THE SEWERAGE OF KANSAS C27 Y. 525 
successful introduciion of the separate system. The grades are steep and the 
slopes are short, so that storm-water can be quickly and cheaply gotten rid of 
by open gutters, combined with a few storm sewers ; and in our climate the rains 
are needed to wash the streets. We have a light dry soil, admirably drained 
naturally, so that one of the three offices which are performed by the combined 
sewers, that of draining the adjoining soil of water (at the expense of occasionally 
polluting it with sewage) through the crevices in the work, will not be required, 
or if required, will be better done by laying tile drains in wet places, along with 
the sewers proper, as was done in Memphis. So that every consideration of 
expediency, of health and of economy points to the adoption of the separate 
system for those parts of Kansas City which are yet unprovided with sewers. 
There are also special reasons why the separate system is the best adapted to 
the needs of this city. In a rapidly growing town, where we are dilligently build- 
ing up and digging down, where the streets are being constantly disturbed, and 
where we have the hurly burly which so astonished our late Mexican visitors, it 
is almost impossible to prevent the intrusion into sewers, to which storm-water 
has access, of all sorts of debris and incongruous materials, which are pretty sure 
to obstruct the sewers, if not to choke them. If there are, therefore, anywhere 
good reasons for making strorm-water sewers large enough for men to go into 
them to clean them, (and as we have seen, this is the French practice,) certainly 
those reasons exist in Kansas City. 
Moreover, the combined system of sewers can be scarcely carried out much 
in advance of the grading of the streets, and of their paving and guttering. 
Otherwise they would probably become useless in consequence of the changes 
of grades, which are not altogether unknown here, or choked by the bringing in 
of earth and rubbish from the unpaved streets; while, if we adopt the separate 
system, it can, by being placed in the alleys, be at once carried out in advance 
of grading the streets, in all parts of the town where sanitary reasons exist for 
them. 
Now, let us see what will be the financial results. I have only at hand the 
data furnished in the report of the city engineer for the year ending December 
31, 1882. From this it appears that the total area of the city is 2,907 acres, of 
which 200 acres had been fully sewered, and 223 acres more partly sewered, at 
a total cost of $314,914. If we assume this sewered portion to represent an area 
of 307 acres (and this cannot be far wrong), the cost has therefore been at the 
rate of $1,026 per acre; and if the combined system continues to be carried out, 
at the same relative cost, the total expenditure will be: 
Cost of 307 acres sewered December 31, 1882 .... $ 314,914 
Cost of 2,600 acres to be sewered at $1,026 2,667,600 
Total $2,982,514 
I understand, however, that in consequence of good management and close 
economy on the part of the city engineer, the cost has been largely reduced from 
that of previous years, and he estimates that in the parts of the city not already 
