Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-04-01
The Sewer Finished.

RAcEEA FOWDf tU01ibk AAOfA LILO All
bourn Knitting Mills and the Brass
Works, down John street to the gulley
on Stephen street, is now competed
and ready for the final test, which
will prove whether it has been sue
cessful piece Of work or not. Mr.. w.
FL. Kaufman. who superintended the
construction of the ditch, says there is
no doubt about it coming up to the
requirements.
The completion Of the sewer fills a
long felt want 1t has long been in
evidence that sewer was needed to
carry off the drainage from the facto-
ries at the western end of town, the
waste from which ran down into a
hollow at tue edge Of town, and was
apt to cause a any time IN the sum-
mer, sudden epidemic Of diseases.
The danger of disease from this source
is now entirely removed.
On the 18th day OF Novem Der, 1898,
about forty hands were started at
work upon the construction of the
sewer, and on the 28th day of March,
1899, the force OF hands stopped work
upon it. Just exactly four months
from the time work was begun on it to
the time it was completed. The large
force of hands quit work on that date
and only a few hands have been
working the past few days.
This time, however, is not the number
ofdays work that has.been put upon it.
The actual number of days work that
have been put upon the construction
of the sewer is sixty nine. The men
were paid by the day and every hour
that they lost was deducted.from their
wages. The men who dug. the ditch
received sl.00 day and .those who
handled the stone received 81. 10 day
The average number of men kept at
work upon it was about thirty.
The sewer from end to end is about
$500 feet. 1t has only been extended
few feet beyond the abroad, and
the factories will have to run their
own pipes into the manhole, which is
placed st the terminus.
The Kilbourn Co. will run their
waste into the big hole recently dug
by them in their effort to strike water.
This will be done in order to allow the
lent to settle at the bottom before
being emptie into the sewer. The
hole is only few feet from the sewer
and this can be done with little diff
Guilty. If the lint was allowedi to run
into the Sc YER it would become stop
ped up in short time.
The cost of the sewer will be from
$4,000 to $500. The Kllbourn com
pany and the County Court will each
pay 5000 aud the City Council will
pay the rest.
Before it was decided to lay the
pipe low enough to carry off the waste
from the Brass Factory it was estimat-
ed that it would cost $500; butssince
it was decided to place it at a greater
depth below the surface no estimate
was made.
Laying it at the greater depth add
ed considerably to the cost of con-
struction, as at Winchester avenue,
where it is now laid sixteen feet below
the surface, it would have been LAID
only nine feet deep. The great
amount of rock would not have been
and the cost of excava-
ton would have been much less.
The sewer will be source of con-
slant revenue TO the city and will IN
short time pay for itself. Two thirds
of the residents along the route have
had it tapped. The tax each year for
this privilege. together with the tax
for the factories, will soon pay for its