The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-25
Proposed Disposal Plants
Include the Construc-
ton of an Island Out
at Sea.-.Cost Of Max.
ing the Waters About
the City Pure Esti.
mated at 100000

I upper bay and the Narrows TO the lower
bay. and then out to sea-
DR.. Soper smiled
Most people might think So" he re-
marked what really did happen was
this: The float oscilated between White
stone and the Brooklyn Bridge. II came
down 10 the bridge repeatedly and then
went back again up the Fast River to
College Point. or thereabouts. back and
forth. back and forth. Our tug followed
II until it had completed iOs miles of float
ing up and down the river. which was
done in three and half days.
"This one test" he continued. was
proof of a fact already fairly well es-
tablished that this harbor is not flushed
out by the action of the tide in any ouch
complete and prompt manner as people
formerly supposed. Like that float. the
sewage in the water oscilates hack and
forth indefinitely.
ITO the average man il might be SUR
prising that the visible accumulations are
not greater than they are. AZ matter
of fact. there are extensive accumulations
on the bottom of the rivers and harbor.
But it is important to observe that a
y
process of oxidation. This harbor has
large capacity for what Is termed digest
ing such waste material. and by making
intelligent Use of this digestive power Of
the harbor We can save the city millions
of dollar in plans for a new and compre-
hensive system.
with these principles in mind the
commission has laid out plans for works
of main drainage and sewage disposal
BY main drainage is meant large sewers
which for the most part will run along
the waterfront and collect the sewage
from the sewerage systems and carry
that sewage 10 number OF centrally
located points along the waterfront for
treatment and final disposal. The impuri-
ties once removed can be shipped to sea
for final disposition in tank steamers and
can be discharged in the ocean so that
there would be no possibility whatever
Of their getting back to shore.
1T is hot practicable at present to
extract fertilzing ingredients from this
waste. n this problem is solved by in
ventive genius in future the process could
be employed
Large plants for treatment and final
disposal Of waste from the Harlem River
areas Of Manhattan and The Bronz would
be located in a remote corner Of Wards
Island. Similar works but less extensive
would be located on points projecting far
out into the upper East River. But for
the heavily congested territory below that
mentioned another method will be sug-
gested because the digestive capacity OF
the lower Fast River-the stretch of water
from He'll Gate to the Battery ! mean
would not be capable Of assimilating all
the sewage which would naturally drain
into it.
For this parf of the city the commission
proposes that ali intercepting sewer be
constructed along the shores of Manhattan
and Brooklyn which could collect every
twenty four hours about 200 900 900 gallons
of waste and pump it directly 10 the ocean.
tity in its raw state, 30 the commission
proposes to construct an artificial outlet
island between Conev Island and Sandy
Hook which will contain plant of settling
tanks in which the sewage will have an
opportunity to deposit its solid matters
These tanks will ne of modified bort mund
tank const ruct ion similar to those recently
const Tuctad at Toronto, Canada Pro-
vision will be made for treating the sewage
If necessary with a coagulant before pass
ing il into the tanks.
After treatment the sewage will he