The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-08
CUTTING OF THE SEWERS.
Drainage Committee Unable to Dis
cuss the Subject.


cuss the Subject.
The meetings of the sanitary board and
finance committee at the city exchange
yesterday probably interfered with the ex-
pected meeting of the drainage committee,
which intended to discuss the cutting of
storm sewers by the drainage contractors.
Alderman Graham, chairman of the COM
mttee, said quorum was not present,
and the meeting will be held later.
The engineering department holds to the
contentious it made in the Morning News
yesterday to the effect that the storm
sewers are being damaged and their use
fulness impaired by the drainage pipe OBJ
structions. Unless this is stopped it is
claimed the city may be put to trouble
and expense in the future which could be
avoided by the use of proper precaution
in the house drainage work The queS-
ton has been the subject of considerable
CORES pondences between Col Winn and
the former drainage committee, while
some correspondence has also passed with
the present committee. He has urged the
Importance of stopping it, and if the COM
mittee doesn't abide by his suggestions
he will at least have shifted the RESPONSE
bility of bearing the brunt of possible con-
sequences to the storm sewers.
Supervising Engineer Chapman was seen
by a Morning News reporter, and had no
hestancy in discussing the objections
raised to piercing storm sewers Being
on the lookout for any objection which
might be raised, MIR. Chapman has given
the matter close attention, and feels sat
isfed that he is pursuing the course OF
better judgment
THE consideration which has prompted
me to pass the house drainage pipes
through the sewers is that the drainage
system is superior to all Others" said Mr..
Chapman. The drainage work is import
ant to Savannah, and it is imperative that
1t be properly executed. The drainage
system will be in use 365 days in the year,
while the storm sewers, which will be
largely relieved by the drainage, are not
in use, except during very rainy weather.
All things being equal, it seems to me
it is eminently proper to give precedence
to the more important system
Mr.. Chapman exhibited a drawing he
had made of the East Broad street sewer,
showing, the amount of space taken up
by the S-inch drainage pipe. Between the
bottom of the pipe and the sewer is a
space of fourteen inches, which is con-
sidered ample room for the passage of the
normal flow, which seldom rises above ten
inches in dry weather. He insists the
room above and below the pipe is a guar
antee against any possible Accommodations.
There is every assurance that the capacity
of the sewer will not be impaired in any
way, unless chock full of water, and Mr.
Chapman was not willing to admit this
was ever the case.
at is out of the question to talk of
running the drainage pipes under the sew
ers,' continued Mr.. Chapman. with the
sandy soil through which we would have
to work, there are reasons for fearing the
whole sewer would sink and be destroyed.
If this should happen, the normal flow
of water would make it impossible to clear
the ditch for wOrkmen 10 make the re-
pairs. The chances ire the sewer would
be damaged and probably wrecked for
blocks, and the cost would far exceed the
damage it would suffer from being pierced
for the passage of drainage pipes We
are using every precaution in properly CO.
menting the openings, so that there will
not be room for trouble in the future"
Before the drainage committee takes ac-
ton one way or the other, Mr.. Chapman
says he will ask to be heard. He desires
to explain his reasons for going through
the sewers, which he claims could not be
avoided without the risk of serious con-
sequences to the drainage system.