The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1905-11-03
NY WILL r. sHEEHAN.

Il
| is. perhaps. the greatest engineering
undertaking between the Tennessee
line and the Gulf.
| They say here that this trunk sewer
| system is the largest in the world, with
the single exception of the immense
sewer which drains the Roman Cam
pagna. II this statement were made
| with true authority. this Jefferson
County sewerage system would have a
| unique distinction. Under existing
circumstances, however. the statement
of the Birmingham man that the, Jeffer-
son County sewerage system Is second
only to one other in the world must
stand until 1t is refuted by competent
authorities.
But 1t is a great undertaking, won
derful undertaking. There seems to
be but little doubt that 1t is the big
best thing Of its kind in the United
States. 1t Is the biggest single thing
that the city of Birmingham. the big
gest single thing that the County of
Jefferson has done. There are two
trunk sewers forming the system, one
ten miles long and the other fifteen
miles long. So that when the frac-
tional part of the great undertaking
which now remains to be finished Is
completed, the County of Jefferson will
have twenty-five miles of big sewers.
and a half and five feet. They will
drain Birmingham. Bessemer, Ensley.
Pratt City and the half score of other
municipalities which cluster about the
large city of Birmingham
would BE Easy for Jean Vatican.
Perhaps the most vivid and interest
claiming description in all fiction Is
that hair-raising, thrilling chapter In
which Victor Hugo described the es-
- l., rfa hnw
sewers of Paris. And yet the subter-
ranean way through which Jean VAL
jean made his way to liberty is said
to be smaller than either of the two
trunk sewers of Jefferson County.
Birmingham and Jefferson County
had to do an epoch making job. They
had a great problem before them, and
that problem had to be solved. How
was Jones Valley. with its enormous
population, with its rapid, steady In
crease of people to be drained; how
was it's sanitation to be assured?
MONTGOMERY could know nothing OF
such a problem as this. Montgomery
is on the Alabama River. Selma could
not understand the keen pressure OF
such a problem. The Alabama River
runs right by her doors. The Alabama
River or any other river Is natures
own sanitary agent, with which man
RtSSGDDAN@eJ
operate. Mobile could not have such
a problem as Birmingham. because Mo-
bile has the river and the bay.
But Birmingham, not only had no
river, but IL had no considerable creek.
The city was hard beset, for no city
could continue to grow, could continue
to expand unless 1t had an adequate
sanitary system and could assure It's
people of clearly and healthful con-
ha m "a dhnA
Already the population of Jefferson
County had become enormous according
to Southern standards 1t was last
year that the President OF the street
Railway Company in Birmingham, es-
timated that his company served a pop
uIation of $4,000 and the street cars by
no means penetrated every section OF
the county. The way the big problem
was encountered and solved is to the
everlasting credit of birmingham and
Jefferson County for that matter. "A
Only Two Small Creeks.
There were, however, in Jefferson
County two creeks, Valley Creek and
Village Creek, neither of which, howev-
er, is very large. The head branches
OF these two creeks were made the basis
of the two trunk sewers. These branches
themselves formed a natural drain, but
were of course Inadequate for any
thing like the needs of a great city.
Their runs" could only be used as a
place in which to dig and put down the
big sanitary sewers.
Valley Creek, for instance, could be
used to put down a sewer which would
drain Birmingham to a mile below Bes-
semer and all. the territory that lies
between. In addition to the big city of
Birmingham this sewer would drain the
cities of Bessemer, Elyton, West End;
Powderly. Brighton and Woodward. And
not only would the big city sewer fur
nish a drain for these cities. but 1t
would as well drain all contiguous ter
ritory for several miles on either side.
Now this Valley Creek sewer has al
ready been practically finished. The
sanitary sewerage system OF the city OF
Bessemer is even now connected with 1t.
1t will have cost when the finishing
touches have been added to 1t very near
5000. 900. 1t is made for all time of
brick and cement. The height, or rath-
err the diameter of the sewer ranges
from five feet to four and half feet.
The other big sewer, the Village
Creek sewer runs from point above
East Lake to a point mile below En-
sley. On its way through the county
1t drains East Lake, Woodlawn. Avon
dale, North Birmingham, East Birming-
ham, Thomas and Pratt City. This sew
err empties into Village Creek at point
a mile below the city of Ens1ey. 1t has
been estimated that this big sewer,
when II shall have ben completed will
cost about 100000. 1t will be some-
thing over ten miles long.
Work Nearly Completed.
Not much work is to he done on this
sewer as it is figured out that II. like
the other is now almost COMPLETED. II
Is said that all but one-fifth of the
work has been done. This sewer will
be from three and a half to four and a
hale feet In diameter.
Now this in brief. Is how Rirmine-
ham has solved the great natural prob
lem that has been presented to her. To
assure health. to assure cleanlv. sani-
tary conditions she has been willing to
spend O. half million dollars. She has
spent that money and she is now on |
the verge OF having her dream realized |
IT is said that perhaps by the first nf
January the great undertaking will |
have been rounded out and finished.
There is another odd thing about |
the trunk sewer system of Jefferson |
County. The two big sewers will be |
con structed well within the cost as |
made by the original estimates. In all |
the Sanitary Commission |
which has charge of the building of the |
sewers will not spend all the money |
that its members thought would have |
to be expended. In, fact it is now |