CITY SEWAGE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLII, Issue 4326, 23 December 1874, Page 3

CITY SEWAGE.

10 THE EDITOft OF THB iYXTELTON TIMES. Sib, —Will you allow me space in your valuable journal to draw attention to a scheme of getting rid of the solid sewage of the city; not yet discussed publicly till now. ; i ■Being of opinion that a cheap system may be inbro easily a mistake, and after a time cause fresh and heavy expenses to be-inourred, I will explain my method fordiaposing of the Solid, sewage without regard to expense. I think the safest way of preventing evil consequences arising irom aecumuluted solid sewagb, must bo by destroying the human excrements entirely, that is to say, by burife ing. I am , sure, the-gjiSes of burning ments tody be 'hw&qta&t, as far, as being detrimental fioif living, aa well as in cremating the dead human; body. ■ The construction of the ovens, which I leave to abler .hands,,may be on the whole formed like the gasworks The human excrements will bo iii this way thoroughly changed by dry distillation into .two yalnable products, namely, coke and gases—two materials which would repay a 1 great part Of ■ the’Council’s expenses.. ■ ■ . , ’ The coke, or refuse, would make an excellent manure for agricultural purposes, as there areseveral veuyTdaaWeßaltaiaitneceseary for growing plants, ana whmh; would :he -dissolved by rauDand absorbed by the roots; ,As lam ofopinkm bjr'pb&ig Away with the ,; human alone, while the excretes of s animals cover large places of the agricultural.) lands, , producing, and exhaling pestilential gases and i fermentative molecule* .Into the air, the worx would be .only Balt done. <1 thmk'if should be , inade, Us q rule, that’ 1 tfio should be spread'on the surface*of the common manure from animals, asit is well known that the quality of porous cokesis to, absorb gases and smells, as well as to attract colours, and they are, indeed, now generally used for these purposes; Concerning -the igasbs aa . products) from burning the sOBd sewage, tbOy should, arising from tfiA fdel, and get after that in new retorts, to be burned the second, third, or mOrctimes. The gases/coming from the last’ retort, should then be purified by going through water and solutions of metals, adds, ana alkalies.' The gas, thus deprived of its detrimental; qualities, is now inflammable and could he destroyed, either by lighting iitin- a shaft, built for the purpose, or supplying heat for steam pur? poses/ •' ’ " “ -01 ’ 1 ” 1 ’ :i As, of course, all- excrements. cannot ibe burned at once, and consequently consider® able quantitieß' migßt be on the ground, waiting foil the process, there must be dwinfectants used ;: and there is'-no doubt/ that carbolic acid, which has beeti proved thhj.best by experiments, copfdoted iby Professor Lisser, of Edinburgh,' and iothevs,,. would answer the purpose better than anything-else, and should therefore bb the pnly end used ; or otherwise, it should be mingled with _ the refuse (previously called' coke) and lime, spread thickly over the mass. Your obedient servant, MORITZ MARKj M.D. Christchurch, Deo, 23.