Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-05-11


Vided he happens to reach the French
metropolis at time that will enable
him to take advantage OF one of the
luadrennial excursions through the
great channels that act as conduits for
the waste OF the greatest city in
France. The most recent OF these OK
'ursions took place q few days ago, AMI
IL was the longest journey OF the sort
ever taken. tp to less than three years
ago IL was not so pleasant journey as
Il is now The visitors are conveyed
through the great tunnels in cars or
boats, rs they are called. III other days
these vehicles We're drawn by men. bur
about two years ana hall ago, on ac-
count OF the great amount of labor and
tremendous expense neccssitated By
this method, the wits OF the depart
mcnt OF public works were concentrat-
I'd on some plan 10 obviate the diff
Guilty. The result Of this is the success
full effort 10 run trolley lines through
tho Paris sewers. Perhaps the best
idea may be obtained of exactly how the
Partisan sewers look by considering
Them as huge tunnels. for the term
conduit hardly gives an adequate idea
If their size or appearance. In the
floor OF these tunnels is what may be
more properly termed conduit, in the
form of a rectangular channel for the
sewage. The width of This conduit
varies considerably, from three to eight
feet. On the width OF this channel de-
ponds the use of ears or boats. Cars
are used Tor the very narrow channels
md boats for the wider ones. The cars
un on Hanged wheels, similar to those
II tho ordinary street car, the rails be-
ng placed on the edges OF the channel.
he ears being therefore sort OF
movable bridge. Each car will hold
twenty-five passengers, that being the
Maximum capacity. Ordinarily but
~enty persons are allowed to ride in g
single car. The cars travel in trains
If five each, and the total weight OF
uch a train is l. 900 10 5000 pounds.
There is no rigid rule as regards spced
hat being regulated by circumstances.
IS rule, however. the average is four
ana One-half miles an hour. The speed
limits may be placed al two and a quar-
er miles an hour for the minimum and
i've miles an hour for the maximum
me maximum time is seldom made.
ma never during the ordinary hours
u travel when the public is permitted
ride. When boats are used. as is
he case in the wider channels, the same
number Is attached one 10 the other.
10 that practically there is no differ
nee In The number OF passengers that
an be carried or the limit of progress
The majority Of persons. however. pre-
| er the boats 70 the cars, inasmuch as
mere is the utter absence of the con-
'tant jar which seems TO be Inevitably
lttached To the trolley. While there
re generally five ears TO tho train tina.
| Iavels on the rails, the boat trains
Iften consist of six. In the first o.!
| hese latter the accumulation battery is
| .arried. together with the towing appa-
'atus. The largest sewer through which
he visitor travels is that under the
Boulevard Sebastopol des Malesherbes.
| The next largest is that beneath the
Rue de Rivoli The tirst-named sewer
| eighteen feet four and one-half inches
vide and ten feet high. The conduit
$ three feet and half deep and nine
'eet ten inches wide. 1t is in these
anger sewers that the boats are used.
Nearly all the others employ the ears