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VAN NOSTRAND'S
Engineering Magazine.
J" TJ L "5r-3D E O E 3SJ: B El R.
lese.
NEW YORK :
1>. VAN NOSTRAND, PTJ B JL. I SHER.
28 IfuBBAT Strkbt hSD 27 Wabbbn Strbbt, (Up Staibi.)
1886.
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Sci 1520,414
JUN 201917
TRANSFERRED TO
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CONTENTS
VOL. XXXV.
Paire
AohieTementsof engineerinff.. 148
Adieu of editor SM
AdTanoesin sanitary solence.. 898
Alamioiam alloy, new 80D
Amerloan aoademy of enidneer-
injf 877
American watoh making 60
AnalysiB of the gyroscope 496
Aneroids 418,407
Arobet, loffarlthnUc 17
Arches, obliqae, strenffth of . . . . 198
Arohlteotnral training Ml
Armor plate trials at Spezia. . . 86
Asphalt pavements of Berlin. .. 845
Australian railway increase ... 178
Anstro- B omcarian railways .... 418
Axles, failore of 619
Barometric leveling 418, 4S7
Berlin sewage irriiration works. 87
Beriia water supply le
Black sea ports 617
BUsting agents 617
Blowholes in open hearth steel. 86
Book Noticbs.
Bias, 0., Analyse Electro-
_ lytiqoe Quantitative 849
Cullev, J. L., O.K., Hehcoid-
al Oblique Arches 849
Dayles, P. J., Practical
Plumbing 174
Gumming, Linneaus, Elec-
tricity treated Experi-
inentaUy 588
Ditmar, W., P. R S., Tables
for Chemical Calculation. 174
Dorr, B. P., Surveyor*s
Quide 848
Pleming, J. A , M A., Leo-
turee to Electrical Arti-
sans 489
Poye,J C, A. M., Handbook
_of Mineralogy 848
Oariel, C. M., Traite Prac-
_ tique d' Electricity 848
Oilman, Lieut. H K., Hand-
-book for Field Service ... 861
Gore, J. H , B. 8 , Elements
of Geodesy 860,489
Hiohbom, P., European
^Dockyards 849
Howe, M. A.» C.E., Retain-
,ingWaU8 87
/amieson, Andrew, Steam
and Steam Engines 6S8
Jennings. I. H., Pboto-mi-
^cography 861
Kapp, G C.E., Electrloal
Transmission of Energy
1^^888
Bwidall, P., Practical Hy-
draulics... 87
See, J. W» C B., U. S. Pat-
ents on Electrical Lines. . 87
Page
Shepard, James H., Inor-
ganic Chemistry 688
Stalev, C. and Pierson, G. S..
C.B, Separate System of
Sewage 860, 489
Wood, De Voiron, O.E., Lu-
mlniferous iBther. 175
Wormell, R., Electricity in
the Service of Man .... 588
Wortliiniaon, A. M , M. A.,
Laboratory Practice 499
Brennan torpedo 487
Brick masonry in design 486
Bridge deflection 447
Canadian railway progress .... 859
Cannons, Krupp 619
Channel- way deposit — 894
Cholera and water supply 141
Columns, resistance or 876
Columns Oi steel or oast iron. . . 466
Combustion 451
Comparative economy 610
Comptitition by land and sea. . . 86
Compressed gun cotton 881, 478
Compressive f oundationa. 88
Conduction, earth 849
Cunductivlty of resins 176
Gonstaut cell, new 176
Contact, flame ; water heating. 188
Cooling, rapid, of ironc<»Iumns. 450
Copper miniDg in N. S. Wales. . 138
Cork, mechanical properties of. 807
Corrosion of boilers 88
Corrosion of steel 84
Corrosion of the copper of the
Juniata '. . . . 807
Crane, large 516
Damascening bv electrolysis ... 88
Deep sea soundings 484
Defenses against torpedoes 581
Deflection of trusses 447
Deformation of the bore of a
gun 178
Depomt from channel-way of
U. S S Richmond 894
Destructive action of cement
mortar 844
Dissociation of steam and
carbonic acid 87
Draining Lake Copals 867
Duties of the engineer 115
Duty on foreign coal in Russia. 888
Earth currents 588
Earth conduction 849
East Indian Railway Co. sleep-
er« 178
Economy, comparative 610
Etfeot of frost on roadways. ... 48
Egyptian petroleum 854
Elasticity of metals 858
Electrical motors I
Page
Electrical welding 440
Electricity, thermo 198
Electric currents, self-induo-
tionof. 68
Electric light for railways 510
Electric railways 480
Electrolysis 688
Electromotors for railways — 805
Blectrotvping solution, new ... 864
Elimination of phosphorous. ... 485
Endurance of steel rails 76
Energy of fuel in looomotivef.. 858
Engineer, duties of 116
Engineering academy, Ameri-
can 877
Engineering, achievements and
reward 148
Engineering feat 171
BNoiNBBRiNe Soonms.
American Society of Civil
Engineers 488
Engineers' Club of Phlladel-
phlA 80,168, 516
Engmes, performance of 188
Errors in field work, elimina-
tion of 108
Euphrates Valley raOway 486
European inland navigation,
154, 888
Evaporation 41
Facts and science of water sup-
ply 88
Fixing artesian tube wells 851
Flame contact, water heating.. 188
Flexure of long columns 876
Flooding the Sahara 106
Formulas for resistance of gird-
ers 889, 858
French iron-dad as a moving
target 847
French railways, consumption
of sleepers 486
FroAt on roadways 48
Fuel in locomotives. 858
Gas wells, measurement of. ... . 89
Geodesic leveling 466
Geodetic survey of the U. S 88
Girders, resistance of 8S9, 858
Gilders, steel 897
Gun cotton for military use, 881, 478
Gun, the paradox 681
Gyroscope. ^
Holland and railway enterprise. 960
Hotchldss versus Nordenfelt
guns 488
Hydrogen in glow lamps 880
Hypsometry 418,407
Ice making machinery 188, 190
Imperial yacht 680
Induction of electric currents . . 08
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IV
coNTEirrfl.
Paire
Inland nayigatlon in Bnrope,
Internal friction of metals. . . . .' 851
International Suez canal com-
mission. 488
Iron and steeL corrosion of . — 860
Iron, changes in dne to magneti-
zation 84
Iron-clads, Rnssian 847
Iron colnmns rapidly cooled.... 466
Iron enterprise In South Russia. 84
Iron helmet, antique 178
Iron, protecting 440
Iron, tinned 845
Iron yersus steel girders 485
Irrigation, reseryoirs 446
Italian railways 449
Jara Yolcanoes 876
Jnniata, corrosion of the cop-
perof 807
Kolomna works 86
Krapp guns 610
Kutter's formula 866
Large reseryoirs 446
Leyeling 418,467
Light, standards of 47
limit of speed in ocean trayel,
71. 186
Locomotlyee, energy of fuel in. 868
Logarithmic arches 17
Low carbon steel 804
Lunar surface and its tempera-
ture 177
Machinery for ice making.. 188, 196
Magnesium torch 814
Measurement of gas wells 89
Mechanical art of American
watchmaking 60
Mechanical properties of cork.. 807
Metropolitan sewage 88
Modem war ships 114
Nation's great problem 881
Naval estimates, French 680
Nayigatlon in Europe, inland,
154, 888
Navy. Spanish 682
Net defenses 681
New nayy 860
New steamers for the Caspian. 80
Nickel and copper 684
Nordenfelt ran 860
Norwegian industries 624
Oases of the Mery and Akhal
q>Q^Q g2
Oblique arches! strexigth'of ! 198
Ocean travel, limit of speed in,
71. 186
Open hearth steel 86
Paradox gun 681
Performance of steam engines. 188
Page
Permanent way of light rail-
ways 846
Permanent way, steel sleepers
for 108
Phenomenon, curious 87
Pocket heliograph 866
Polisblnff interior of tubes 486
Portland current, addition of
substances to 844
Portland cement, magnesia in. 864
Power, sources of. 487
Power used in propelling street
cars 184
Problem of the nation 881
Process of round forgings, new 857
Properties of cast iron 88
Properties of cork 807
Proposal for American acade-
my 877
Pulley, new 171
Purification of water 816, 897
R .. 76
R ..86
Ri \. 449
R ..806
R ..430
Ri .. 847
Ri .. 619
Rl ..617
Ri .. 619
Ri d. 486
Ri ..867
Ri ..865
R4 t8, 196
R< .. 461
R( ..446
Ba », 868
R< .. 876
R< its 487
R< ..148
RI .. 17
R< ..48
R< ..496
Ri . . 618
Ri .. 518
Sahara, flooding the 106
Sampling pig Iron 178
Sanitary sotence. advances In. . 898
Science of water supply 88
ScientiOc experts as witnesses. 88
Secondary battery, new 176
Self-induction of electric cur-
rents 68
Self -purification of rivers 49
Sewage Irrigation works, Ber-
Sewage, treatment of . ! l
Sewer under Westminister pal-
ace 88
Sewer ventilation 896
Shells, gun cotton In 881
Ships of war, modem 114
Sleepers on I<rench railways... 486
Smoke nuisance 88
Solidoxygen 87
Sources of power 1&7
Spanish navy 68S
Speed in ocean trayel 71, 186
Stuidards of white light. 47
Steam engines 18S
Steel and wrought-iron girders. 807
Steel in construction 618
Steel, direct production of 857
Steel, low carbon 804
Steel, open hearth 86
Steel or iron columns. 466
Steel propeller shafts 846
Steel rails, endnmnce of 76
Steel rails for Sweden 860
Steel ships 846
Steel sleepers 1(&
Steel wire for bridges 488
Steelwiregun 66
Steel work for railway bridges. 188*
St Gothard tunnel trafllc 869
Strains of ships at sea 85>
Strategetical frontier railway.. 178.
Street car propulsion, power
used 184
Strength of oblique arches 10»
Suez canal 516
Suez canal commission, report. 48^
Supply of water— relation of
cholera to 141
Supply, water 16
Surface of the moon 177
Survey, geodetic . of the U. 8 . . . 88
Swedish navy, additions to 848
Swedish railways 860
Temperature of lunar surface.. 177
Testing rails and tires
Test of water-tight compart-
ments 85
Thermodynamics 480
Thermodynamics, Rankine*s... :e6&
Thermo-electricity. 198^
Torpedo boat 6a9>
Torpedo defenses 601
Tndnlng, architectural »#i
Tramcar. electric 610
Trans-Caspian railway 848
Treatment of sewage i
Tyne tank steamers 860
Van Nostrand. David 441
ventilation of sewers 896
War ships, modem 114
Water Jet experiments 684
Watch-making, American 60
Water puriflcation 816, 897
Water supply and cholera 141
Water supply of Antwerp 844
Water supply of Berlin . I6
Water supply, science of 88
Wells, measurement of 89
White liirbt, standards of 47
Wood turbine wheels 856
Wrought-lron girders. 887
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VAN NOSTEAND'S
Engineering Magazine.
NO. CCXI-JTJLT, 1886 -VOL. XXXV.
THE TREATMENT OP SEWAGE.
By Db. C. MBYMOTT TIDY.
From the "Journal of the Sooiety of Arts.'*
When, some six months ago, your
Council did me the honor to ask me to
read a paper before your Society on the
subject of the "Treatment of Sewage,"
I accepted with considerable misgivings,
knowing that to do the. subject in any
way justice would necessitate an amount
of work which I was not quite sm:e that
I had time for at my disposal. How-
ever, I accepted the duty, ^nd I at once
set to wor£ to think out the whole
matter. I had a vast amount of facts to
go over, and the result has been that I
have prepared a paper which it is im-
possible to read for two reasons — first,
its length, for I think it would take
almost a week to read, and, secondly,
that it is not in proper form, which is a
very important matter in connection
with this subject. I only mention this
in order to assure the Society that I
have not neglected the subject which I
have been asked to bring forward. Per-
haps I have done a little too much, so
far as that is concerned, in its prepara-
tion ; and I shall have to ask you to for-
give me if, instead of reading the paper,
I give an outline of the conclusions at
wmch I have arrived, and of certain facts
bearing on those conclusions, and, at
the same time, if I avoid, as far as pos-
sible, anything like details. These will
all be printed in due course, and then
the details upon which I have based my
conclusions will be before the Society.
Vol. XXXV.— No. 1—1
I should like to mention one or two
other preliminary points. First of all,
I have tried to consider this subject un-
fettered, as far as possible, by previous
conclusions. I remember that famous
saying of one we know very well. Prof.
Clifford, that consistency was the bug-
bear of weak minds. I have not tried to
be consistent I have attempted, at any
rate, to approach the subject from the
position of judge, if possible, and not
from the position of advocate. I come
before you without any patent ; I am an
advocate of no system. I have been
retained by a good many people on both
sides in my time, and I have had an
opportunity of knowing what is going on
behind the scenes, and, as I say, I come
here to-night without being an advocate
of anybody, or anything, without any
patent to support, and without, as far as
I know, having written anything upon
the subject which can be criticised. So
that, I think I am in a perfectly in-
dependent position in this matter. An-
other matter which I should like to men-
tion is my obligation to many friends
in preparing the paper, and I mention
that so that it may not be supposed I
am taking upon myself credit for work
which belongs to others. First of all, I
must mention my friend. Professor
Dewar, whose originality we all know.
Then there are others, earnest, ardent
precipitationists, like Mr. Hawksley. I
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VAN NOSTRAND'S ENGINEERING MAGAZINE.
cannot mention all their names at every
turn, and therefore I must, onoe for all,
admit the obligations which I owe to
them before I start
Now, I have endeavored to come to
something like a conclusion as to the
proportions of solids and liquids in sew-
age which are contributed daily by a
town population of a given number. And
I have endeavored to do this as far as
possible by calculations. Those calcula-
tions have been made to a great extent
at the London Hospital, where we have
something like 900 people, and where
we have, therefore, a very good opportu-
nity of judging. I am not going tlurough
the actual numbers to-night, but I may
say that if you take a town population
of' 10,000 people, you will not be very
far wrong in saying that the urine of
that 10,000 of town population will be
something like 10,300 gallons, of which
from 740 to 750 lbs. is organic matter,
and of that organic matter it may be
taken that about 220 lbs. is nitrogen.
Then, as regards the fecal matter, it may
be taken that the dry fecal matter from
the 10,000 town population will be about
430 lbs. There will be that quantity of
dry fecal matter passed per day by that
number, and of that quantity about 360
lbs. is organic matter ; of that 360 lbs.,
something like 23^ lbs. is nitrogen. So
far as 1 can make out, that is as nearly
as possible the state of facts.
Now, then, of the constituents of this
organic matter, the phosphoric acid and
potash have a certain manurial value.
This annual value of the excreta has been
calculated by a great many different
people. I do not know myself very
much about the agricultural aspect of
the subject, and I have therefore looked
up all the estimates of agricultural
writers betiring upon it. It is very
difficult to make anything of them, for
they vary from 6s. 6d. to £1 as the annual
value of the excreta of each adult I
think you may take it that between 8s.
and 9s. is more nearly the actual result
than any other I can arrive at. Then we
have got all sorts of calculations about
the ammonia. We are told that urine,
on the average, contains 10.3 per cent
My own experiments leads me to think
that that is rather a low estimate of the
actual quantity — decidedly low I think-
when you take into consideration the
fact that a large number of the popula-
tion of towns are, generally, not in very
good health, and that the amount of
ammonia excreted during disease is not
at all the same, but very often double
what it is during health ; however, that
does not make very much difference.
Then the value of the anmionia alone is
something between 6s. 8d. and 7s. 6d.
per year for each adult All I want to
make clear is — for this is the point I
wish to arrive at in connection with this
question — that the chief subject of ma-
nurial value is urine. It is very curious
to see all the estimates that have been
made of the relative valuations of this
excreta. We have, for instance, the
statement that a pound of human excre-
ment is equal in manurial value to 13 lbs.
of horse dung, or 6 lbs. of cow dung.
A very famous chemist has said that the
excretal value of one adult is equal in
manurial value to the droppings from
one sheep, and so on. I can only men-
tion these facts to you as an introduction
to my story.
Well, the first calculations with regard
to the value and quantities of this excreta
were made from the cesspool system and
the midden system. The middens were
not looked upon as sources of profit, but
simply as means to prevent nuisance.
Cesspools had many disadvantages ; there
were noxious emanations from them, pol-
luted wells, and all sorts of things. The
middens have their advantages, and they
also have undoubtedly their difficulties.
One of the difficulties in connection with
them was that of educating the people
to use them properly ; a difficulty which,
in my opinion, applies just as much to
water-closets as to middens. Another
difficulty was to get the local authorities
to attend them properly, I mean with
regard to the perfection of the scaveng-
ing arrangements ; and I am bound to
say that, in my experience, the difficulty
is not one iota less in getting the local
authorities to treat the sewage properly.
The middeiis have two advantages ; the
first is the diversion of excremental
matters from the rivers, and the second,
that disinfectants can be used in middens
during periods of epidemics. Those are
very great advantages which we have to
consider in connection with this subject.
Now, there are two matters which I
have to mention with regard to a circum-
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THE TREATMENT OP SEWAGE.
3
stance which was pointed out by Dr.
Frankland, which is that sewage from
midden towns is just as foul, just as im-
pure, and just as polluting, as the sewage
' from water-closet towns. And Dr. Frank-
land, in one of the reports of the Rivers
Pollution Commissioners (for, of course,
although it was the report of the Com-
missioners, it was really his report), has
given figures to show that the sewage
^om these midden towns is as bad as
that from water - closet towns. I
emphatically join issue with him
there on the facts. My own expe-
rience is that he is absolutely wrong
somewhere. I do' not know exactly
where, but I am perfectly clear that he
is wrong, and that midden town sewage
is not so bad as water-closet town sew-
age. And it is a very curious fact also,
that it is very clear from Dr. Prankland's
own results that his results show he is
wrong somewhere, because he has taken
this sewage of which he has given the
composition from a large number of
midden towns ; and after giving the de-
tails showing that the sewage of midden
towns is the same, or rather worse, than
the sewage of water-closet towns, he says
that the facift also show that an average
of 25,561 tons of solid matter is annually
kept out of the midden towns' sewage
which has been examined. Well, I can-
not make out exactly how, having come
to the conclusion by elaborate calcula-
tions that out of the midden town's sew-
age which he has examined there is k^t
out 25,561 tons of solid sewage matter,
he can say that the sewage is as bad in
the one case as in the others. That is one
of maiiy difficulties which I have found at
starting. My own calculations show
that "Dr. Fraiikland is correct in the
quantity of solid matter which is kept
out of the sewers, and by that quantity
of course is the sewage of the midden
towns improved. That is the conclusion
at which I have arrived on that point ;
therefore, I join issue with him, and it is
very important) that I should join issue
with him there, because it is a matter on
which I shall have to speak. It is no
use saying that middens, if not properly
looked after, are a nuisance ; of course,
anything that is badly looked after is a
nuisance. I only say that it is important
that we should notice those facts.
It is impossible that I should go here
into anything like a discussion of the
merits of the dry-earth system. As
regards cost, I will simply say this : that
two men and one horse can, at any place
where the place of collection is ordinarily
near a town, collect three pails a week
per head at the cost of 3s. 9d. per ton.
That seems to be about the result.
And now we come to the water-carri-
age system. People said, '^ Here is, this
horrible stuff to be got rid of ; what can
there be better to get rid of it than
water— wash it away as fast as possible.'*
That was the idea — thus arose the water-
carriage system.
And what is the value of the sewage
thus produced? Sewage liquid, com-
pound — very compound ; complex — very
complex. We may say broadly, if we
want to define sewage (and I nave de-
fined it on many occasions) that it is the
refuse of communities, their habitations,
streets, and factories. This is not a very
accurate definition, but it is somewhere
about it. Now, then, as regards the
quantity of sewage and the quality of
sewage, I think there are two facts to be
borne in mind. I have the analyses of
sewage from a great many different
towns which have come before me, but
there are two facts which I want to
bring before you, and the first is, that
the quantity of sewage and the quality of
sewage in one town is entirely different
from the quantity and quality of the
sewage in another town ; it is totally
different, varying with different condi-
tions, such as the trade operations that
are being carried on there. I want to
show that there is a difference from that
fact alone. That is a difficulty, and when
we hear a man saying that this id the
system of treatment or that is the system