The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-09-10
Publication of Sewage.

The Manufacturers Record describes
a system of sewage publication, that
of the Cameron Septic Tank Company,
of Chicago, which appears to have
special claims on the public interest
by reason of several features which are
brought out in the account Of it-among
them being its adaptability for service
on any scale, from that of single re-
sidence up to that of manufacturing
community or large city; it's autom-
attic and economic character; its en-
ployment of natural instead of artif-
cial (chemical agencies; and its eff
cheney of operation and freedom from
offensive manifestations.
The company, it is noted, has just
installed plant for the publication Of
the 5ewage from the county buildings
and jail at Clayton, Mo. The plant is
situated in the public park, and the
publication of 10, 600 to Is, GOO gallons of
sewage daily is effected "by the aid of
microbes developed in the sewage it.
self,'' which do their work so perfect
ly that the discharge from the plant
is without offence to sight or smell.
Similar plants are being installed at
many other places in the country,
among them being named the State
Insane Hospital, and Orphans Home,
and Girls Industrial School, of Iowa.
The capability of the system to deal
with factory sewage has been demon
strated at Yeopil, England, with a
sewage pronounced by competent
judges to be one of the foulest in the
Kingdom, as it comprises the wash
ings from breweries, slaughter houses
and leather dressing yards. A plant
is being installed at Sherman, Texas,
to purify the refuse of packing house
! delivering 10000 to 25, 600 gallons
daily of the vilest kind of organic
liquids, and will completely purify
this sewage, rendering an efiuent
pure and sparkling and absolutely free
from nuisance
The system, it is said, is the result
of years of research and study, and
the construction and operation of a
plant is described in detail in the
Record, but we need not do more than
note a few Of the particulars here.
The sewage enters a septic tank, Of
suitable dimensions, from which light
and air are excluded, and flows in and
out through submerged pipes so that
the contents are disturbed as little as
possible. From the tank the efiuent
passes to system of bacterial filter
beds,'' which are filed and emptied
automatically, and passes from the
filters to the outlet, where it is dis
charged pure and odorless. The
efhuent from the tank remains on each
bed from two to four hours only, dur
ing which time the Impurities present
in solution are removed by the bacte-
ria. In the septic tank the solids in
the sewage separate, rising to the sur
face or settling to the bottom, accord
ing to their specific gravity, "and the
organic matter is acted upon by the
liquifying microbes present, by which
it is broken down into gas and water, :"
the fluid flowing to the filter beds,
as described. The deposit is drawn
off through a. pipe to a cleansing we'll
without drawing the liquid contents
of the tank with it.
The system is automatic through
out, and the only attention required is
the occasional oiling of the gearing" !"
No chemical is used, and there is "no
sludge from the works.
When the system was introduced at
Exeter, England, it was used to deal
only with district of the city having
population of 1,50o. It has since
been extended to include all the city,
with its population of 80, 600, and dur
ing the last four years nearly two
hundred plants have been installed in
Great Britain, ranging in size from
plants for single residences up to those
designed for large cities. \ system
has been planned for Poonah, India,
with population of 100000.
The elastic feature of the system is,
of course, notable one, and COM
mends it to the consideration of large
and small communities alike. If the
other claims that are made for it are
sustained by the experience of places
which have tried it, it is evident that
the system marks most important ad-
vance beyond all others that have
preceded it.-News and Courier.