The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-01-04
Alderman Rhode Of Second
Ward Makes Inspection
Trip Through Ditch.
FINDS CLAY ON THE BOTTOM
Declares That Sewer Is Satisfactory
But That It Is in Need of Flushing
and Concrete Bowlders Must BE Re.
moved-satisfied as to Its size.

With view Of giving the commit
Tee on sewers of the common council
q first hand opinion of the condition
OF the trunk sewer Alderman Joseph
g. Rhode of the committee ON Friday
afternoon don1ed a slicker and hip
boots and with chief Of the fire de-
partment, Henry Isermann, as his main
guide and with Inspector Hoban as
pilot, the members of the party made
their way through the trunk sewer
from the Grover street terminal to
Chicago street and the report Of the
alderman is a decidedly favorable one.
His inspection of the sewer was of a
critical If not Of technical nature
and after he had come up out of the
depths and had washed some of the
mud from his hands and face he was
ready to declare that tn~his opinion the
city was getting its moneys worth
However, the alderman does not report
that the sewer is faultless. On the
other hand he insists that there is
demand for flushing and the flushing
must be done with fire hose and not
Of the four flushing kind.
In the bottom of the sewer Alder
man Rhode found that there was be-
tween foot and foot and a half
Of clay. This clay was not the normal
sediment Of the sewer, but clay wash
ed in through Jerome creek. For some
time the contractors have been back
filing with a fire hose, using the force
of the water to drive the loose clay
into the big hole over the sewer. In
this way a large amount of this clay
has been carried into the sewer and
in measure it retards the movement
of the water The three men made
some, experiments with this clay and
all agreed that it can be easily re-
. moyed by . complete flushing Of the
sewer.
II was deeply impressed, said
Alderman Rhode after his underground
trip, with the immensely Of the
sewer and I am convinced that the
sewer is large enough to take care
Of that portion of the city for many
years With all the waters of Jerome
Greek and the vast amount of water
from the brass company running into
the sewer the highest point Of the
water was but twenty-nine inches from
the bottom of the sewer and it must
be remembered that foot and half
of this was made up by the clay in
the bottom of the sewer. / had ex-
pected to find the sewer wet and filed
with gas, but for the most part the mp
per part Of the sewer is dry and there
were no offensive gases. There were
places where great pieces Of concrete
had fallen into the sewer and all of
these should be cleaned out as they
act as dams for the water and refuse
and the bed of the sewer will be
greatly improved by their removal.
There are no holes in the she'll Of the
sewer and in fact the work seems to
be done remarkably well. The real
way to make the trip through the
sewer is in row boat and with a
good sized boat the trip would be in
the nature of pleasure trip. So far
as / am concerned | was well satisfied
with the completed work and with a
little flushing out Of the clay l, be-
lieve the sewer will be ready for ac-
ceptance by the council.
City Engineer Baltzer is planning to
have a sewer trip before the final ac-
ceptance of the sewer and it is ex-
pected that at that time a majority
of the aldermen viii make the trip
through the big ditch.