The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-04-18
MORRISTOWN
SEWERAGE.
"A Statement Of the Cost from
the Standpoint Of a Sewer
Plant Boomer.
THE ULTRA-PESSIMISTIc VIEW.


WEare indebted to G.. EVeritt Hill,
vice-president of the City Western
disposal co., organized, as it's letter
head states. from the staff of the late
Col Geo. e. Waring. Jr., for lengthy
letter in regard to the sewerage queS-
tion. Mr.. Hill has been visitor ~
Morristown several times of late. we
publish it as giving the view Oh a
special pleader on the subject.
EDITOR THE CHRONICLE,
MoRR1sTowN, N. J.
DEAR SIR
NV attention has just been called 10
vour editorial aThe Sewerage CUES
I fion. , published in your issue Of March
10Th. To be entirely frank-and it is
best to be frankI must say thai 1
am considerably shocked by its sophis-
try and by the moral laxity OF its
teachings.
Taking refuge behind an obviously
inadeouate definition Of the word
g sewerage you claim that Morris
town is severed. Youdefend the habit
of filth storage by citing Individual
Dreiudices which are controverted by
undeniable facts and condemned by an
overwhelming preponderance OF ply
sicians and sanitarians. You preach
the excellence of tight cesspools and
Immediately confess to widespread
soil pollution by teaching cesspools
used for seventeen years and sblil
practically empty. You claim as a
civic virtue the action of handful OF
your wealthier residents who, IN SELF
defense. have installed private systems
of sewage disposal. (Can a hotel pro-
prietor reasonably justify the presence
of dead cat in the cold-air box OF his
furnace by saying that some OF his
boarders open their windows and ven
tilate their own rooms? You try to
excuse the shortcomings Of Norris
town by saying that other towns are
as bad; and you advocate, for adyer-
Using purposes, "a sewer, no matter
how restricted it's usefulness or crude
the disposal of the sewage"
[ cannot believe that this article
was the result of mature elaboration.
i am sure you will agree with me, on
second thought, that its teachings are
unworthy.
Let US consider the matter at some
what greater length. No system OF
sewerage is worthy of that name I'M
less it provides for the removal from
the house, from the premises, and.from
the town, before putrefaction can be-
gin, all human excreta and all liquids
which have been fouled by domestic
use. 1t must, moreover, provide for
such disposition of the sewage as will
preclude all possibility of otfense or
danger to individual or municipal
neighbors.
Before sewerage became sciences
before sizes and grades were figured
with the definite purpose Of carrying
sewage from a given population, at a
velocity which would ensure the trans
pOrtation of all putrescible solids, and
before the introduction of the system
of daily automatic flushing Of each
pipe, so-called sewers were little more
than elongated cesSpools, and their eX-
halationS were, Of course, foul. But
the day of these iniquitieS is long past.
The modern sewer is not place of de-
posit. Its channel Is clean as a dish,
its OdorS are conspicuous by their alb
sence, and repeated tests have shown
that It's air contains fewer bacteria
than the air of the average sleeping
room. The foulest part OF modern
sewerage system is TIE house soil-pipe;
for the solids falling through the YER
tical lines smear their sides, and this
slimed surface continues to give. Off
offensive exhalations. In the sewers,
however, which lie on grades approx
mating the horizontal, the solids are
surrounded by and borne in an envelope
OF water which continually lubricates
and washes the walls. Moreover, the
glazed surface of the vitritied pipes,
offering little FRACTIONAL resistance, is
not easily fOuled
In any house, the plumbing should
be maintained at the highest state of
excellence; but it is obvious that the
danger from a chance leak if the foot
of the SOil-pipe communicates with a
vat full of putrid filth, is much great
er than if the line leads to clean pipe,
carrying a running stream, fully VEN
tilated and flushed out daily.
MOrriStOwn is healthful place. It's
death and sick rates are low and its
reputation as yet unimpaired. | am
not going to prOphesy an epidemic or
the loss of sanitary prestige, though
these are possible. But this will say,
that the sewerage would Improve both
your health and your standing. These
evils of filth pollution are not to be
measured by death rates alone, but by
laSSitude, headaches, that tired feel
ing, and other indications of lowered
vitality. by Perunas, Celery Com
pounds, Sarsaparillas, Malt Extracts,
and all the hosts Of tonics which are
called upon to take the place OF Gods
pare air
1t is difficult to make people under
stand what filth pollution means.
They have an idea that, because the
foul liquid sinks away in the earth and
is seen no more, its power for mischief
is ended Sometimes more often
than we realize it leaks into some
body's well, and then there is likely to
be the devil to pay, though the 0bitu-
AIRY notices speak of the results as
caused by an HinScrutable, Providence. p"
But even when the water supply is be-
worst manifestation of the evils re-
4 4,1-S