The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-11
ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING HELD.
Was Unanimous In Desire to Benefit
the City.
DEEP WATER AND HEALTH OF CITIZENS
Two Main Reasons why bonds
should he Voted Todny--,ir. Pot
ter's Interesting Talk.


flowed into the adjacent halls gathered a
the council chamber in the market haus,
last night in answer TO the call for mass
meeting OF taxpayers to discuss the mat
ter OF the proposed issuance Of bonds In
the sum OF 100000 for the purpose OF
constructing a plant wherewith to diver;
the sewage of the city from the bayou, It's
present depository. The gathering was an
unusually representative one and every
feature Of the matter at hand brought out
during the evening received the closest
attention. The remarks Of Engineer Pot
ter, wherein he gave clear and lucid OK
PLANTATION of the methods which the city
proposed to employ in arriving at the de-
sired end. were especially interesting and
every one who did not already understand
the matter was fully enlightened thereby.
AS final result of the meeting motion
was passed to the effect that all present
fully Endorsed the movement in hand that
all would work at the polls today to the
end that the proposed issue of bonds be
carried by large majority
The meeting was called to order at 40
by Mayor Brashear. who spoke of today's
election and its Importance, saying that
the taxpayers. when they wrote their hal
lots today, would write the history of
Houston for years to come The CITY
council, he said had acted unanimously
IN the premises regardless of politics or
past differences. The body had agreed on
the Issuance of bonds In the sum of 5000. =
ouu Tor the purpose of diverting the sew
age OF the city from the bayou, in con-
1ormity with the recommendations Of tho
government " bft ha
stream when the matter Of It's improve
ment first began 10 receive National recog-
milton II rested with the taxpayers of
the city. he said, as to whether the bonds
would be issued or not. and he hoped sin
cerely that every property holder In the
CITY would vote at today's election for
The hest interests OF Houston Alderman
Dickson, the speaker said, had been es-
pecialiy Jealous in his efforts toward the
desired end. aud deserved no little credit
for the work he had done
The mayor then stated that the election
or chairman was in order.
Alderman Hlrsch nominated Aldermah
Dickson. who was unanimously elected.
On assuming the chat, Mr. Dickson
went into the matter at hand at consid =
cradle length, pointing out the fact that
aside from the great Importance OF the
matter in Its relations to tho deep water
movement, the question of health was ia
cation OF the bayou made by MIR. Potter
the speaker said, it was clearly showr
mat at least 40 per cent of all of tn,
sewage Of the city remained In the STREAM
above the International and Great North
ern bridge. The stream, he said. was
getting worse and worse every year. and
prompt action was absolutely necessary
Alderman Dickson then introduced Mr.
Potter. who by way Of preface said that
the matter in hand should be considered
from three standpoints First. in IFS rela-
tion 10 the proposed widening and deep
ening OF Buffalo bayou; second as Bear
ing on the question Of public health; and,
third. the methods to be employed by the
city in dlsposng Of the sewage in ac-
cordsnce TO the latest and most approved
plans. The first had been fully handled
through the columns OF the press, by the
various reports and suggestions of Cap
tain Richie and. last but by no means
least by Hon. Thos. II. Ball, member OF
congress from this district, who had
shown conclusively that he was vitality
interested In the work in hand. The sec
ond phase of the matter had also been
discussed at length through The papers
and the question had been practically
clnched by the round robin" of the local
physicians, which was published In Mon
days Post. Therefore. the speaker CON
cluded, II was his province to treat with
the last division of the question. The
bayou. he said, from a sanitary standpoint
is me very worst stream he had ever
seen. 1t was like a snake which was al
lowed to live in ones house--it might
cause no unusual amount of damage to
the public health this year or next year
or for the next few years: but, sooner OF
later, like the serpent, 1t was sure Ia
strike Its deadly blow. The main portion
OF the sewage which ii received was on
its bottom. If the refuse matter would
n1 mi OH vail
the constant passage of the many vessels
which ply the stream continually stirred
the Nth below and in this way matters
were made worse than before. The aver
age speed of the bayou toward the sea
was, he calculated, something like 1000
feet per day. and all engineers ..kreed that
In so sluggish stream there was very lit
tie chance OF the Objectionable matter be-
Ing carried away. II was, In short, moth
ing more nor less than an elongated cess
pool with the lid left off.
Mr.. Potter then went on TO explain that
the sewage, as IL left the sewers and
dropped into the stream, had really very
little odor, from the fact that II CON
tanned only comparatively small amount
OF solid matter and because too at that
time 1t was fresh The trouble arose from
the fermentation and decay Of the solid
matter In question. II collected imme-
diately and treated the sewage would not
PRESENT tHiS source OF danger. The idea
was, therefore. To collect the sewage at
some central point or point as near the
center OF the city az possible. II could
not be treated here. however. from the
fact that considerable area of land was
needed and land in the central portion of
the city was too expensive for the purpose
named. Therefore II would be necessary
after the collection OF the sewage 10 pump
Il out through iron pipes a distance of
five miles or SO, where 1t could be treated
economically. II this plan wns followed
there would. the speaker said, be no delay
and no danger. The method suggested was
the most perfect yet devised. On arriving
at the ends OF the fo<Se pipes the sewage
was to be distributed bver sand bends of
from two to four feet In depth BY this
time only small amount of solid matter
would remain In the sewage and this. after
the liquid had filtered down through the
sand, would be removed and burned. This
would obviate the unsightly appearance OF
the beds. which. according to a popular.
but mistaken belief. would otherwise ex-
1T.
Tho speaker then went on to describe the
further process Of filtration and purifca-
ton. Underneath the sand. he said, there
was - b system OF under drainage: that
=. = sersAs Of pipes with the Joints left