The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-03
BROKEN SEWERS.
Remedies Proposed by the
Sewerage Commission.
SUGGESTED TO SUPERVISORS.
Work to Be Done i'm Anticipation of
Next Winters Rainfall-FOur Dan.
gerOus Defects Indicated.

AhO JOuIuM Va tuO A1OuiA va oUpSA
visors for its midsummer vacation was
somewhat OF a surprise to the gentlemen
who have been engaged for several mon ms
past Investigating the condition OF the
sewers of San Francis They were pre-
pairing an important report upon when
they desired the action of the Supervisors
before their adjournment. This report
had reference to sewer work absolutely
necessary to be done before the beginning
of the rainy season if any regard was to be
paid to sanitary considerations.
After the adjournment of the Board of
Supervisors an effort was made to get as
many of them together as possible in order
to explain the gravity of the situation.
The sewerage engineers succeeded IN
securing the presence of Supervisors Den
man, Day, Refs, Dund0n and Rogers at a
conference ip the Office OF the commission,
where the whole subject was very thor
oughy discussed and the conclusion reached
that the work suggested by the engineers
would he ordered done long before the
winter shall set In. Street Superintendent
AckersUn also attended the conference.
The attention of the Supervisors was
directed to certain very garng defects IN
few large sewers draining lmportant
districts. These defects, it was commended
by the engineers, could all be remeded at
an expense of between $4,000 and $4,000.
The expenditure of this sum would ac-
romplish wonders in another regard. The
proposed improvements, once completed,
would have the effect of bringing into use
old sewers which had cost the people hum
dreds of thousands of dollars and which
were now n OF only failing to perform their
functions, but were very dangerous Men-
ace 10 public health.
Four propositions were submitted to the
earnest consideration of the Supervisors.
They related to the Pacifc-street sewer,
the Brannan-street sewer, the Washing
ton-street outfall and the franklin street
sewer. Other matters were discussed. but
the engineers confined their pleas to the
urgent need of correcting the defects in
the four particulars described by them.
The first proposition related to the Pa
cific-strpet sewer, which, according to the
engineers, has at the east line of Battery
street a vertical rise amounting TO about
three feet. The correction OF this defect
will give much better drainage to the
large district drained by that important
sewer.
The second proposition had reference to
certain serious local defects in the Bran
nan.stEeet sewer. which renders that i'm
portant drainage line useless TO very
large area Of the city it was intended TO
serve, besides forcing the discharge OF
the drainage from 1000 acres of closely
built up city area into the upper end OF
Channel street These defects can be very
|.easily remedied with the certain result of
aba ting a very perious nuisance.
The third serious defect in the sewerage
system was the clogging near It's eastsrly
end of the WashinGtOn-street outfail.
The Washington-street sewer drains the
important district bounded by Geary,
Jones. Market and Jackson streets. The
outfall is clogged with timber jam of
lumber loosened by the old Clay-street
Quoted by the Board Of Sewerage Engn-
GERS has revealed the fact that the over
flow at the lower end OF Market street
which resulted in so much damage last
winter and spring was caused by this OBJ
StrucliOn.
attention of the Supervisors was very
earnestly directed related TO the Franklin
street sewer. The engineers during their
examination of this large 3x5 brick sewer
found a very inpotent channel for two
blocks in the shape Of an eighteen-inch
lronstone pipe. Here was case where a
large sewer was expected to drain through
a small pipe for two blocks and then re-
en- ter 3x 5 sewer. The engineers accord
ingly recommended that the sewer on
Lombard street. from Franklin to Octavia.
be entirely rebuilt on proper grade and
VI a proper size.
These are few of the practical results
flowing from the extensive and critical ex-
animation by engineers of the sewerage
system. so far as it can be called system.
The foregoing suggestions made by the
board of engineers in charge of the inves-
tigatOn are primarily directed toward the
early if not immediate correction of exist
ing defects and deficiencies. so that the
maximum amount Of benefit can be derived
frDvn fhn N niaPo
The Supervisors present at the con.
ference agreed that the work recon-
mended by the board of engineers should
be done as soon as possible. No action,
however. can be taken until the meeting
Of the Board of Supervisors in September