The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-20

Chairman Sheehan, of the sewer COM
mittee, made strong fight in Council
last night to order tho interceptor built,
but the cooler heads were too alert to
be caught, and after lengthy debate
the matter remains just whore it has
been for the past three months.
When President Buckner called for
the report of the sewer committee Mr..
Sheehan stated that his committee had
had no meeting since the last meeting
Of Council for the reason thai there was
nothing to meet for.
The finance committee has disposed
OF 900 worth of sewer bonds, so the
work can be carried on. 1t seemed to
him that it would be useless to delay
any longer in this work and the most
reasonable thing that could be done
was TO instruct the sewer committee to
advertise for bids for the construction
of the interceptor. He therefore moved
that the sewer committee be authorized
to advertise for the entire interceptor as
recommended by Mr.. Herring.
Mr.. Engleby asked permission to make
few remarks before the vote was taken.
lie had tried to obtain copy of Mr.
llering's plan, but had never had an op-
portunity of reading it since being in
Council. He understood from number
of people who have read it that there
are q great many recommendations in
that plan for the relief of the city other
than by the intercepJor, and that the
interceptor is one of the last things he
suggests.
AS he understood the matter tho
interceptor would be more needed when
the West End gets full of houses. Sup
pose the city goes ahead and spends all
Thorn oney in tho treasury for the inter
ceptor, where will it get enough to COM
plete the sewerage? 1t would then have
no money to build the lateral branches.
Us thought this was question that
should be looked into very thoroughly
before going ahead with it. Another
thing that should be considered was the
question of damages in going through
property. This apparently had not been
estimated for.
Mr.. Watts said that in regard to the
interceptor he had his doubts both WAYS.
He had had a conference with Mr..
Sheehan. who had given him more in
formation than he had ever had before.
He did not profess to be an engineer
and did not profess to be able to give
information about engineering matters,
but from common-sense standpoint he
could not understand how the intercept
tor is going to relieve the CITY. He
thought Tinker creek could be so en-
larged as to answer every purpose, and
that it would be much more practicable
to use this natural waterway than to
go across the city and cut through piles
of rock, as would have to have to be
done If the interceptor was built
One hundred Thousand dollars is the
surface estimate. 1t Is not known what
kind of stone would be struck, but in
one place alone there was 3O-foot cut.
The work might cost fully $50, 600 be-
fore being completed. Then, again, in
case of freshet the interceptor would
not be able to accommodate all the wa
ter, and the natural waterways would
have to be resorted to.
Another matter wish to bring the
attention of Council to" continued MIR.
Watts, 'is the question of cayerns
under the city. / drain the sewerage
from my house into one of these
saperns. Mr.. Churchill who lives two
lloors from me does the same thing, the
Norfolk and Western at the upper turn
table turns ali it's storm water into q
hole an the ground and I understand
that half dozen other places in the
city drain into caverns."
Mr.. Watts said that he had talked
with an engineer in this city in regard
to this matter, who said that he thought
the idea of turning the entire sewage of
the city into these caverns could not
be done. AS it was "a cavern it world
be naturally rocky. All of the filth and
oftal going into it would lodge on tho
sides, and in after years the gases would
come to the surface thus'creating disease
and sickness.
Eut There is one thing that these con-
Germs could he used for and that is for
carrying Off the storm water. If holes
In the earth could be found into which
this storm watei could be turned it
would perY much simplify this whole
question, as he understood that the dis
position of the storm water is one of
the most difficult questions that has TO
be commended with.
In conclusion Mr.. Watts offered the
following amendment to Ms Sheehan's
motion, and, although 1T NAV seem
quixotic and foolish, he meant it in all
earnestness:
Resolved, That the city engineer be authorized
to cxpcnd F35o in examining ibe oyient and
such channel cxist, for the purnoee of Misposinr
of the storm water of HE city OF Roanoke.
Mr.. Sheehan said he was opposed to
sach. proposition. He did not think it
practicable from q sanitary point of
view. He reiterated his sta tensent in
regard to building che interceptor, and
criticised Council for not taking some
final action in the matter
A vote being taken ON Mr. Watts sub
stitute to Mr.. Sbeehan's motion. Messrs.
Graves and Sheehan voted against it.
and tho substitute was declared lost.
The question then rec.rred on Mr..
Shaehan.a motion which wns lost hu q