The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-18
DRAIN PIPES MAY BE BLOCKED
CITY OFFICIALS TO LOOK INTO THE
MATTER At ONCE.

Difficult for Director Gadsderh "a
Reserve Room for Drains Into
New system. as Plans Of EOrE
Now in Progress Are Not Filled
With city Until COMPREHENSIVE
er Edison Electric IIiumina tin 2
Compauv Nor Drainage COHtrac-
tors Have Filed PIzns-Nr- SUsdgen
SAYS Conditions in York Lane Call
for Attention.
II Will te a streak o. sheer luck II the
CITY dos not md TIE house drainage sew
ers m many Instances Walled in by the
underground coa3Glgs WAt-A have been
laid in York. Congress and B0oughton
lanes during the last few weeks For
aught the city knows property o7s ners in
many Instances are shut OF from making
connections by drain plpes with the new
sewers.
While no Official investigation of the OBJ
struetion has been made. a calculation
shows that IN all proba billty complications
will be found in York lane. between Bun
and Whitaker streets, ard it may be that
investigation in some OF the other lanes
will reveal the same conditions. City Off
Gals have become thoroughly aroused to
the Importance Of looking quickly into the
matter, as these distractions will create
no end Of trouble, from which the city
many not be altogether free of fault.
Attention was called some days ago by
Mr.. Percy Sugden to the manner in which
the conduits were being laid with reference
10 the new sewers. In some places he
said the conduits were in a position 10
block the way from one side of the lane
TO the sewers. and as the drains could
not apparently be run above the conduts
nor below them without putting the drains
on a dead level or neeessitatng a syphon,
he thought it well for the city 10 look into
the matter. 1T looked to me as if there
might be some difficulty in making con-
necuons." Mr.. Sugden said. and
thought 1t would not be out OF place 90
make the matter known"
A special meeting Of the drainage COM
mittee was held Saturday afternoon for
the purpose of discussing the matter. but
the meeting did not throw any light on
the subject. A second meeting was held
after the Council meeting yesterday af-
ternoon, but it was desired 10 hear from
Supervising Engineer Chapman and 9TH
eTs, and for this reason the meeting adj
Journed without accomplishing much.
The present method tho city has of d.
recting the laying of conduits will not IN
sure the most satisfactory results All Of
the city officials seen by Morning News
reporter felt sure the conduits do not In
tereeps the drains but none had any fig
ures on which to base their opinions
Things in the conduit line are taking their
own course, though Director Gadsden is
making the best he can of an imperfect
system of carrying on the work. He has
no positive information about the depth
the electric light company's conduits are
being laid, for the reason that the COM
pany will be allowed to finish the work
and then file complete plans with the city
of the work that has been done" The
director is enabled 10 catch glimpse &c
casionally of the conduits, but the other
duties he is expected 10 perform do not
enable him to keep track of the work OF
over a hundred labOrers, who cover up
their work as fast as possible. Director
Gadsden would probably be unable 20 steer
the companies clear of the drainage pipes
anyway. as Supervising Engineer Chap
man alone knows their depth, and IS mot
required to file plans with the city until
the entire system is completed, tested and
accepted"
Engineer Chapman being the only one In
possession Of positive Information TO keep
the conduit companies from getting in the
6NI u III 2tA pipes Was aEhtu yesterday
IL re could tell whether the new conduits
viii block the drains. The city Is grant
ing permits to the present companies TO
run cOndubs up the lanes, and it was
apparent that Mr.. Chapman did not con-
Eider tJ his duty to leave his present house
drainage work TO see that the city does
not wall up that part Of the contract he
has completed. Dir. Chapman said ne had
given the companies all the information
had for ha9f ifna
s. engaged in experimenting the drainage
work, which he cannot leave to watch
after the conduit work
TIE object Of inquiries as to the loca-
tion Of the house drainage pipes has been
more for the purpose OF making sure the
Esy was clear, regardless of the obstruc-
tons that might intercept the drain pipes.
In running from manhole 10 manhole the
companies have to maintain the grade
they start. If they run into an obsTuc-
ton, manhole has to be built or the
whole work commenced over.
4 am not prepared to say whether the
drain pipes are intercepted or not" said
MI Chapman. In most of the lanes
believe the drainage pipes are sufficiently
below the conduits 10 allow the drains to
pass. cannot say positively as to this,
however, as l know nothing about where
the eonduits are being laid, my entire at
tention being given 10 the drainage work
On several occasions the engineers of
these companies have called on me for in
formation about the location of our pipes
which ! have cheerfuliy furnished Ny
understanding was they wanted to avoid
running into US"
Mr. Sugden's calculation of the relative
positions of the conduits In York lane from
Bull TO Whitaker, and the drainage PIPE
In York lane, shows that il will be impossi-
Die for property owners on the north side
OF the lane 70 make proper connections
with the sewers. Mr.. Sugden's rough
sketch shows that the conduits IN the lane
are eighteen inches from the surface and
that the bed Of cement in which they rest
is about three feet thick which makes
the obstruction four and half feet from
the surface, since the drain pipe cannot
pass TO the sewer through the small space
OF eighteen inches above the conduits
Opposite the property line from the con-
duit IN the sewer. the bottom Of which Is
nVe feet six inches from the surface of the
lane. Slightly above the bottom Is the Y
joint 10 which the dr. IN pipe is to connect.
~ is stated the figures indicate that there