Polytechnic Association. 653 



would soften, and fissures be formed in the walls, through which 

 eventually the fluids would partially escape. It is evident, however, 

 that no matter what care may be taken in storing this corrupt mass of 

 organic matter, decomposition invariably takes place in it attended by 

 a disengagement of most vile and pernicious gases, and that it is 

 impossible to prevent these gases from mingling with the atmosphere. 

 It is therefore doubtful, in my opinion, if a perfectly tight reservoir 

 for containing the fecal matter would have any decided advantage 

 over the ordinary cess-pool, where the fluid parts are allowed to soak 

 gradually away in the earth. 



Within the last few years, the disposition of the authorities of 

 many of the large cities has been to follow the example that 

 was being so extensively carried out in the cities of England, viz. : 

 To construct large and deep sewers, into which all filth, garbage and 

 excrement should be consigned, and which should, by mechanical or 

 other means, be supplied with such an abundance of water as would 

 float this mass so far without their limits that the pestilential vapors 

 arising from it should in no way contaminate the atmosphere of the 

 city from which it was discharged. This appeared to be (so far as 

 the immediate advantages of the cities themselves were concerned) a 

 most practical mode of solving the difficulty they had experienced — in 

 liberating themselves from the daily accumulations of objectionable 

 and unhealthy deposits. Enterprising contractors and engineers took 

 hold of the idea with assiduity, and representing, in their most favora- 

 ble light, the great result that had been obtained in England, some 

 German cities were induced to adopt a similar system. 



In the mean time, however, observing scientific men, both of Eng- 

 land and the Continent, had been studying closely the workings of 

 the English system, and the result of their investigations has been to 

 render it exceedingly doubtful whether that system is correct, or if it 

 is based upon principles that are fundamentally wrong. As a solu- 

 tion of this problem is of the greatest importance to our young and 

 growing country, I shall endeavor to call your attention particularly 

 to it. You will understand that in speaking of this system, I imply, 

 also, the uses to which it is put, viz. : As being the channels by and 

 through which a large amount of the waste matter, street dirt, house 

 slops, fecal and refuse organic matter are to be conveyed to such a 

 distance that the effluvia arising from a decomposition of any of them 

 may have no injurious or disagreeable influences in the locality from 

 whence they were removed ; that a part of this system is the carry- 

 ing away of the waste and rain water, and, in some cases, a draining 



