The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-01

The most vital problem that has ever
been given to the citizens of Salt Lake
City to solve is now submitted to them,
most reluctantly by the city council.
White elephants are toy balloons to
carry compared with the gravity sewer
now complete, yet not complete.
By the very slowest methods possible,
the board of public works and the city
council have allowed to leak as slowly
as possible to the public knowledge the
real condition of affairs.
The actual truth, reluctantly acqui-
esced in by the departments mentioned
is so astounding that the full purport
of this gigantic zig-zag default can
not at one view be fully realized.
Sweating Blood.
For the past two weeks the board of
public works, the council and sewer
committee have each, as several of
them termed it, been sweating blood
in their individual and collective anx-
iety to in any manner solve che prob
lem of getting an outlet to the gravity
sewer.
In his last report to the city council,
Captain Young frankly admitted that
he could not give the most remote idea
of how the sewage could be cared for
10 the satisfaction of all concerned.
Therefore he simply talked, but said
nothing, all of which was noted by the
press at the time, which was willing to
grant more extension of time for the
coming of the genius who was sure to
show up to guess the authorities out
of their troubles, but he has not shown
up, and they are all deep in despair,
and admit that it is useless to try to
hide the truth any longer
some Wildcat Schemes.
The time having come when it is de-
sirable to turn the sewage into the zig
gag subterranean gravity" artery, the
problem that should have been the
first to be solved is now a perplexing
wildcat scheme that the whole munich
pal machinery surrounds with bowed
heads and uplifted hands.
This week the city council as whole
or part will visit the county court Off
Gals of Davis county and there plead
a cause that 10 granted will only prove
the red flag that will put upon the ram
page the bull of public Indignation.
The councilmen want to obtain the
grant of a right of way for an open
ditch from the mouth of the gravity
sewer into the Jordan river. If not an
right of way for a covered conduit over
the same line to the Jordan river, the
same to convey the surplus" water
from the sewer into the stream thence
into the Great Salt lake. Right here
comes the vital question, and also rises
mountain high the sensational PROB
lem whether or not the city will be, or
shall be allowed to turn It's sewage INTO
the Great Salt lake.
Diversified Opinions.
The question has been mooted pro
and con until it has become a ghast-
ly nightmare with the municipal au-
thorities; the opinions OF expert engl-
neers, eminent physicians, chemists,
and men of vast experience who are
all divided and mixed up on the vital
question of whether or not the sewage
would contaminate the waters OF
Great Salt lake to the extent that 1t
would preclude bathing and the SAT-
industry. The uncontroVertible facts
developed on both sides of this ques-
ton are such that they will be given
without bias. and the puphc mus De
the Judge of the great interests 1nvoiV-
ed Before going into these 1t might
be we'll to state that there have Deen
professional" opinions sought and o.
tanned. and the professional opln-
ions Of experts from New YORK, may
or may not be of more Importance thdn
the home production, but OF this the
public. too. must decide for themselves.
First when it became known that the
had reached strategic
point and either had to cork up its
sewer OF operate it, Councilman
Coln was brave enough to come
out of committee and before the
council and state that as they
did in Berlin and other cities in Ger
many so could they do here. He ex-
planned at length that the solution was
easy-sfmply take out the solids and
fertilize the land, and then allow the
surplus, clear, pure water 10 now
into the Jordan and thence into Great
Salt lake. To an easily satisfied mind
this scheme would pass current as
PLAUSIBLE and possibly feasible, but
Mr.. Coin was subjected to inquisitives
from all directions. He admitted that
ne was not a. chemist and did not
know how pure the water would be
after the solids were extracted and
plastered over the adjacent lands, but
he was satisfied that it would be
ciear-clear enough to drink when 1t
entered the Jordan"
Would you drink it? If the scheme
is carried through, will you agree to
drink of the sewer stream where it
enters the Jordan?" was asked him.
but he was silent and looked with con-
tempt upon the presuming reporter
who would dare question his liking or
capacity for city sewage water; and
he remained silent.
The Engineers Word For 1t.
81 am satisfied" said City Engineer
Young, that no possible harm can
come to the Great Salt lake by turn
ing the surplus water of the gravity