The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-18

to the health of the city. which should be
abolished ut the earliest date Congress
at its last session appropriated $4,000 for
the preparation of detail plans and speci-
fications for the sewage disposal system.
Work upon these plans is being pushed
to completion, and rs soon as they are
finished the matter will be presented to
Congress, with recommendation for their
immediate execution"
During the last session of Congress the
plans referred to were completed so far
as the pumping station was concerned. and
together with general plans Of the entire
sewage disposal system were submitted
ana an appropriation for the pumping
station and for the necessary machinery
WAS included in the District Appropria-
tlon bill, approved March l. The item
reads:
For sewage disposal pumping station,
SSi5.1Vo and the Commissioners of the
District Of Columbia are authorized 10
enter into contract, or contracts for the
completed building and so much of the
machinery as may be Immediately needed,
not TO exceed $500
The contract for one of the reserve
pumps TO be used in the station has been
advertised for, and the final plans for the
building and the balance of the ma
chinery are being worked out as fast as
possible, with view 10 the erection of
the building, at least in part, during the
present year.
ID. E McComb the Superintendent of
Sewers, in speaking of the sewage dis
posal system to a Times reporter said
that the purpose Of the pumping station
at the foot of Delaware Avenue was to
raise the sewage from the level OF the
sewer in that avenue to a height suffi-
cient to carry ii across the Eastern
Branch by the syphon principle and dis
charge ii into the main sewer there to
be carried down the river to a point near
the Naval Magazine and there emptied
into the Potomac. The purpose of the
arrangement Mr.. McComb said, was to
get rid of emptying the city sewage into
adjacent waters at points near enough
10 render such discharge from the mains
dangerous to health. He explained that
the present level of the New jersey Ave
nue. sewer is below the surface of the
Anacostia River. In order. therefore, to
carry it across the river it is necessary
to resort to pumping up the entire mass
about twenty feet and discharging II into
pipes at higher level which will force
il up on the other side Of the stream into
the sewer there.
Mr. MCCOmb explained that all the
sewage of the city would be conveyed to
that point through the sewers now built
From the pumping station he said the
fuse would be carried across the rfNer in
two iron pipes five feet in diameter lying
side by side on the bed of the river. Mr..
McComh stated that borings had been
made and Soundings taken so that the de-
partment knows the exact contour of the
river bed, and II would be possible to
specify to the manufacturers of the pipe
just how the sections must be made to
fit the bottom of the stream The length
OF pipe required, he said, would be APP
proximately 1900 feet. and the shape of
the conduit, when completed, would be
that of bow with the ends rising above
the surface Of the water and the centre
in mid-str am. The north end he said.
would be several feet higher than the
south end. 50 that the syphon would eX-
haust itself mechanically.
Mr ~ hot
ing station would shelter several pumps
OF great capacity. He stated that the
purpose of the station was two-fold-to
raise the sewage, and to pump the storm
water into the Anacostia River. it was
shown TO the reporter that both the sew
age and the storm water of the District
west of the Anacostia River would be as
sembled at the foot of New Jersey Ave-
nue., and the engines OF the pumping sta
tion would elevate the storm water lust
enough to discharge it into the river.
while the sewage would be carried much
higher for the purpose described.
5dT. McCoinb stated that there would
always be two pumps in operation, while
they would have other pumps in reserve
other emergency. He showed that In case
OF violent storm the capacity Of the
station in the storm water wing would
have TO be large 20 meet the emergency.
1t will be remembered that there was
such Il storm last June. he said. when the
storm water sewage system was for a
short time strained to its fun capacity.
At such a time, he explained, it would
be necessary to call into operation one
or more reserve pumps TO do the required
work.
Under ordinary circumstances, he eX-
planned that there would be one pump
at work with capacity of go cubic feet
second. and another with a capacity
of 400 cubic feet Sc -ond. in other words
the small pump will discharge l72O gal
Ions each second. and the larger one
5.236 gallons second. It was explained
that it might not be necessary to run the
pumps always mt that rate but thew were
to be capable of being so run.
In Mr.. McCombs report to the En-
gineer Commissioner. It is stated that the
pumps are TO be Of the centrifugal type
revolving on a vertical axis. each driven
by horizontal engines the sewage pumps
10 be driven by compound engines, and
the water pumps by simple engines.
1t is expected that when the pumping
station rs completed II will be well
adapted to the purpose, and that II will
be the means of putting an end to much
oil the danger TO health which now threat
ems the lower section Of the city
Harsh purgative remedies arc fast giving way
70 the gentle action and mild effects Of Carter.
Little Liver Pills IL Won trV them ,,,iu