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

T. Chalkley Hatton, engineer 10
charge OF sewers, has sent the follow
ing communication to the Board. of
Directors Of the Street and Sewer De-
partment:
"Gentlemen: desire to call your
earnest attention to the necessity of
procuring additional funds for extend
ing the system of sewers TO those
localities of the city where sewer
facilities are greatly needed, but which
cannot be afforded without first con-
structlng large and expensive main
sewers, for which the money has never
been provided, nor can it ever be
secured from your present rate Of in
come.
Without sewerage facilities these
sections Of the city will never be i'm
proved, because no builder now desires
to erect either dwelling or manu-.
factory unless be can obtain drainaeu
facilities. An illustration OF this has
Just been brought to your attention in
the petition Of the Wilmington Button
Co., which has jnar been located here,
but which would not have come under
any circumstances unless sewers had
first been promised. In fact it could
not maintain its plant without sewers.
The construction OF the needed sewer
for this plant. alone will be such a
drain upon your present resources as
will preclude the construction of any
of the lateral sewers as are now needed
in other sections of the oity dur ia 2
the present fiscal year. Petition after
petition for sewers keep coming before
you which you have been unable to
grant for want of funds, aud the piece
meal manner In which 1 must needs
build those which | am ordered to
build is an extremely expensive
method; 30 much OF the time OF our
men is utilized in moving from one
place to another, and our materials
necessarily being purchased in small
lots are more expensive than were
larger works undertaken.
Those districts to which wish to
especially call your attention as ned
ing sewerage facilities need them Just
as much as those which already enjoy
them, and from each Of these districts
may petitions have been received for
sewers which we could not build with
out first building the main outfall
sewers. The surfaces of the streets in
these districts also need improving
just as much as those which have
already been improved, and it is need
less for me to tell you that the policy
Of improving the surfaces of the streets
prior TO constructing the necessary i'm
provements underground is one OF such
apparent extragaganoe that ali large
cities have long since abandoned it,
and am glad to say that you do moi
undertake it except where there seems
to be no way OF avoiding it.
Drainage district o, which lies
southeast Of the Christiana River, and
is called South Wilmington, has a
population of several thousand, com,
posed principally Of that class Of
people which needs municipal improve.
ments mere than does tho Weather
class. Their children must play upor
the streets at all seasons OF the year
their houses are built directly upor
the street lines, without front yards,
and within q few feet of the cutters
the houses are small aud close together
and the reeking oesspools just a.
frequent and close, and built 10 cen
stantly wet ground, where the sewerag,
is just as much outside of the pools a
within them, and altogether thos,
people who must live in this locallt,
are constantly breathing the foules
atmosphere without any relief in sight
Diseases of children and phthisis il
this section is very excessive, and it Il
the first duty Of every municipality t,
protect those who are not able finan
cially to protect themselves by givinl
them the best and first municipal i'm
provemeDts, thus elevating and i'm
proving the entire city. This distric
is low and needs thorough unde
drainage, and on account of its topo
graphy the. sewerage must be LITE,
and pumped into the Christiana River
To afford drainage facilities for tina
portion of this district which ISL a
this time 10 absolute need of then
will cost S75, 900. and the work shout,
be undertaken as soon rs possible. Thi
district has for many years been in GU
minds, but there never has been
time when 1t seemed possible to ge
the main sewer started, and woul,
earnestly recommend it to you for you
early action.
1.-THE same is true of that portion o
the drainage district S. which lie
over the Eleventh street bridge, as ha
been said of the drainage district lus
described. The sewerage from tbi
district lies in the open lots and gut
ters where 1t is in a constant stat
of decomposition. Prices Run flow
through the section, not as a clea
limpid stream in which it would be
delight to battle, but a filthy foul look
ing and Ill smelling sewer, running with
in few feet OF the front doors of dwel
lings in which people live throughou
the year, and at the back yard of
scboolhouse where many little childre
daily breathe the foul emsnatiops
Now these people do not seek thi
locality because they desire to be SUI
rounded by such conditions, but rattle
because their finances do not permit G
their living elsewhere. Certainly sewer
are needed in this locality as much a
anywhere In the city.
1.-THE section of the city known q
Eastlake, which is included in thi
same drainage district, contains abou
1000 people and there is not an avail
able sewer within mile of them, nc
can any sewers be built until the iare
and expensive sewer to contain til
waters Of Prioe's Run is constructed
II this main sewer was built tina
section of the cIty known as tb
Thatcher estate could, and l beliey
would, be built up with residences an
manufactures. It Is particularly we
located for morocco factories, owing [
the constant flowing Price's Run. T
build that portion of the eewerap
system which is now urgently needle
IN this district would cost $1,000
In that portion OF the city know
as the Highlands the streets are sti
In their primitive condition and ther
are no sewers, nor can there be an
until the main outfall sewer is hui
from EOurteenth and IJninn straet