Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-05-14

ne osbiset o. Sewerage Kssps Bob.
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No business man or professional man d
100 much occupied with busi1ess cares %,
to 1--WE heed 70 the sgi,atisn for ncfe
sewerage 10 this nne city Of Auguxa, pos
sessed Of every natural advantage end ouly
licking comparatively : little money judi.
c.ousiy tip nded TO make il one Of liz
heslthieft p'sees in the country. Msny
Who feel strongly on the subject do MOI
care 70 express themselves quite % foscibiy
10 print but are wiling 70 bear their pro.
portion Of the expense.
Several more gentlemen were seen YES
nfdsy BY the reporter and their expressions
we're unquslifsdly in approval Of the i'm.
mediate extension Of our sewerage system.
Among them vss Hon. o. d. Baker. Mr..
Baker said that he had not carefully in.es-
agstsd the matter but he certainly believed
that the city ought 70 have . complete sew
e. system. There should be competent
examination and systematic plan sdopted
broad enough to cover ell the pressing
nesds Of the city. then whatever construc.
son 10 made from time TO tine should b
made on this system 20 that when complete
the whole would be in harmony. I believe
that the plan Of building miscellaneous
sewers, bit here and bit there, each "on
his own hook" 10 IN injudicious and wasteful
way Of going at il. The comprehensive
system 10 the most economical 10 the end.
How rapidly, Mr.. Baker, should the city
put In these sewers?
As fast - the finances will admit Of IL.
and do 20 in accordance with this system n
Should not . good sum Of money be
expended Immediately in relieving the worst
existing conditions?
III the sewerage in important psrts Of
the city Is very defective these defects
ought to be remedied Immediately
Mr.. c. H. Mason replied that he IVES very
strongly ia favor Of good system Of sew.
srs and would add. good sidewalks. He
believed the city was very deficient in both.
But don't you think Mr.. Mason tina. the
health Of the community Is a. stake on this
sewer question:
"Bpeskiog on general principles do.
A. to the detsils. the exact need Of certain
localities cannot say.
There 10 another phase Of the matter
that consider 10 IN important one.
Whenever . sewer 10 built on q street the
value Of the property on that street is
increased. The fact was especially
brought to my. mind when purchased the
house in which now live. When I pur-
chased there was no sewer on that street.
A short time after gentleman said to me.
Il was intending to buy that very house
but when found there WAS no
sewer that could be entered from the house
gave up the idea of living there. Had
there been . sewer on that street would
have paid considerably more than you did ;
Knowing the gentleman I am certain that
he meant what be said and would have paid
a price greatly in advance Of wha. did.
This matter Of sewers Is an important one
for property owners"
DR. A. g. Young, secretary Of the State
Board Of Helth was seen in reference to
the absorbing topic Of sewerage. When
asked IL there wasn't need of more sewer
age in Augusta be replied:
IL should think so. At the south end OF
sewall street one citizen is sid to have .
stable celler slightly higher than his house
cellar. The dirty water standing in bis
stable basement breaks through into ,ht
cellar benesth his house and into the els
tern. He is, therefore, at the peril Of the
whole family obliged to live over cal.
lrr flooded with the equivalent Of sewerage
because the city provides him With no
means Of remedying the evil. At the other
end Of the same street, am told that wet
cellars and flooded cellars are the rule at
certain seasons Of the year, because there
are no sewers at all. or they are higher than
the floors Of the cellars, so that the cellars
have . tendency to drain the drains, instead
Of having the drains drain the cellars. The
drainage facilities CT Sewall. one Of our
dnest streets, fairly represent the condi-
tons Of many other streets in this respect -
"of course, doctor. you believe in .
complete plan for the sewerage"
THE waste Of much money is the ususl
result Of sewering a city the size Of this
one by the patchw ofk process, with no plan
for the whole system, and the
result isn't very likely to be salts
factory when you try TO put the
patchwork together. Much the best way is
to have q survey aud plan for complete
system, made by an experienced sanitary
cut in accordance with the specifications
and plan ali at once, or in successive j IBIS
- the city chooses"
What kind Of sewers would you favor
"Ii an engineer was employed TO draw
up a plan be would undoubtedly specify
vl'rfled salt. slszsd sewer pipe such ss the
city hss used in its late work. Al the
present day nothing but impermeabie ma
t4risl is ihought Of for good work.
The engineer would have many other
questions to settle for the city, one Of
which would be the size Of the pipes to be
u.ei. OF late years what is called the
separate system" has been rapidly com
ing into favor. In this the sewerage is
carried in small tight pipes and the storm
water and ground wster is otherwise dis
posed Of. Where this can be done, there
"aa saving both in cost Of pipe and ia cost
OF excsva,ing. When sewage only 10 sd
mitted to the sewer pipes. very small pipe
will carry it. How small may be judged
from what we are told by ] Pickering
Putnam, ore Of the frst Of American en-
aineeis, who says that, set up row of
water closets side by SIDE. three fset spsr'
from center TO center. over 4-inch drain
pipe. and discharge the closets
oil 1 once, aud the pipe will carry
the water though the row Of cloeet,
be mile long. Another error = good plan
would guard against is the putting in Of
long lines Of sewers with no provisions for
their entry from vacant lots or from build
inss that may later wish to enter. This