Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-05
|MHOFF SEWAGE
( PLANT A MENACE
East Orange Resident Tells of
Odors and Other Drawbacks
at Batavia, N. Y.

dt at Batavia, N. 7.
Contradicting assertions attributed
o men supposed to be authority on
nhe matter Hamilton s. Gordon, a
Prominent East Orange resident. who
.4as returned from an inspection Of
ssnrImhoH sewage disposal system at
Batavia, n. Y. declares an offensive
edor does emanate from such a plant
mot only is an Objectionable odor
detectible atathe tanks and altering
beds, but thes plant itself has not
Given compIetehsatisfact although
IA has only been in existanee two
iears," declaredsMr. Gordon In an in
tlerview with an Evening Star repre-
3enative last night.
Asked to state why the plant Is not
IN satisfactory eworklng order, Mr..
fordon replied: why. they can't
ret the sludge lout Of two of the
iwelve tanks. Itswon't even run out"
II happened TO visit the plant" con-
inued Mr.. Gordon, lust at time
vhen a represenativeNof the engineer
ng firm of Herring andsGregory. which
brew the plans for the system, was
lummoned to the town to inspect the
ksanks to determine why the sludge
3 You'd not run out and this official
admitted to me there was trouble"
& Further questioning elected the in
IT rf.ff,n e. Tor, Nv. ha4 Efl
received an admission from Kirke b.
Mathes, chairman Of the Batavia
Sewer Commission, that the tanks
were poorly constructed.
rs Cement around some Of the tanks
~ beginning to drop off," said Mr..
Gordon, "and patchwork is notice.
8ble."
4 A short time ago Mr. Mathes. in a
.etter to Samuel WINERY, of East Or
Ange, said Of the system, among other
Tfhingss 1T is satisfactory. odorless
and inoffensive."
X Asked to Describe Odor.
Concerning the odor Mr.. Gordon
said he detected at the tanks. he was
lsked to describe 1T.
1T Is similar to a marshy smell
&nd like the smell that comes from
Elecayed vegetables in water" he de-
1lared
N EDO you believe the odor from I'm
kloff tanks would be detrimental to
( no health of patients at the Isolation
3ospital at Soho II the system was
adopted by Orange, East Orange and
81 thtclair In Belleville?" Mr.. Gordon
isv.tfs asked.
~ 1T would be almost criminal to
:. tablish the plant near the hospital"
\ replied.
n Are you in favor Of East Orange |
lbyyptjng the Imhoff SYSTEM was
tEit next question asked Mr.. Gordon.
.aeT am positively against the city
wv xering other than the trunk sewer"
plapanswered.
phefquested to state why he was OPP
taai1d to the csta blishment of a seq
Siedte system, Mr.. Gordon answered.
" mo engineer can guarantee TO do
Z Job. He can only conjecture, and
: ,is means you have to spend much
gAore money. Most constructions un-
Ter municipal bodies have n political
motive or there are private interests
concerned. and this means too much
,sponey is spent"
4 Mr.. Gordon believes the trunk
sewer system Is an excellent one and
nc says 1t is not clear to him why
'.he officials desire to consider any
43ther.
at would be all right continued
Mr.. Gordon, FOR a municipality to
Establish an Imhoff tank II there was
40 other alternative. But any NUM-
ekipality that can get sewage to tide
water should take advantage of IT.
Twelve Tanks at batavia.
n MIR. Gordon says there are twelve
Ranks at Batavia and that they are
srected on hill. The sewage Is
bumped up the hill to the tanks. The
'Area Of the plant is estimated by Mr..
kiordon at S0x90 feet.
X There is population Of $4,000 In the
Gown, but Mr.. Gordin says the sew
Age OF all the inhabitants IL not treat
Nd at the tanks. Dwellings are not
twithin 1000 feet of the plant, except
4he house occupied by the superln-
'kendent. who lives about 500 feet
away Mr.. Gordon said the worst
smell Is from the altering bed. He
characterized the odor from this as
lDeing vile" That there is not much
objection to the odor at the plant Mr..
't;ordon attributes to the fact that the
Tanks are on a hill.
e when the weather is clear the odor
Hvaporates In the air." he said. but
1on damp day 1t descends to the
Ground and is easily detected" Mr..
s5ordon stated he did not question Mr..
.Mathes regarding the sludge from
'ghe two tanks would not run out. He
Stated II was only recently that the
'Nnnks filled up and 1t was then dlscov
ered that the sludge would not run
pnut Mr.. Gordon expressed the belief
IL In about ten feet deep In the tanks.
IA He stated that Mr.. Mathes told him
he system was explained In Batavia
10y Or. Rudolph Herring. the towns
Engineer Later Mr., Mathes went to
Essen and saw the workings of the
system in Or. 1mhoff's home town and
,bn his return to America recommend
I'D that Batavia adopt the system
Mr. Gordon said he was informed
That Or. Imhof visited Batavia be-
,tore the erection of the tanks.
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FOURTH TEA sCALDs GIRL.
Making tea for supper last night.