The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-04-09
THE SEWERAGE QUESTION.
THE BOARD OF HEALTH HELD A MEET
ING YESTERDAY.
The Plan OF the Sanitary Sewerage
Company for q Complete system OF
Sewerage Considered-To Have An.
other Meeting Tomorrow-Alder.
men TO Take up the Question Tomor-
row Might.

"A meeting Oh the DOdIu " health was
held yesterday morning at the mayors
Office I o consider the plans of the SAN
itary Sewer Company, of Philadelphia,
Pa, the representatives of which are
in the city with a view to cooperating
with the Wilmington Sewer Company
in constructing a complete modern san
itary sewer system in this city.
The members of the board in attend
ance were Mayor A. NJ. Waddell, DIR.
George Gillett Thomas, DR.. Charles T.
Harper, DIR. F. H. Russell n Captain
w. r. Kenan.
Under an act passed by the general
assembly at it's recent session, the
board Of health must approve the plans
for sewerage systems before h board
of aldermen or city and town govern
ments in this state can grant fran
chises for the same. There were pres
ent to lay h plans and specifications
before the board, Colonel j. e. Lewis, of
Philadelphia, president of the Sanitary
Sewer Company, Major Chauncey Ives,
of Philadelphia, the companys chief
engineer and the Hon. John d. Bel
lamy, local counsel for the company.
There was also present Alderman
E.. P. Bailey, of the streets and
wharves committee, which is to report
on the Sanitary Companys application
for a franchise at the recess meeting
of the board of aldermen tomorrow
night. MI. w. T. Robertson, superin-
tendent of the Clarendon Waterworks
Company, who is directly interested in
the sewerage question, also attended.
The complete plans and specifications
for the proposed sewer were laid be-
fore the board. They are largely based
upon the survey and plans OF Mr.. Ru-
dolph Herring, the eminent sanitary
engineer Of Philadelphia, who was en-
ployed by the city some years 6
for that purpose.
The plans of the Sanitary Sewer
Company embrace a sewerage system
in two ~divisions-one to begin at the
ridge marked by Seventh street and
emptying west into the Cape Fear nv
err, and the other to begin at Seventh
street and emptying north and north
east into Smiths creek.
The board opened up the matter for
discussion, and after plans a been eX-
planned by the representatives of the
Sanitary Sewer Company, Mr.. w. f.
Robertson, of the Clarendon Water
works Company, made remark object
ing strenuously to the division which
it is proposed to empty into Smiths
creek. All that part of the city east
of Seventh street is ituated on a de-
clivity which has a natural fall ana
watershed towards Smiths creek.
That stream, however, emptys into
the Northeast river just north of the
pumping station of the Clarendon wa
terworks Company, n Mr.. Robertson
| objected to the emptying of sewerage
| into the creek for the reason that 1t
would discharge into the Northeast
river and contaminate the water which
the Clarendon Waterworks
supplies to the people of the city. He
said his had made every effort
and had spent thousands of dollars to
| provide the city with pure water. He
contended that a sewerage system dis
charging into his company's source OF
water supply would ruin his company
| and he submitted that the board should
take this into account in considering
the plans which the Sanitary Sewer
Company roposes He said 1T was
| admitted that water purifies itself by
aeration and while the emptylng OF
sewerage at a reasonable distance
above his water supply might not con-
taminate the water, it would be impos-
sible to make water look
upon the matter in that way.
DR.. Thomas discussed the sewerage
| matter in a general and interesting
| way, and Alderman Bailey also took
part in the discussion. The sense or
the DOdrQ was against Tie cLuPlyih6 VI
| sewerage into Smiths creek and the
| matter was referred back to the sew
| erage representatives for further plans
viz, plans d~ischarging sewerage from
the eastern division south and south
west into the Cape Fear.
The Sanitary Sewer Company's rep
| resentatives say this plan would entail
the necessity of a costly excavation
twenty-five feet deep for more than a
| mile, but Major Ives rode over the
route yesterday afternoon and will re-
port his observations at another meet
ing Of the board of health to be held
at the mayors office tomorrow MORN
ing at 10 o'clock.
Tomorrow night at s o'clock when the
board of aldermen meets, the sewerage
matter will be called up, and in all
probability Alderman Bailey, of the
streets and wharves committee, will
present a report On the plans which
a been placed before the committee
and which have been carefully consid-
cred by the committee.