Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-01-03

Large and deep cutters are so made in |
which the house sewerage stands and
decomposes and makes this locality
less desirable for residences than it
should be. No sidewalks or imL foyed
street surfaces can we'll be maintained
until this large body Of water IS
carried oil under ground. This main
sewer and thuse lateials which would
be necessary to reach the residences
now built there would cost s33, 600.
We have built ut great expense q
main outfall sewer for the Silyerbroolx
district. This sewer was constructed
under special act Of the Legislature,
for which special funds were pros ided,
and with these we were only able to
extend the sewer far enough to drain
the morocco factory In this district.
Now it is Just as essential that the
large number Of dwellings in this
section be given sewerage facilities as
1t was to provide for the factory, and
would advise that the lateral sewers be
extended where nseeded throughout
| this district, which will cost 81 $500.
There ia a large and we'll built up
section of our city Comprised between
Union and Clayton streets and between
| Pennsylvania avenue and Fourth street,
| "
urgent need of sewers; there ara num-
bers Of dwellings in which the poorer
people are now living where there Is a
varying depth of water constantly in
the cellars, and there Is no way of
draining it out except through sewers.
Time and again we have beeu petitioned
to furnish sewers to this district, but
have never had the necessary funds,
and ! would respectfully urge that
S3S, 900 be procured for the extension
of the sewers necessary at the resent
time for this section.
ITO reoapitulate, We poed now and
that urgently the following funds 10
construct the necessary sewers in the
following districts: District o, South
Wilmington, SIS, 900; district S, over
Eleventh street bridge and Eastlake,
s1l0, 600; district d, Highlands, s33, 600
district f, Silverbrook, $l2, 500; dis
triot ID, between Union and Clay ton
strests, $50. 600; total, s265. 500.
I'm closing this report, which trust
will have your most earnest oousideta-
tion, / know that with the present
income at your disposal you can never
build the sewers in this CITY when they
are needed and it is not fair, nor Is il
good public policy to refrain from
building sewers until long after the
houses are built and their owners have
secured, at much expense to them
selves, other means OF drainage, only
to be required aftor many years to pay
for sewers which they first asked for,
and badly needed, and TO change theii
system of drainage when all Of this
expense might have been saved to them
by building the sewers In advance Of
private enterprise. II our present
, sewers now built in the older sector
OF the city could have been built u
: years ago when it was at first earnestly
agitated by a few of our more pro
gressive citizens how much money
would have been saved by those who
have built houses within the past q
| years, ana how few houses would nov
be draining upon the surface OF thu
, streetsp Having seen the mistakes o.
, those times and realized them, is it no
unwise to commit the same mistak,
, againY a
] 1.-THE Legislature is about to conven,
and feel that this matter should b,
! consclusively brought to its attention
, and to the attention of our citizenl
that they may realize the situation a
/ we'll as we ourselves realize it, and tina
] thus their aid and that OF the Legis
lature may he secured in borrowin,
3 the funds needed for this worthy ant
/ progressive purpose. Very respectful,
! submitted by 4. Chalkley Hatton
: engineer in charge of sewers,'
( The letter was seat to. the board u
4. the request of the directors, who de
+ sired to ascertain just WHIST the actua
) needs of the city were in the matter o
sewers, as it is their intention to asl
D the General Assembly to authorize th
, borrowing of sufficient money TO pa,
!; for the work which they deem ex
r pedient. The matter will probabl
s assume definite shape at the meetin
: of the board next Monday morning.