewer extends in Butlerst., Fourth-ave
Hanson Place and Greenc-ave. At Marcy and Greene
ayes, where IT begins, the sewer will be ten feet In
diameter, and it will be forty-eight feet below the
surface The size is increased at NOstrand-ave. to
Ill, min
feet At Grand-ave the depth has increased TO fifty
seven feet and the size Of the sewer increases 10
fourteen feet. This size is maintained to Flatbush
ave- and Hanson Place from which point TO the outlet
the diameter will be fifteen feet. The deepest point
below the surface is at Greene and Vanderbilt aves
where It Is ninety feet and six inches. From this
point IL decreases to forty feet at Fatbushave
and Hanson Place. and to thirty feet at Dean
ST. and Fourth-ave, from which to the outlet the
work is prosecuted 10 an open cut.
The sewer is calculated 10 carry off 350000O00 gal
Ions Of water In day. dispose of the rainfall over
1000 acres at the maximum rate Of two inches an hour
which is almost the extreme limit Of the precipitation
Of moisture from the clouds. 1t is expected that this
will afford all the relief needed to prevent the overflow
Of water along the line OF the Flushingave. sewer IN
tho most severe Of storms. The new sewer ex-
ceeds in size any of the other in the city. and
many millions of brick will be used in its construction
Considerable progress has already been made upon the
tunnel, and the open cut part from Dean-st TO the
outlet well under way. At DeanSt and Fourth ave
the work upon the tunnel is In progress Shafts have
been sunk end of Hanson Place at Flatbushave
and at FultOn-st. and from these points the work Is
being pushed forward in both directions. As com
paratively slow progress can be made In work far
beneath the surface IL will be long time before the
great task is completed. AS soon satisfactory
rangcments be made In regard TO the running OF
in Greenea ave, where line of the Brook
Ign City Railroad extends, from Fulon-st to Franklin
ave. there will be additional shafts sunk this pOr
ton Of the Of the II the shafts are sunk
In the middle of the street the traffic will be wholly
interrupted. The company is therefore seeking 10
have The shafts sunk In side streets so that the tracks
viii not be disturbed by the work.
The city authorities have held conferences with the
representatives Of the railroad company md the
tractor and amlcabe arrangement will probably be
reached and the extra expense will be shared by the
city and the company.
The work upon the tunnel for the sewer has some
novel features. The opening at the top Of the shaft
at Flatbushave. and Hanson Place resembles the
mouth of mne and is in great contrast with the rows
of brOwnstone front houses the church, amOry, ee-
waited railroad and bank in close proximity station
AIRY engine, huge derrick piles OF timber forming
framework about the shaft. miniature railroad track
and dumpingcar to carry the dirt brought up from
the excavation to side so that it can be carted
away, the striking features. Every day hundreds
Of cubic feet OF earth holsed up from the bottom
of the shaft and the bricks lowered to be laid
into the walls Of the subterranean way, large enough
for river OF water. 4 little railroad track Is laid
along the bottom Of the 1t extends each way
from the opening leading TO the upper air. and many
men as can be employed are kept buslly at work upon
the excavation and the building Of the walls of the
sewer.
In the excavaung to avoid digging out and bracing
overhead while the briclayng follows after, is usual
in tunnelling, the contractor has adopted novel de
vice for expeditng the work and reducing the amount
Of labor An iron tube six feet In diameter, made in
sections which can be readily put together forms the
central core Of the tunnel and through this the first
excavation is made. Then the earth Is dug away on
the outside until the fun size OF the excavation Is
made and sections of bOllerrOn put In to prevent
tho collapse Of the earth the sides Of the excava
ton, and tley bTaced against the central core.
Then the brick circular walls OF the sewer arc built
inside Of these outside plates and the braces are re
moved The central core Is kept about twenty
feet long and fast the sewer is built the rear
sections OF it are removed and put in front TO continue
the excavation. The walls Of the sewer are sixteen
of million and half Of brick was made
In Fourthave Deanst. before the work began TO
IN Is the IS Mayor Of this use of the thorough
fare but IL decided to be necessary. At the rate
Of PROFESS adb t headng Il Win take fully two years.
to complete the work; The contracting firm for the
Work is Hart, AH0ciSon jersey
CIV d. J. Cream & Co. is the firm holding tho con
tract for the open cut and receiving basin and this
work Will be finished by June
The chief difficulty met in the prosecution of the
work thus far was a six-foot sewer encountered In
sinking the shaft at Hanson Place and Flotbush-ave
N had 10 be boxed In and surrounded By cement
and suspended from heavy beams Placed across the
mouth of the shaft. Precautions had 10 be taken 10
prevent It's bursting and flooding the excavation.
The work upon the great relief sewer Is supervised
engineer Of the City Works Department who drew the
plans for it, An engineers office has been established
In a small building IN Cumberland-st., over the line
of the sewer where IL passes from Hanson Place 10
Greene-ave. Mr.. Capp said recently The work Is
making satisfactory progress and about zoo feet OF the
structon Is going forward without hitch. IL cal
culated that the sewer could be butt IN 300 working
DAYS but II win probably take twice that length % tine
II Is designed 10 intercept the drainage from 1000
acres OF the uptown portion Of the city and viii carry
the rainfall OF Inches hour, which Is seldom
exceeded even for brief periods. Our average rainfall
is forty two inches, or three and one-half inches
MONTH Fully 20 per cent u this, where the city Is
closely built up end the streets are paved, must flow