Evening star., 1895-09-03
Captain Beach Makes An Interest
ing Report.
THE COST OF DISTRICT SEWER WORK
Destruction Duo to Growth of
Tree Roots.
THE STREET EXTENSIONS


afternoon. The report starts out with a
| detailed account of the work done during
the year, as well as a statement Of the
cost and the methods employed in laying.
sewers. Speaking of pipe sewers. he says:
This city has had great trouble with the
pipe sewers laid about twenty years ago.
and very many Of them have to be re-
placed entirely, the expense Of doing SO
without interruptins the how Of sewage
making the replacing sewer cost more than
one OF the same size laid as q new one.
The active cause Of the failure of these
sewers is root intrusion, but the primary
causes are several, as stated by Mr.. Nc
Comb In his report one being lack Of prop
| er gradient Of the bottom Of the sewer
trench, the grade having been tested at in
| tervals Of 100 feet and guessed at for the
| intervening Interval, and II any obstacle,
such as a boulder or stump, was encoun-
tered in the trench the sewer was simply
laid around it or over it: another. as stated,
| was carelessness in tointing the pipe hay-
| ing been simply laid in the bottom Of the
trench without any particular care to see
| that each section occupied its proper posi-
| ucn. This defect has doubtless been in
| creased by the action OF the roots of trees
| entering the joints and forcing the pipes
apart, but nhen sewer on being uncov-
| cred resembles in lines a rail fence on un-
| dulating ground more than any other en-
gineertng structure, the trees cannot be
| held entirely responsible. The failure IN
| by Mr.. McComb.
This work was all done by contract, and,
as the District had but one inspector to
| each section Of the city, who was supposed
| to look after all operations of building,
street paving, sewers, ETC., in that section,
| 1t is not surprising that contractors could
| do work pretty much as they pleased, and
1t may be matter of congratulation that
| only one sewer, that on the eust side of
| 21st street northwest, between n and o
streets, was paid for and never found.
| Were 1t not on account of the stoppage of
the sewer by tree roots many of those that
| now have to he replaced would continue
| toierably serviceable for many years to
| come, but when single root not as large
| as lead pencil, entering joint, can de-
! Veiop such mass of rootlets as to COM
| pietely choke a ten-nch pipe for a length
| of several feet and entrances for the roots
| exist every few feet, the necessity for re-
placing many OF these pipe sewers without
| delay is eSidert The photograph accom-
panying this report shows a mass of roots
| similar to what is encountered in almost
| any sewer being replaced.
Under the Sidewalks.
Washington streets, with their width,
| fine pavements and magnificent lines of
shade trees, are models for the world, but,
| owing to the width and expensive pave
ments, 1t has been necessary to place most
| OF the pipe sewers in the sidewalks where
| they are most exposed to the action Of the
| tree roots. This condition of affairs rem
ders necessary In sewers now built de-
| gree of protection for the Joints that would
be extravagant in most cities In many
cases where the roots have entered the
sewers they are cut out and the interior of
the sewer freed in this manner. This
method, however, can afford but temporary
relief, and as the larger part of the old
sewers are SO crooked that nothing can be
done beyond a few feet from the man.
mole mole the only remedy is to rebuild them.
The softer-wooded and most rapidly grow
Ing trees appear to cause the most trouble
Connection With Brick Sewers.
The number of new connections with
brick sewers has, curing the year, been re-
stricted a. much as possible and in all
cases where practicable connections with
pipe sewers have been made instead. The
reason for this IS that a sewer of the COM
bned system being necessarily much larger
than required to carry merely the sewage
or dry-weather flow. and the house lateral
entering the sewer not lower than the
springng line, it follows that except dur
ing time of heavy rains the sewage from
sewer into thin layer exposed to the air
thus being placed in condition most ia
Vorable for putrefaction with all the re-
sulting discomfort of offensive odors and
| some of the dangers which the sewerage
system was constructed to avoid.
The Sewer Extensions.
As soon the system of street extern
sion is approved and the grades of the
! streets decided upon, the plans and esti-
mates for the trunks sewers to the outly-
ing districts will be prepared, SO that work
thereon can be begun as soon as the ap
preparations at the disposal of the depart
ment permit.
The Importance of carrying out the plans
adopted by the government for the sys-
TEN of sewerage disposal has been re-
rcrted before, ard it is not necessary here
to do more than invite attention to those
reports with the remark that time has
emphasized all tnat was said in them.
In conclusion. / would state that the
credit for the sewer system of the District
of Columbia as described belongs to my
| to Mr.. d. E. McComb, who has been super
irtendent of sewers for many years. Hav-
Ing been here but few months, my share
has necessarily been small.
Plumbing Office.
Mr.. Ball, Inspector of plumbing, in his
report appended, describes the operations
of this office for the past year year. The
value OF plumbing inspection is becoming
better known and appreciated by citizens.
and in many cases people now decline to
rent dwelling unless certificate is fur
nished as to the safe cond tion of its plCrlb-
ing. Were this stand assumed more gen.
orally, the people would be much better
protected in the sanitary conditions OF
their homes and the reputable plumbers OF
secure proper and safe quality of work
under all circumstances.
The amount of work devolved upon this
Office is such that il taxes the present force
Of inspector and five assistants to the ut
| most 10 make all the necessary examina-
tions and II is only with great exertion
that they are able at. times to avoid
causing the plumbers to wait for inspec-
ton. Were the force increased by an ad-
ditior al assistant, the work of keeping the
office records could be brought to date and
kept in more satisfactory manner than
is possible now. With the increase of
building ir the outlying districts the in
spectors are able to make fewer inspec-
tiors than possible when work
confir ed tc localities nearer the center of
the city, and this condition of affairs is
growing steadily more onerous to the
office
1t is. in many respects, desirable to ex-
tend the province of the office to the in
spectioE of gas fixtures in old horses, but
until some increase of force is made it is
Impossible to properly take up this duty.
The inspectors, in examining plumbing re-
pairs. have occasionally notified the occu-
pants of the houses as to the dangerous
condition of the ieaky fixtures, or keys un-
provided with stops