The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-19
Man With a New Plan for
DiSpOsing Of Sewage.
Gigantic Sewer From WOr-
ceSter to the Atlantic.
All the Cities and Towns Along Its
Route TO Be Connected.

There is In this town one man at least,
who doesn't believe that the sewerage
question has been solved by the present
system by which, when completed. all
the sewage of Providence will be turned
into the river at Fields Point. Accord.
ing 10 his idea, the dumping OF the crude
sewage into the bay at the point named
is certain in time TO cause serious polu-
tion which will ultimately require far
more comprehensive scheme for its dis
rosai thsn any that have heretofore been
proposed or even suggested. 1t will be
Tomembered that IL was the contention
OF the late John A. Coleman that the
chief source of pollution of our river and
bay was not the ordinary house sewage,
bot the wastes from manufacturing
establishments. He proved pretty con-
ciusiyeiy that the animal grease resulting
from wool washing, etc, was the princt-
pal cause of defiement and he claimed
that the manufacturers should be COM
pclled TO take care of ii themselves in
stead OF being permitted to turn IL into
the sewers from which IL found Its way
10 the river and bay, making the water
unsightly and foul smelling. Mr.. Cole
man went even further than this and
showed that by treating the waste from
their mills the manufacturers would OBJ
tain substances OF com mercial value
which would more than pay the cost OF
treatment
His main point was therefore to keep
these wastes, which are tho great source
OF pollution out OF the sewers end out of
the river. This done he had no doubt
that the remainder OF the sewage could
be dumped into the bay at Fields Point
IN its crude condition and without any
such Intermediary treatment as chemi-
cal precipitation such as that proposed
by Samuel NJ. Gray, then city engineer.
tor the supply of the city there was at
that time being pumped nbo ut 1000. 900
or 1000. 0c0 gallons of water daily. OF
course, but a small part of that is turned
into sewage. But, MIR. Coleman argued,
supposed every gallon of it was turned
into sewage, 1t could be dumped into the
bay at Fields Point and its presence
would never be known. OF course, that
seems to be somewhat extravsgant slate
ment until the facts and figures upon
which II was based are known and un-
derstood. Mr. Coleman was not how
ever. given to making wild statements,
-when- he said-that l01, 600 or 4, 001, 600
gallons of sewage might be turned into
the bay at Fields Point daily without
fear OF detrimental results he knew
what be Was talking about. He had
carefully figured out the volume OF water
that flows in and out by that point In
tWcuty~IOur nOurs anu nho heCerthineu
that II reached the gigantic total OF 2S,-
001, 010 600 gallons. In such vast volume
he argued, and with good reason. the
1000, 600 or 5000, 200 gallons of sewage
would be entirely lost; mere drop In
bucket, in fact.
But the latest student of sewage dis
posnl Is not quite satisfied with this
fcheine. He admits il will work satfs-
factoriiy for time, but in years to come
he insists that river and bay pollution
will become even q more serious question
than it has been up to the present time.
1t is not Providence alone that is respon-
sible for the dehlement. but the cities
and towns along the Blackstone valley as
far ms and including Worcester that dump
their sewage and refuse into the streams
which empty into the Providence river
and Nnfragansett Bay. A great part of
the impurities he claims which go to pol