The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-02-04
THE DRAINAGE OF THE CITY
Engineer Recommends the Immediate
Construction Of Several Sewers.
Plans for a General System to Be Submitted
Pleading for Improvements North
Municipal Affairs.

mitted his report to the Board of Public
Works on the surveys and beverage of In
dianapolis. He says that the most i'm
portant question hat can engage the at
tention of the city is sewerage; that of late
years no prescribed system has been fol-
lowed.
A map. on q scale of our inches to the
mile, shows the sewers already constructed
and the high and low-water marks of all
streams. Another map is also presented
showing the ward boundaries. area and
population of each. Table No. L shows the
dates on which precipitation has equaled
or exceeded two and one-half inches of
rainfall in any consecutive twenty
four hours. Tabl No. 2 shows
the cost and length in miles
of the present system of sewerage. This
is the first record of sewers constructed
ever compiled in the city engineers office.
According to the report this city is located
III feet above the sea level, with o POD
ulation of 106. 0G0. covering 9.6l0 acres.
and having PSI miles of streets; $3.50 miles
of sewers, of which twenty-one miles are
brick and the others pipe. The general
topography of the city lying.
White river and POgue's run and north of
Washington street Is practically level. the
grades of streets in most cases being 20
foot per 100 feet. The snbsoil is principally
sand and gravel. with q small amount of
the city south of Pogue's run is built upon
ground that contains q large amount OF
clay.
The water consumed during the past
year was 2.651, 292,O0 gallons, or 7.263.Sl0
gallons per day., equal TO s~ixty-nine gallons
per capita per day. This includes the total
water used for all purposes. and causes con-
siderable sewage
According to the report White river is the
lar gest wRter-course, and during the dry
season has an average flow of $40 cubic feet
Of water per minute for every one thousand
inhabitants. There is no suitable land near
the city upon which the sewage could be
properly filtered. The territory along the
river south OF the city not being Inhabited
there seems to be no reason why the sew
age should not be turned into the river at
that point. He then says:
In the city OF indianapolis it Is almost as neces-
sary TO relieve the streets from the troubles of
storm waters as it is TO build sewers for the foul
water, and In many cases the drainage or
streets is made very difficult for lack Of sewers
The present system is the combined, and has for
amaln that which Is in Kentucky avenue and
In Washington street. from White river to Pogue's
run, being eight feet and seven and one-half feet
In diameter, respectively. The principal branch
sewers are as follows: South street. five feet in
four feet; Pennsylvania street. four and one-half
feet; New Jersey street, three and one-half feet.
One sewer in Ray street, four and three feet in
diameter, from White river to Madison ave-
nue. and 10 East street, by way OF
Yeiser and D0wney streets, Is the pricipal sewer
south of South street The sewers in Reid street
and Shelby street were constructed, as were the
Bright and Agnes-street sewers, for storm
waters. For the present I would
that the following sewers be constructed at
once, with laterals and house connections TO
curb line: Massachusetts avenue; from Belle
~fontaine TO l.. E. * w. railroad. eighteen inches;
Tennessee street. from Indiana avenue TO ST.
Clair street. thirty inches; Tennessee street, from
st. Clair to Seventh street, eighteen and thirty
inch sewer; Mississippi street, from Ohio to
Twelfth street, q forty-two, thirty and eighteen
inch sewer; Tennessee street, from Seventh TO
Twelfth street, twenty four-inch.
The rest of the sewerage report is given
up to a discussion of town sanitation, sewer
age systems, systems of sewerage inter-
ception, the pnuematic system, the water
carriage system. the separate system. the
disposal of sewerage, the disposal of sewer
age by irrigation, chemical processes. The
report closes with q copy of q report made
by Moses Lane on the proposed sewerage
system in 1870. Among the sanitary en-
gIneers who will consult with the Board of
Public Works and submit plans for q
sewerage system are Rudolph Herring, Of
New York, Samuel NJ. Gray, of Providence,
r. l.; George L. Waring. ir.. of New York;
John W.. Hill, of Chicago, and Charles G.
Brown, Schenectady, n. Y.