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interception system would be very beneficial; by good I mean the 
best, and that in my opinion is the earth closet. 
From an engineering point of view, sewage interception sys- 
tems are imperfect, as they do not provide “for the removal of 
slop water, and urine to a limited extent only; surface water is 
also unprovided for, and thus it will be seen that a complete 
complement of pipe sewers is required to remove these waters 
and liquid wastes, so that the expense to the community is not 
at all lowered by these systems, and where sewers have been 
laid down, the use or introduction of any interception system is 
an extra burden upon the rates of a town, as it entails a yearly 
outlay in the removal of the contents of the privy vault or pail, 
whichever may be used. 
Pneumatic Systems, 
Those before the public are 
Tue Lrernur System, 
Tue Beruer System, and 
Tue SHonr System. 
I have never seen any of these systems at work, and can only 
give a short sketch of each, from knowledge derived from reading 
on the subjects. My opinion is that any or all of these systems 
will yet play a conspicuous part in the sanitary dispositions of 
many districts in both this and other countries, as they are 
invaluable in such districts where gravitation cannot be made 
use of as a means of removing both dry and liquid wastes. 
The most widely known pneumatic system is that of Captain 
). T. Liernur, largely used in Holland. in Amsterdam, Leyden, 
Dordrecht, also in a limited degree in Prague and Hanau. It 
consists of 1st, the removal through cast iron air tight pipes of all 
feces, urine, and chamber slops “from dwellings, hospitals, &e., 
by pneumatic suction, 2nd, the removal by gravity of all slop 
waters, rain waters and subsoil drainage by means of entirely 
distinct service of sewers; although this second service of pipes 
forms an integral part of the general scheme, I can hear of no 
place where this Liernur’s system is used, having adopted the 
second service of pipes. 
By the Liernur system the town is divided into small districts, 
all the dwellings, &¢., in each district being connected by means 
of a 5in. cast iron air tight jointed pipe, with a small air tight 
cast iron reservoir; all the street pipes connected with this 
reservoir are fitted with a stop cock to control the vacuum. At 
some convenient place a general collecting station is established, 
provided with large air tight reservoirs, and connected with the 
smaller street reservous by means of an upper and lower tier of 
iron pipes; a steam engine, working an air pump, produces a 
partial vacuum in the large reservoirs and mains connected with 
