The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-20
NEW SYSTEM FOR CLEANING SEWERS Exum Is Pleased With the
 Demonstration KANSAS CITY'S WORK The System Is Said to Save Large Amount of Money and Also to
 do Away With the Nox-
 ious Odors
KANSAS CITY'S WORK

It Is probable that the city street de- partment will install the Sieben system of sewer cleaners, a demonstration or whose efficiency was made last week by Thomas Brown, the local agent for the system.
 Officials of the street department have viewed the process with interest ana favorable impression Is said to have been created with President Culpepper Exum' who inquired as to the system recently III Kansas City.
 It is said that the system will save large amount of money in sewer work' while at the same time that noxious odor that has caused complaint here by the wholesale is eradicated. MT Brown, who is trying to impress upon the com missioners the saving to result the ei- ficiency and other good points or the new system, gives some information as to the work elsewhere, as follows:
 "The street department of Kansas Clty saved, after installing our system, sll,- 210.57 between September 22, 1910, and May 8, 1911 During that time they in- stalled six Sieben systems. and the saw ing in expense in that department has practically paid for same. This saving IS arrived at by comparing the cost or cleaning sewers with the Sieben system with the cost of the old method, which is to dig the sewerage accumulation out of the sewer pipes and take 1t out at the manholes and haul it away through the streets, which is the same method by which Birmingham is cleaning their sewer at this time It is certainly insanitary and very undesirable to extract the sewer age from the sewers and haul it over the pavements and through the streets. AS matter of fact, all will admit that the sewer is the place for the sewerage. and not the cty's streets.
 ''rhe Sieben machine Is so constructed that 1t cuts the sewerage accumulation away from the sides of the sewers and eliminating the necessity of taking it out at the manholes. The turbine like cleaner will meet all requirements in cleaning sewers when entirely stopped up. When this cleaner is connected with the hose with a water pressure of 40 pounds or more, the machine generates about three horse power at the turbine, revolving the cutter blades, thereby dislodging the matter in the sewer, cutting out weeds and roots, etc., in fact every part of the inside of the sewer is cleaned thor oughly.
 we made demonstration in the alley immediately back of the city hall by go ing into details and showing the city of ficials present the working of every part The machine was put up an eight inch sewer about 200 feet from manhole to manhole. After placing the machine in the sewer and the pressure turned on it went through same. cleaning it thorough ly within about IS minutes. This refers to the actual working of the machine in the cleaning of the sewer.
 "Kansas City was divided into six dis tricts, and one of our systems placed in each district, and we refer any city to them for information regarding the won- derful results which they have obtained. In addition to saving considerable amount of money in their sewer depart ment, they have healthy and sanitary sewers, and have no bad odors coming up through their manholes.
 "Other cities using this system are St. Louis Chicago, New York city, Kansas City. Kan, and many other western cities. We also refer to Memphis. who are very much pleased with the innovation.
 "It locates broken down sewers.
 ''It cleans sewers at great saving to the taxpayers.
 Tt makes city healthy.
 Sewers should certainly be cleaned with tho same intelligent system with which the streets are cleaned"