63 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
on both sides in some cases, for a distance of 3,000 feet, have never been over- 
charged, and have seldom been found running half full. No trouble has been 
caused by sewer^gas, and the sewers are believed to be comparatively free from 
it. Some of the^six inch pipes have occasionally been obstructed by sticks, 
bones, etc., becoming fixed across the diameter of the pipe, all of which have 
been promptly^removed. Twenty-one cases of such obstruction have occurred, 
which have been removed at an average cost of $13.50 each. 
Some deposits have been found in the mains, which have been rapidly and 
inexpensively removed by the passage of hollow metal balls through them. 
These balls are less in diameter than the sewers, and being lighter than water 
are^pressed against the top of the sewer, and are rolled along by the force of the 
current, g, The^velocity of the ball is less than that of the water, which in passing 
it is deflected against the bottom and sides of the sewer so as to thoroughly 
cleanse it. A portion of the mains have been cleansed four times since their 
construction ; the laterals not at all. Pipe laying was commenced about the 20th 
of January, 1880, and on July ist, of the same year, about twenty miles had 
been^^laid. The first house connections were made about the ist of March of 
the same year. On the 13th of June, 1882, hourly observations showed the 
greatest depth of flow fourteen inches, at 11 A. M,; least depth, ten and one- 
fourth inches, at 4 A. M. Floats in the same sewer gave a surface velocity of 
two and six-tenths feet per second, the depth being twelve and one-fourth inches. 
The following is a statement of the connections made with this system, but 
does not include those made with the old sewers, discharging by other outlets : 
Water closets . 45715 
Sinks 3^224 
Urinals 179 
Bath tubs 334 
Wash basins 308 
Privy sinks 34 
Cellar drains. . . . . 24 
This system of sewers gives entire satisfaction both to the city government 
and citizens generally. 
Dr. Thornton, President of the Board of Health, in his last report, has the 
following to say of the workings of the sewerage system described above : 
"The practical working of the sewer is giving entire satisfaction, and, as 
far as I know, fully answering the ends claimed for it by its projector. The 
chief advantages of this system over the ordinary sewers of other cities are the 
economy in first cost, the prevention of sewer gas to its minimum, the exclusion 
of storm or surface water, and their facihty in cleansing themselves, or in the 
prevention of the deposit of sewage matter in any portion of the pipe. The 
periodical flushing by an automatic arrangement of a flush-tank, placed at the 
head of each lateral six-inch pipe, when it discharges, cleanses the pipe of all 
deposit, should there be any, thereby preventing any decomposition in the sew- 
er." — Journal. 
