IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWAGE WORKS FOR THE DRAINING OF TOWNS AND DISTRICTS, AND FOR UTILISING AND DISPOSING OF SEWAGE, HOUSE REFUSE, AND SCAVENGED MATTERS, WITHOUT DIS- CHARGING ANYTHING INTO RIVER, WATER-COURSE, OR SEA, AND WITHOUT IRRIGATION OR NEED OF A SEWAGE FARM."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Hempson Denham, of Southsea, in the
"
Borough of Portsmouth and County of Southampton, for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWAGE WORKS FOR THE
DRAINING OF TOWNS AND DISTRICTS, AND FOR UTILISING AND DISPOSING
OF SEWAGE, HOUSE REFUSE, AND SCAVENGED MATTERS, WITHOUT DIS-
CHARGING ANYTHING INTO RIVER, WATER-COURSE, OR SEA, AND WITHOUT
IRRIGATION OR NEED OF A SEWAGE FARM."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Hempson Denham
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st March 1881.
WILLIAM HEMPSON DENHAM, of Southsea, in the Borough of Portsmouth and
County of Southampton. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWAGE
WORKS FOR THE DRAINING OF TOWNS AND DISTRICTS, AND FOR UTILISING AND
DISPOSING OF SEWAGE, HOUSE REFUSE, AND SCAVENGED MATTERS, WITHOUT
DISCHARGING ANYTHING INTO RIVER, WATER COURSE, OR SEA, AND WITHOUT
IRRIGATION OR NEED OF A SEWAGE FARM."
According to my Invention, which is for detailed improvements and to support
and maintain the provisions of a previous Patent granted to me on the Third day
of February, in the year 1879, No. 437, I make provision,―
For collecting all scavenged material and house refuse of every kind and
subjecting those articles to destructive combustion in the furnace or furnaces at,
near to, or away from the sewage works, and using the result of the combustion to
precipitate or aid in precipitating the solid matter from the liquid sewage, which
is received in tanks for the purpose.
The solid having to a great extent subsided, the superfluous fluid is passed from
one tank to another to complete the precipitation, and at the last tank the fluid
effluent is filtered in order to remove anything that may possibly be suspended
in it.

page_text: The effluent thus filtered at the last tank is then passed into a capacious boiler
or boilers made of indestructible material placed above or near to the furnaces;
the water is then converted into steam in order to destroy any germ of disease that
may by possibility remain in the filtered effluent,
The steam thus generated is then passed through a coil or series of coils (kept
cool for the purpose) to a large reservoir or cistern placed at, by, or above the
tanks, and is then converted into water again.
The effluent being now condensed into perfectly pure water, it passes by
gravitation into a return pipe or pipes laid parallel with but above the sewers.
From this pipe or pipes the purified effluent passes by a considerable fall into
the sewers again and thoroughly washes them out.
Hydrants are attached to this return pipe, and from these water can be drawn
to wash foot paths and pavements, to water roads, to help extinguish fires, and for
any other purposes that may be wished or wanted.
Millions of gallons of pure water hitherto wasted in its unpurified state can
thus be saved for use, and in seasons of drought would be of inestimable worth.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Hempson Denham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th September 1881.
WILLIAM HEMPSON DENHAM, of Southsea, in the Borough of Portsmouth and
County of Southampton. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEWAGE
WORKS FOR THE DRAINING OF TOWNS AND DISTRICTS, AND FOR UTILIZING AND
DISPOSING OF SEWAGE, HOUSE REFUSE, AND SCAVENGED MATTERS WITHOUT
DISCHARGING ANYTHING INTO RIVER, WATER COURSE, OR SEA, AND WITHOUT
IRRIGATION OR NEED OF A SEWAGE FARM.".
As a means of disposing of the superabundant water and sewage of districts
where draining and building have to be done, and similarly, when possible, after
building and draining have been finished, 1 divide the district, if the area be large,
into two or more parts or sections, a superficial and a deep one, and so construct
the drains of each section that they all converge to a shallow concavity in the
centre of the section.
From this central concavity in section No. 1 the contents of the drains pass
by gradient or gravitation to a similar concavity in section No. 2 on a lower
level.
The drains of section No. 2 converge in like manner to a central concavity,
and from thence by gradient or gravitation through a single drain to the outfall.
The effect of this arrangement is that the contents of the drains, of the first or
superficial section will have only half the distance to travel, and will gain more
gradient power by joining the contents of the other or deeper section, there will be
less deposit of solid matter in the drains, the drains will be more easily flushed,
and as a consequence more freedom from offence.
Moreover, as the drains of the first or superficial section will be only half the
depth in the soil, one half the labour of constructing the deeper drains will be
saved; but I do not insist on this particular mode of draining as an absolute
necessity; I only recommend and claim it as easier, more efficient, and cheaper
than the course ordinarily employed.
But whether draining be done by the mode here suggested, or by ordinary
unconnected drains, the contents must of necessity be directed to an outfall.
This outfall ought never to be sea or river, but into a tank or series of tanks for
precipitation and after treatment.
According to my Invention, which is for detailed improvements on and to
support and maintain the provisions of a previous Patent, No. 437, granted to me
on the Third day of February 1879, I provide as follows :-
The draining having been done, arranged, or intended to be done, I erect or
cause to be erected a series of receptacles or tanks for collection and treatment of
the sewage. In order to do this I excavate a piece of ground of length, depth, and
width sufficient for the purpose, according to the size and population of the town
to be drained, and the quantity of sewage to be received and treated.
The floor of this excavation should be laid with some solid enduring material,
but preferably with hard blue bricks set on edge on a hard and well rolled level
surface. The sides of the excavation to be well sustained by a wall of brick and .
solid concrete from fourteen to eighteen or more inches thick.
In the centre of this longitudinal or oblong space I erect my tanks and such
machinery as may be required, unless provided for elsewhere or as necessity may
wish.
From the side of the wall all round the inside of the excavation a clear distance
or space is left of ten, twelve, or more feet, as may be required, as a sort of corridor

page_text: for stowage and other special purposes. In this central space the tanks and
machinery are placed for treating the sewage.
But to treat and dispose of sewage is only one part or portion of the means
required to provide for the sanitation of a town. The whole scavenging arrange-
ments should be thoroughly attended to.
If we examine the contents of ash pits, middens, the sweepings of streets, and
manure heaps, the refuse from gardens, hedges, and fields, we find amongst them
large quantities of seeds of weeds and larvæ of insects.
It is a great mistake to convey these things in their crude state from towns to
distribute over land. Instead of merely fertilising land they produce a great
number of weeds and insects that devour the produce.
Therefore when the sewage of a town is collected in tanks to be precipitated and
deodorised, I employ all the scavenged material after it has been perfectly incinerated
instead of chemicals to effect precipitation.
I do it in this way.
On the top of two or more of the tanks I erect a furnace
or furnaces large enough to contain many cartloads of scavenged material, such as
ashes, cinders, bones, vegetable cuttings from houses and gardens, the contents of
middens, dust bins, manure from stables, cowsheds, and slaughter houses, the
sweepings of streets and roads, hedge trimmings and weeds from fields, infected
bedding and clothes, refuse earth and rubbish from excavations at buildings, and
everything that comes under the name of scavenging, as specified in my previous
Patent, No. 437, dated Feby. 3rd 1879, and subject them to complete incineration.
When these articles have undergone perfect disintegrating combustion in the
furnaces alluded to, the debris from the burning falls between the bars at the
bottom of the furnaces, and precipitates the solid part of the sewage in tanks
1 and 2 below.
But I reserve to myself the right, as specified in the previous Patent quoted
above, to effect the combustion of all these things in some place or places other than
the furnaces above the tanks, but at, by, near to, adjoining them, or elsewhere,
as convenience or desire may exist, as a preliminary step to the sanitation of a
town.
The floor or floors of the furnaces are so arranged that nothing but the finest
debris can fall through. This debris contains many or all the requisites for the
growth of plants.
The burning of bones and vegetable refuse produces or sets free the alkalies
and phosphates that roots and other plants require, and thus the debris when
mixed with the fimus of sewage, burnt earth, and soot, becomes not only nature's
best deodoriser, but an admirable agent to fertilise and renew exhausted soil.
Manure thus produced is at least equal, and I believe superior to guano, because
guano contains half germinated seeds that have been discharged by the sea birds,
and become developed into weeds when deposited in earth. Manure produced
by the process of this Patent cannot possibly have such results; I say, therefore,
it is superior to guano, which is nearly four times as dear.
The furnace or furnaces being immediately over the tanks, the finely calcined
ashes produced by the burning will fall through the floor of the furnaces to the
sewage in the tanks below. The ashes will thus become the mechanical agent to
effect precipitation of the sewage, and the chemical agent to deodorise as well.
As the outfall sewer pipe is made to enter the tanks a short distance below the
floor of the furnaces, there will of necessity be a strong blast of gas and air attracted
to the furnaces to maintain combustion. Aided by an exhausting or suction
apparatus inside the sewer where nature will not allow a vacuum to exist, the foul
gas of the sewers will of necessity be attracted to the tanks, and thence to the
furnaces, where, passing through the fire, it will be at once destroyed.
A flue from each furnace will converge to a central tall chimney shaft to receive
and convey any smoke that may arise; but inside that shaft an apparatus will be
placed that will collect, deposit, and return the smoke to the furnaces below, where
like the gas that had. preceded it it will be destroyed, and all offensiveness prevented

page_text: A description of this will be out of place here, as it would form a subject for
another Patent.
Tank No. 1 being filled with sewage, the flow from the outfall pipe is diverted
into tank No. 2. Ön subsidence of the more solid material in tank No. 1, the
superfluous fluid is drawn or let off into tank No. 3, there to undergo still further
subsidence. As all the tanks communicate with each other a short distance from
the top, the same process is continued through tanks 4 & 5 till the fluid arrives at
tank No. 6. By this time, or before, precipitation has been completed, and the
fluid has become clear. Then at the upper part of tank No. 6 a large filter is
placed through which the limpid effluent is passed in order to remove any and
every particle of suspended matter.
The tanks being entirely underground, are domed or covered over so as to prevent
any exit of effluvium. It is believed to be impossible for any to exist in consequence
of the position of the outfall sewer pipe being immediately under the furnaces.
Consequently any emanation would pass through the fire and be at once
destroyed.
Above the furnaces a large boiler is erected, of solid brick work, iron, or other
material, and lined or not as may be desired with plates of galvanised metal or
other substance suited to the purpose, and provided with a safety valve of
automatic as well as manual action. But I reserve to myself the right to make
the boiler or series of boilers of different material, form, or construction, and to
place it or them in some other position if wished or needed.
Above, below, between, at the side of, or in such position as may be needed or
desired, a donkey engine, an injector or ejector, or other suitable machine is placed to
be worked by gas, air, or such other means as may be desired, to pump, inject, or
deliver the filtered effluent from tank No. 6 to or into the boiler or boilers at, by,
above, or near to the furnaces.
Here by the heat of the furnaces the effluent acquires a temperature of 212 degrees,
and is of necessity converted into steam, in which it is believed to be impossible
for any vitalised germ of disease to exist.
The steam then passes from the boiler into coils or worms of metal which are
placed in wooden coolers to receive them.
Subjected here to a much lower temperature, the steam is condensed into water
again, then which, thus purified, there is nothing known in chemistry of a purer
kind. Thus made innocuous it is then received in a cistern or reservoir capable of
holding several million gallons.
From an opening in the bottom of this cistern a pipe of iron or other material
passes along the entire outside course of the sewers a short distance underground.
From this pipe at given distances short branch pipes pass and open into the sewers.
Through these the purified effluent is conveyed into the sewers, and with a fall of
four or more feet the effluent thoroughly stirs the sewage, and perfectly flushes and
cleanses the sewers.
The openings of the short branch pipes to the sewers are fitted and guarded by
self acting traps or valves, so that neither sewer gas nor sewage can pass from these
pipes into the return main pipe above.
.
The contents of the sewers then pass on to the tanks again to complete the
process of circination, and by the absence of stagnation and fermentation in the
sewers the reproduction of sewer gas is prevented.
At given distances along the return pipe hydrants are placed from which the
pure water can be drawn. A hose is attached to these hydrants, and thus a man
in early morning can wash a large extent of pavement, and water roads without
the aid of either horse or cart.
A small fire may also be extingnished in the same way.
Carriages can be washed, windows cleaned, gardens and squares irrigated, water
closets, baths, and wash houses supplied, and a number of other domestic wants
provided for with perfect safety and absolute freedom from offence of any kind,
with the certainty of promoting greater sanitation and general cleanliness.

page_text: Such is the design and nature of my Invention, and to summarise as novelties I
mention the following:-
(1.) The design and arrangement of the tanks and the excavation prepared to
receive them.
(2.) A furnace or furnaces on the top of one or more of the tanks.
(3.) A tall shaft or chimney vertically divided or not, but so constructed that
each furnace may communicate with it, and inside each shaft an apparatus that
will collect, deposit, and return the smoke to the furnaces below, and all offensiveness
be prevented.
(4.) The making all round the tanks inside the excavation a corridor of sufficient
width for any purpose that may be desired, and an airtight door way at the sides
of the tanks to remove deposit and facilitate cleaning.
(5.) The collecting of house refuse and scavenged articles of all kinds, and
subjecting them to combustion in the furnace or furnaces over the tanks or else-
where, and using the burnt debris to precipitate and deodorise the sewage in the
tanks so as to form the sewage into a natural unadulterated manure.
(6.) The entry of or placing the outfall sewer pipe at the part of the tank or
tanks immediately under the furnace so that the gas from the sewers may pass at
once to the fire to aid combustion and be destroyed.
(7.) The principle of gradual but entire subsidence of whatever may be
suspended in the effluent by passing it from one tank to another to complete the
precipitation.
(8.) The placing and using a filter at the last tank to subtract from the effluent
anything that might by possibility have escaped subsidence.
(9.) Placing a boiler or boilers over or near to the furnaces or elsewhere to
receive the previously filtered effluent to be converted into steam.
(10.) The placing, using, and employing a donkey or other engine, an injector,
ejector, pump, or other apparatus or means to convey effluent from the tank to the
boiler to be converted into steam or otherwise.
(11.) The placing, using, and employing coils or worms of metal or other material
in other form to receive the steam, and subsequently condensing it into distilled or
further purified water by coils as above, or by domed cover to condense and
collect.
(12.) The erection of a large reservoir or cistern to receive the distilled or more
perfectly purified water.
(13.) The discharging that purified effluent by gravitation or otherwise into sea,
river, watercourse, or stream, but preferably by gravitation and return pipe to be
discharged into the sewers to flush and cleanse them.
(14.) Laying down or placing a return pipe of iron or other material along the
entire outside course of the sewers a short distance underground or above.
(15.) From this pipe, at suitable distances, short branches are connected with or
attached to the sewers, and through these the effluent gushes and stirs the sewage
By this means a current of sewage is kept up, fermentation is consequently
prevented, and as decomposition is avoided by continuous motion, sewer gas is not
reproduced.
(16.) Hydrants being attached to the return pipe at suitable distances, the
purified effluent can be used for all the purposes specified.
(17.) The application of effluent altogether to purposes of social good.
(18.) The mode herein described for draining towns and districts in two sections,
squares, and levels superficial and deep.
(19.) The effect of this arrangement is that the sewage of the drains of the first
or superficial section will have only half the distance to run; there will be less
deposit of solid matter in the sewers; the sewers will be more easily flushed, and be
permanently more free from offence.
(20.) Further, as the sewers of the first or superficial section will be only half
the depth in the soil, one half the labour of constructing uniformly deeper drains
will be saved.

page_text: But I do not insist on this particular mode of draining as an absolute necessity,
I merely recommend it as easier, more efficient, and cheaper than the ordinary
mode.
Having now particularly described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I claim,―
The improvements in draining, the construction of sewage works, the utilising
and disposing of sewage, house refuse, and scavenged matters, and the conversion
of them into a fertilising natural manure; also the purifying and disposing of
effluent, substantially as hereinbefore described, it being always understood that I
do not limit myself to the use of the precise details of construction, manufacture,
purification, and circination herein before described, so long as the essential character
and principle of my said Invention are preserved and adopted.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Hempson Denham, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty fourth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.
WILLIAM HEMPSON DENHAM. (L.S.)