Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-21
THE CITY'S SEW AGE
The Present System Shown to Be Entirely
Inadequate.
Report of the Board of Trade Com.
mittee Recommending n bond Is
sue to Remedy the Defect.

The committee on sewage Of the Washing
ton board Of trade has submitted an inter-
esting report on that subject as applied to
this city. showing the inadequacy Of the
present system. and the necessity for a
radical and comprehensive change. The re-
port says:
Text of the Report.
Your committee. in taking up the question
of the sewerage wants Of this community.
naturally sought for Information as to the
present facilities for the disposal Of the
sewage and rain fall Of the District.
AS result Of this inquiry 1t was found
that the sewage. mixed with the storm
water. was emptied through trunk lines Of
conduits. too small at times for this double
service. into waters closely surrounding the
TO and f-o along its shores by the tides
until it is either destroyed by oxidation o.
carried down the river by the current
The Present SYSTEM Inadequate.
With these facts before your committee,
1t required but little further examination to
convince them that the present system is
entirely inadequate TO- the service it Is ex-
pected to perform; that 1t is rapidly con-
verting the Eastern branch and the whole
water front of the Potomac river into an
open sewer that will soon be as offensive as
the James creek canal or the mouth of
Rock creek is today; that 1t is not only a
serious menace to health. but is largely re-
sponsible for the increased death rate in
the vicinity of our water frontage
To prove that this last statement Is not
overdrawn. We have but to refer to the re-
port on the vital statistics Of the District
by DIR. Billings. which shows that where
one person dies of malarial fevers in the
best sanitary district of the city twenty
seven die In the sanitary district bordering
on the James creek canal, forty-three in
the district situated on the Potomac Just
below the mouth of Rock creek
Our present system is. in fact, the natural
outgrowth of a makeshift policy Of small
appropriations ever inadequate for present
needs. rather than well-conceived and
comprehensive plan calculated to serve a
rapidly-growing city for half q century to
come.
This is the condition. How shall 1t be
remedied?
Fortunately for the people of this District
and your committee the question Is easily
answered.
Board of Sanitary Experts.
Under the provisions Of an act OF Con-
gress approved March 2. 1889. making ap-
preparations for the expenses Of the Dis
trict OF Columbia for the fiscal year ending
June 30. $780, the President was authorized
to appoint three competent sanitary en-
gineers to examine and report upon the
sewerage system then In existence and to
tons as may seem necessary for its modi-
hcatiOn and extension.
In compliance with this authority, Messrs
Rudolph Herring. Samuel NJ Gray and
Frederic Stearns We're appointed and con-
stituted board OF sanitary engineers to
carry out the duties specified in the act
mis- board after thorough survey of the
city and Its suburbs, Its system of sewers
exhaustive examination OF all the oues-
lions appertaining to the subject of sewage
disposal, reported in June, 1890 four
methods. the first of which. involving an
estimated expense Of $S,59S, OO8 20, was
strongly recommended for adoption. Inc
recommended plan has been finally adopted
by Congress. and an appropriation of $780,
ooo made to begin work upon ii. This
money has been expended in the construc-
ton OF the Easily Point high level In
terceptor Tor rainfall, which will be of
no actual benefit until the entire system IL
completed and in successful operation.
Benefit of Their Plan.
1t VIII be impossible In the scope Of
paper like this to enter into the details Of
the plan accepted. 1t will be sufficient fo-
our purpose to state that by It much of
the rainfall will pass into the river without
contamination by sewage. and that the en-
tire sewage of the city and its suburbs
Will be carried through trunk conduits to
the foot of New Jersey avenue southeast.
where, by system Of centrifugal pumps
IL VIII De forced through a triple line Of 49,
inch castiron inverted siphons, laid be-
meath the bed Of the Eastern branch to
Poplar Point, and from thence through
what is designated an ''outfall sewer and
outlet pipes into the Potomac river some
three miles below the city
With this plan in operation the city will
be relieved from the very serious danger
arising from the pollution OF our water
front; Rock creek. instead Of exhaling dis
ease-iaden yapOrs, may be con yerted into a
picturesque feature of our city landscape
and the James Creek canal now a nuisance
Of the most dangerous character, win be-
come valuable wharfage property.
Bond Issue Recon- m e nded
In view Of the foregoing. and In consid-
GRAFTON of the fact that the proposed sys-
ten can give no measure of relief from
present conditions until 1t is completed
in Its entirety, We strongly recommend that
the board of trade urge upon Congress the
ACCESSIBILITY of giving the District govern
ment authority to issue bonds In q sum
sufficient to allow OF the construction Of
this work at once. Albert NJ Read chair
man; Austin =. Brown l.. NJ. Saunders
Theo. A. Harding, w. p. Baldwin. John G.
Shea, and H. A. Griswold. Committee on
sewerage.
The GalIeu Crnsu