The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1915-08-27
SILVER PLANS
TO DIG TUNNEL
UNDER THE CITY
May Lay Big West End Sew
er by BurrOwing Under
City.
ENGINEER WANTS TO
FIND SHORT ROUTE
Will Accept Plan That Will
Cost the People Small
est Sum.

A tunnel may be bored under the
southern part of Cape Girardeau to
conduct the proposed West End $780,
600 sewer from the district it will
serve to the Mississippi River, accord
ing to tentative plans Chris Silver,
city engineer now has under consider
alton.
The survey for the sewer already
has proceeded to within three blocks
of the southern city limits in the West
End of the city. There are two or
three ways in which the sewer may be
conducted from the drainage district
to the river.
The first that presents itself for Sti-
ver's consideration provides that the
sewer be piped along the natural
course of the draw from the West End
about a half mile south of the city
limits and thence eastward to the
river. That course would necessitate
the use of about a mile of pipe.
The expense of preparing the way
for the piping would be very heavy ac-
cording to Silver and the absolute cost
of piping would be a large item.
The more direct route to the river
for the sewer will be to bore a tun-
mel beneath the ridge which follows a
general direction of north and south
about 700 to 100 west. Sprigg street
may be considered the backbone of the
ridge.
Silver plans to determine what
would be the approximate cost of each
course and recommend the more eco
nomical one to the city to be used
He declared yesterday that if the
weather will clear up and permit his
gang of men to keep busy in the field
he may be able to have the complete
survey for the sewer done in Septem-
Der.
1t is necessary to have several
streets opened up and many widened
in the West End in preparation for
the proposed sewer Work now is 60
ing forward in preparing the ordi-
nances authorizing such work.
The proposed sewer would serve a
district south of the Normal school and
west of that part of town now having
the sewer convenience. 1t probably
would require several months before
the sewer could be completed.
Stiver's force of engineers who have
been working on the survey for the
sewer have been plotting and charting
their results almost daily as they have
progressed down the valley. A COM
plete map showing the topography of
the district will be the result of their
work.
After Silver has completed the sur
vey, he will spend the winter calculat-
ing the areas that will be served by
the sewer. From this will be possible
to estimate the size of sewer pipes
necessary to be installed and the size
Of pipe essential to carry off the sew
age from the entire district.
Not until such calculations are made
will it be possible to tell how great
tunnel will be necessary.
In calculating the size of the sewer
piping, Silver says it will be necessary
to lay plans for the future use of the
territory. Much of the territory in the
sewer district now is vacant. When
the added convenience of a sewage
system is established, the land will be
built up and make an increase in the
volume of sewage to be disposed of.
All this must be handled by the pipes
that will be installed within the next
two or three years.
The heavy soaking rains that have
fallen here in the last three days prob
ably have unearthed or washed out
several of the stakes set by Stiver's
engineers in making their survey, he
declared.