The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-13
FORT DOUGLAS SEWER.
THE WORK OF BUILDING IT is
NEARING COMPLETION.
It Will Be a Good Job and Will En-
tirely Prevent the Emission of
Foul Odors and Noxious Gases.

The sewage question is one that has
for years agitated the people of this
city. and according to the best known
authorities the world over, it is one
that never dies until it is solved, and
it's solution is essential to the preser-
walton of the health of the inhabitants
of all cities.
The completion of the gravity sewer,
the Salt Lake public readily CLEANED,
was but step in the line of progress
which in the end would lead up to a
system nearly perfect. To make the
gravity sewer a complete success a sys-
tenn of lines, laterals, and extensions of
many miles is yet required. Even upon
completion of the gravity sewer, the
question of disposing of the sewage
from Fort Douglas was taken UP and
earnestly discussed, with the result
that it has at last been finally solved
in a manner pleasing to the people Of
this city and the United States govern
ment as well.
When Uncle Sam was finally per-
Suaded to build a sewer from the fort
it meant that instead of the high
ground east of the city limits being
given over to absorption of sewage,
with the consequent emission of nox-
ious vapors defiling the zephyrs waited
down from the mountain sides, an I'M
derground pipe line will be constructed
on modern principles.
Some months ago the govern nl6nt ad-
vertised for bids, which were received
at Denver, and. when forwarded on to
Washington and opened, it was dis
closed that there were three bidders
all of this city. They were Dan Griffin,
Major Wilkes and Frank Harrigan
The latter, being the lowest bidder, was
awarded the contract upon giving
bonds for the proper performance of
the work.
The work was to cost, approximately,
$4,000, and was to be under the super
vision of -Quartermaster
Britt, with the city engineer associated,
isasmuch as the city allowed connec-
lions to be made with the system with
in the corporate limits. The contractor
was given prices on sewer pipe from
the factories at Denver, ST. Louis, Kan
saS City, Monmouth, and numerous
other points, all eager to get their
wares established in Utah. Denver got
the plum.
The Herald man, who yesterday went
up on the hill to witness operations,
found the work progressing in a way
that bespeaks completion on or before
May 1, the time specified in the con-
tract.
The line from the fort to Tenth East
street where connection is made with
an eight-inehg sewer, is 6,469 feet in
length, all of eightinch sewer pipe,
with a fall of about $50 feet, which will
not fail to pass all sewage entering. On
the line are eight man-holes, built up
of brick and cement, with perforated
cast-iron covers to allow escapement
of gases. The line between the city and
the reservation is what is known as
an F. o. Nelson eight-inch trap.
There are two inspectors on the work.
Dan Smith, who was chief inspector on
the gravity sewer, acts for the govern
city. The last three and one-half
blocks are within the city limits.
All the pipe is laid and back-filled to /
a point within the city limits, and the
contractor is now I'D to the 400-foot |
tunnel by the Salt Lake brewery. At I
this point spring has been encoun- /
tered, and a steam engine is at work |
pumping out the water from the bench /
that has been cribbed up to prevent |
caving. AT this point the cut is 1896 |
feet, and goes straight off to 24.S feet, !
the tunnel commencing at that point. /
To lay the pipe and properly cement, |
it is necessary to lay a drain box 5x5 |
inches alongside, and the same can be |
left until back-filling is started. When |
the dirt is tamped in every six inches /
for two feet in depth, and then ''pud
died" by means of water being turned
in the trench from the city MIGRANTS.
On more than a block of the work,
shafts have been sunk, and then tun-
nels run, the dirt and stones being
taken to the top by means of a bucket
and windlass. Going through the reser-
vation in some places, the pipe had to
be laid on a FILL" instead of making
a cut, owing to the unevenness of the
ground.
There is a clause in the contract
for necessary changes in the
specification, providing the city en-
yineer so decides, in order to conform
TO the municipal requirements. With
m the city limits are also a ''Y'' every
% feet, the same being put in for prop
erty holders who may desire to make
Taken as a whole, the work is one
hat the people of this city may well
themselves on, and the
pest part of it is, Uncle Sam foots the
entire bill