The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-03

'iiS oiIldli amount OF sewage OF the west
ern slope of the city must seek the immedl-
ate river front but we are NOT called up-
on now to perpetuate this evil. visit to
Milwaukee would speedily convince any
one with sense of smell and sight that its
river is in anything but perfectly san-
tary condition, The Royal Commission,
as long ago as 1870, declared the Mersey
river to be foul with sewage. Dilution is
not disposal, 1t is mere dispersion,
some of the organic matter
to become food for aquatic
animals. but more TO deposit on the shall
lows and shores of the rivers receiving
it,
Col. VIM asked: us the opinion of one
of the first sanitary engineers of the age
to be disregarded? Shall we empty the
sewage both at West Broad street and
BEbo canal and have it traversing our
city front perpetual menace to the health
of our people?"
Maj. w, 7. Brook, city engineer of
Norfolk, TO whose outlet reference is fire.
quently made, says: Il am free to say that
If it was possible even at an increased ex-
penditure l would discharge the sewage
further down the river"
MIR. Thomas quoted from the second edi-
ton of Col Warnings Sewerage and Land
Drainage" page Is, on the subject of The
Main Outlet and Main Sewer" as follows:
Delivery at the immediate wharf or
SnOae OF a town, WDeTe the wafer INTO
which the sewage is discharged is moving
back and forth at every tide, is sure to be,
or in time to become objectona bic and one
of the first suggestions for improvement
that is usually made is to construct an in
tercepting sewer which shall carry every
thing TO a more distant point of dis
Charge"
1T may be said, in general terms, that
sewage should at least be delivered where
i -
delivered only on the outgoing tide and at
a point whence serious refluX movement
is not to be apprehended. This was origl-
ally the theory of the discharge of the
sewage of London into the Thames at
point some miles down the river Great
reservoirs were built to retain the flow
during the incoming tide, the accumula-
ton being discharged with the ebb. These
works were enormously costly, were well
planned and well constructed. The plan
was probably accepted at the time by all
competent engineers as being safe one.
The result has been an absolute failure
and renewed efforts are now TO be made to
get rid of the huge nuisance with which
Ragalette's appliances were moi sufficient
TO cone. The incoming tide insists on re-
turning, often to a point miles above the
tidal outlet, matters which it was prom
jsed should work their way seward and
never be heard from more"
From Julius w. Adams. chief engineer,
to board of city works and consulting en-
gineer to Board of Health, Brooklyn,
work on sewers and drains:
yearly weight of human excreta, liquid
and solid, may be averaged as over 1,000
pounds yearly per inhabitant. While the
house consumption of water for al pur
poses may be stated at an average of
about twenty gallons per head.
our only care should be to provide the
means for the most Immediate and thor
ough removal from the sites of human
dwellings of all refuse matter liable to af-
feet the health of the inhabitants"
"With a population Of 100000 as contem-
mated in various plans said Mr.. Thon-
as there would be an annual delivery of
100, 600 tons of human excreta undiluted In
front of the city. What can be done with
impurity in Halifax, Portland, Chicago or
Milwaukee cannot be thought of here be-
cause of our climate The life of our city
is its commerce. Many of our people work
on the city front. The crews of the yes |
sells are exposed day and night to the
odors around them"
Alderman Thomas was equipped with |
two large blue print maps showing the |
small area, which, under Mr.. Herrings
plan it was proposed to drain into the |
river by the West Broad street sewer, |
and the very large area which it is now |
proposed 10 drain into the city at this |
point under the Waring plan which is |
now being carried out
1.-The area from which it is proposed to |
empty the sewage at the foot of West |
Broad street contains nearly half the pop |
ulation Of the city, said Alderman |
Thomas Think of the amount of sew
age that would be emptied there TO be car
ried along our river 'front.' AS Col. Wa
rings former report shows that il is pos
sible to drain practically all of the terri |
tory east of West Broad street and a por-
ton of that west of 1t by way of the Boil
ton street sewer and the Bi!bo canal l |
cannot see why any of this sewage that |
could be carried the other way should be |
emptied at the foot of West Broad street.
why should we give up the advantage
of natural drainage? The Bilbo canal |
outlet is undesirably near the city, but
it Is far better that It should be continued
as the main outlet thar 10 have the sew
age emptied at the outlets at West Broad
and Reynolds streets
The report of the committee was re-
ferred to the committee of the whole.
The committee Is in itself strong one.
and with the favorable view taken of its
position by Mayor Myers and other men,
bers of Council the question raised Is as
surad If thorough cOnsiderat lon,