14 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



Sewering and Paving Havana 



The great work of sewering and paving 

 in Havana is proceeding without interrup- 

 tions despite the talk of last month when 

 it seemed as though serious friction be- 

 tween the government, the engineers and the 

 contractors had developed, but differences 

 were speedily adjusted by a commission 

 appointed by President Gomez. As a mat- 

 ter of fact whatever trouble there was was 

 due entirely to the various interpretations 

 the original specifications for certain parts 

 of the work were capable of and it needed 

 a decision as to a choice of methods which 

 should be concurred in by the engineers, 

 the contractors, the U. S. Government and 

 the Cuban Government. 



Some 36 miles of sewers have already 

 been built, which represents about 15 per 

 cent, of the completed work. The main 

 sewer is 12 feet, and the feeders from the 

 suburbs of Jesus del Monte and Vcdado 

 7 feet. This will be sufficient to dispose of 



the sewage of a city of 600,000 inhabitants, 

 more than twice Havana's population at 

 the last census. The main sewer will be 

 adequate for all demands. The contractors 

 expect that all the sewer work will be fin- 

 ished during the administration of Presi- 

 dent Gomez. Paving work will begin in 

 July at Jesus del Monte. The work of 

 laying the fiO-inch pipes under the harbor 

 of Havana to Cabafias is readv to begin. 

 The method employed will be that shown 

 in the accompanvine illustration. The great 

 pipes are attached to a caisson which is 

 filled with water. In sinking the pipes 

 come undermost, and on reaching the bot- 

 tom are placed on piles previously planted 

 by divers who then release the caisson 

 which, after being pumped out, rises to the 

 surface for other sections of pipe. The 

 present plans call for a single 60-inch pipe 

 under the harbor, with another to be built 

 in about 10 years, to provide for the growth 

 in the population, but at the discretion of 

 the chief engineer a tunnel can be built 

 which will be adequate for all time. 



There are objections developing from 

 commercial interests against the single-pipe 

 plan, however, which may turn business 

 sentiment against them and in favor of a 

 tunnel. There are numerous craft an- 

 choring from time to time in the neighbor- 

 hood of the section of the river bed, where 

 the pipe is to be laid and the danger of in- 

 jury from the fouling of anchors is serious 

 enough to warrant consideration. There 

 is a growing belief that the tunnel plan is 

 one that will be most satisfactory in the 

 long run and give the best service. 



The 



Six-o'Clock 



Lazv 



Placing 60-incli pipes under water, using Phillips' 

 patent caisson. These are 6 feet square and 52 

 feet long and when empty can support 24 tons. 

 Illustration from the catalog of the United States 

 Cast Iron Pipe and Foundry Co. 



The Arteaga law making 

 obligatory the closing of all 

 shops and factories at 6 p. 

 m. was approved by the 

 Senate April 22d, without 

 debate and signed by the President on May 

 4th, became operative May 24th. The bill 

 only affects first and second-class munici- 

 palities : a first-class municipality is that 

 which has over 100,000 inhabitants, Havana 

 being the only one in the island. A second- 

 class municipality is one having more than 

 20,000 inhabitants. 



The Chamber of Congress had appointed 

 a committee to petition the President to 

 veto the law, questioning its constitutional- 

 ity and declaring it in any case prejudicial 

 to the business interests, but their objec- 

 tions were not heeded. It is believed the 

 law will not stand when reviewed by the 

 Supreme Court, before which body the 

 merchants intend to bring it. 



Violations of this law will be punished 

 by fines of from ten to fifty dollars or im- 

 prisonment in default of the payment 

 thereof. 



