The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-09
Commercial Club Fears That
Enactment of This Measure
Into Law Would Bankrupt
City of Richmond.
WOULD HAVE TO BUILD A
LARGE TRUNK SEWER
Estiated That the Expense
This City Would Be Put To
BY Such a Law Would Be
A Half Million.

Opposition will be furnished the
McGunniss bill in the state legislature
by the Commercial club and public
officials of this city. This measure.
if adopted as a law, would require the
entire revision of the city's present
sewer system and would cost the city
more than half million dollars. The
bill has passed the lower house. but
before the senate acts upon it. lobby
of city officials and prominent citi-
zens win direct all their efforts to-
ward stopping the measure or having
some special provision. made SO that
it will not apply to Richmond in all
its sections.
Bills Requirements.
The McGunnis bill requires the fil-
tration of all sewage. At the present
time the sewage of this city is dumped
from the sewers into the river. Tho
only exception is in the southern part
of West Richmond. A new sewer
system and filtration plant was put in
in this section of the city last sum-
mer. The bill would require similar
systems for all other parts Of the city.
There Are Is Sewers.
There are twenty-five trunk and
sanitary sewers discharging their con-
tents into the river. Some Of these
enter along about the north end Of
Sixteenth street The sewer system
arranged for Beallview v-.ll discharge
in the river near the Test bridge.
south of the city. To establish q gen
eral filtration plant a trunk sewer
would have to be put in that would
extend from the most northern and
eastern sewer outlet to q point south
of the scene of the old Test wooden
mills. A part of this trunk line would
have to be constructed by blasting a
ledge out of the rock along the rivers
bluffs. 1t would be necessary to re-
cross the river at one or two places.
The cost would be immense.
Bluffs Are Problem.
AS 1t passes through Richmond.
the Whitewater river meanders be-
tween precipitous limestone bluffs.
These bluffs are from fifty to one
hundred feet high. The, only way a
central filtration plant could be pro-
vided would require that all sewage
now flowing into the river be accept
ed as 1t is discharged. The sewers
now dump into two forks of the river.
That means the sewers from the
northeast section of the city would
have to be accommodated by one
branch of the proposed trunk sewer
and those from Fairview. Benton
Heights and the northwest section
would have to find egress in another.
The city is built on both sides of the
river and all West Richmond sewers
would have to be extended to meet q
trunk sewer that might be placed on
the east side of the river. Which
ever side might be selected ON which
to locate the trunk sewer, all present
sewers would have to be extended to
cross the river to reach the main line
sewer.
Could Not BE Provided.
Filtration beds could not be provid-
ed at the egress Of all of the sewers ON
the rivers bluffs. The declivity ia
SO abrupt in some places that a fil-
tration bed would have to be placed
on end. an altogether impossible
thing. Otherwise the sewer would
have to be extended across the river
to gain level place where the bed
might be located. In times Of flood.
moreover, these beds. II located in
the flood plain between the BLUFFS,
would be washed out and the expense
Of their maintenance would be enor-
nous. The physical conditions pre-
vailing In this city. which is located
almost entirely ON bed rock almost
make the filtration be< and central
trunk proposition an absurd impossi.
bility.
To Oppose Measure.
The proposed law was considered at
meeting of the Cimmercial club last
evening. City Clerk Merrill said tbs
assessment against some property
would be excessive He asserted the
city attorney had found . number Of
weaknesses In the proposed law. Mr..
Merrill declared that Representative
Gardner had not been a. active - be
might be In looking after the city's In
terests in connection with the bin.
DIR. T. Henry Davis president OF the
state board of health declared the bfll
to be premature He said the people
are not educated 10 the need of such Z
system to such m extent they woul
submit to its cost He spoke q ths
number Of enterprisss that would y
Fupt the city. II the law be DaaBed
fCcatSnraA a Ran.4sn -. 8.