The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-25

either be compelled to drink water con-
tamlnated by sewage or that the neces-
slty or doing away with the costly system
would confront them
With these ideas in view Col. Screven
set 10 work to find some means by which
the contamination Of the river might be
prevented. He became impressed with the
idea of plant for the disposal of sewage
py converting the excrementitous portion
OF the sewage by means of precipitation
or by filtration, TO run off the clear water
through the most convenient channel into
the river, leaving the solid matter behind
to be disposed of otherwise. BY investga-
ton and research he found that this plan
was entirely practicable but that il fail
ed to accomplish the object in view, viz.
the entire eXpurgation of poisonous matter
from the water. Although the water could
be made to run off clear il would still con-
tain the poisons extracted by 1t from the
sewage.
Having decided that this plan would not
give the desired result, Col. Screven set
about finding a terminus for an outlet
which would give the result of removing
the sewage a sufficient distance from the
city to do away with all possibility of the
contamination of the river in the neigh
borhood of the city and which would at
the same time furnish the necessary re-
qurement of capacity to remove the sew
age from the point of deposit. He selected
st. Augustine creek at the point nearest
terminus of the present Bolton street sew
er, as the most suitable point for the out
let.
by depositing the sewage in st. Angus
tine creek" said Col Screven, "all the re-
quirements are answered. The sewage is
removed to a sufficient distance from the
city to do away with all danger or annoy
ance, the sewer Will run through a terri
tory which is already partially populated,
and in which there Is bound to be an in
crease of population and which will contri-
butte to some extent to defraying the cost
of the work, the increased cost of the
work will be more than compensated for
hxrf 1C fvaar aa1 han ft@ff m
health and the fact that the outlet will
not be temporary, but one which will pro-
vide for the disposal of the sewage of a
city several times the population of Sa-
vannah."
Col screven was asked about the cur
rent in ST. Augustine creek, and the di-
moved, both of which points will neces-
sarily come up for discussion. He replied
by producing map of the United States
coast and geodetic survey, showing the
channels, depths and tidal flow of the
delta of the Savannah river This map
shows the depth of water in St Augustine
creek at the time the survey was made,
good many years ago, to have been
greater than that of the Savannah river
at the time, the depth of the creek vary
ing from thirteen to thirty feet The move
ment of the tide in st. Augustine creek
Col. Screven argued, is ample evidence
of the existence of current capable of re-
moving any amount of sewage which
can possibly be emptied into it. AS to
the movement of the sewage after its in
PRODUCTION into st. Augustine creek Col
Screven said that the greater portion
would be moved out through Wassaw
river, but part would be moved through
Augustine creek into the Savannah river,
at a point about six miles below
Fort .Oglethorpe Col. Screven spent
many years of his life on the islands near
to st. Augustine creek, and is thoroughly
familiar with the tidal movements of the
water courses of that section. He gave
an interesting explanation of how the
movement of the sewage would be af-
fected by the tides.
The project suggested by Col. Screven
Is now in the hands of the engineers, who
will run the proposed line and estimate
the cost of constructing such an outfan
sewer and it will then be submitted to
the consideration of the commission 1t
is the opinion of Col. Screven that the
Bilbo canal ought for the most part to
be filled in