Author Archives: Ronald Parks

Odorless Excavating Apparatus

29 Friday Apr 2016

Posted by in Baltimore, Health, Sewage History

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Baltimore, situated as she is, with one main water course through her center (Jones Falls), she had plenty of water for the people. Pure, clean drinking water….until people started dumping their sewage into it. Many Health Commissioner’s Reports talk about what to do with the sewage of Baltimore. Contractors were hired to haul it away. Here are a couple HCRs on what happened over a few short years in Baltimore, until a proper system of sewage could be built.

1865 – The withdrawal of a large share of the water flowing in this stream (Jones Falls), by the completion of the lake and storage reservoirs (Lake Roland, originally called Swann Lake), with the extension of the water works in the city, has left too small a portion of water to keep the original course clean if nothing was thrown into it; but to this deficiency of water add its use as a receptacle for every species of offal from factories, foundries, tanneries, stables and dwelling houses, and we are not surprised at its present condition. We have had one of these sources of nuisance carefully examined, and find that not only are most of the privies attached to dwellings on the streets adjoining the Falls drained into it, by means of private sewers, but that wherever a sewer leading to it can be reached, this sewer is connected with privies for drainage purposes.

1873 – The late City Council have distinguished their administration by the passage of an ordinance permitting the use of the “odorless excavating apparatus” for emptying privies in the day time. This is the inauguration of a new era, and destined to prove one of the greatest blessings of the age. As stated in a communication on this subject to the late City Council, your Commissioner holds that a large proportion of the cases of cholera infantum occurring in all large cities during the heated term are to be ascribed to the ancient and vile mode of doing this work, as well as to its transportation through the streets of the city, poisoning the air which is wafted into every open window.

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1875 Odorless Apparatus1888 – The adoption of a proper system of sewers for the present privy-wells will assist the Health Department in its endeavor to bring the City to a point where the ordinary sanitary condition will be such that epidemics of disease, resulting from or aggravated by filth, could be avoided or reduced to a minimum. The danger is greater than the people realize; the trouble is deep-seated and not to be reached by the Spring ‘cleaning up’ nor even by inspection. In most of the houses of this City there exists a latent power for evil, which is liable when its hour arrives to exert itself to the full of its terrible might.

I don’t believe that this apparatus lasted too long. It is no longer mentioned after the 1876 report.

Montebello Lake

25 Monday Apr 2016

Posted by in Baltimore, filtration, HISTORY, water history

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Last week I received a request from my boss to check out the Montebello Lake. That it was reported that someone was seen dumping petroleum and chlorine into the lake. My first question was – “Did the person who spotted this call the police?” It is a crime to tamper with the water supply, let alone dump toxic chemicals into a lake on our property. This lake is no longer part of the city water supply system, other than being a settling basin for what goes on in the filtration plant. It is a by-product of filtration, waiting to settle out before flowing into Herring Run. Most people, even the neighbors don’t know this. They still believe the lake is drinking water. It hasn’t been drinking water since 1915.

I go and check out the lake but didn’t find anything amiss. (Not only do people NOT call the police, but after 35 years of being here, I learn to take those calls for lake problems with a grain of salt. Most are not true and unsubstantiated, but they do need to be checked out)

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This is the view across the lake towards the gate house. The brown you see in the water is sludge build-up. This lake was dredged in 2005-2007, but the contractors only did a small portion of the smaller lake where most plant sludge is collected before flowing to this lake. That lake will soon be dredged. (It should be every 3-5 years, with the big lake not needing to be done for 30 years)

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The ducks, turtles, fish and other wildlife all seem to be fine. No effects from a toxic dump here. I also did not see any dead growth on the grass which would indicate dumping.

tiffanyrThis is one of the original drawings from 1875 showing the lake being built over Tiffany Run, which dumps into Herring Run. The run was diverted into a tunnel from the gate house, lower left of lake then heads along, marked as drain conduit to Herring Run.

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This is the original 1880s Tiffany Run drain. It has been relined a couple times since being built.

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Channel from Tiffany drain to Herring Run. This is probably the best part of my job, other than historical research – getting to roam around in the woods. All 300 acres.

Dumps and Incinerators

21 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by in Baltimore, HISTORY, Sewage History

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In the 1884 Street Cleaning report are listed the following five dumps: Canton, Spring Garden, Back Basin, Eager St. and South Baltimore. By the 1920s, Baltimore was burning its garbage at two incinerators. One at Sisson and 28th street. The other on Philadelphia road. What does this have to do with sewage? Both places are on streams. Sisson street on Jones Falls, which still has a household hazardous waste collection site (original building appears to be gone). And Philadelphia road, as seen in the one photo below dumped right into Herring Run, which empties into Back River then on to the Chesapeake Bay. These photographs come from glass plate negatives that were broken due to improper storage. If you have GPNs, handle them with care.

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The horse drawn cart was replaced by the modern dump truck. Here they are backing into the Sisson Street Incinerator, also known as #1 incinerator.

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Instead of just piling the refuse into a dump, hoping somehow it would disappear, the garbage was sorted and then burned. #2 Incinerator on Pulaski Highway.

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Pulaski Highway #2 Incinerator showing how any liquids and washed down materials were dumped into Herring Run. And yes, there use to be Herring in that stream.

Garbage 1886

20 Wednesday Apr 2016

Posted by in Baltimore, Health, Sewage History

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1886 – From the Mayor’s Message: Health Department –  Garbage, etc. – The amount of garbage collected and removed during the past year was thirty-three thousand eight hundred and forty-nine cart-loads. Table G (below) shows the large number of dead animals, fowls, etc., collected and removed by this Department. The present methods of disposal of garbage and carrion are exceedingly unsatisfactory. Much annoyance and discomfort is experienced by residents adjacent to the present dumps, and frequent and continued complaints are made of the offensive odors. This annoyance, and menace to public health, can be obviated by burning them.

Chart gThis is a lot of dead animals. When this refuse was not picked up immediately and taken to the dumps (5 in the city), it was washed into the sewers which emptied into the Inner Harbor.

Jones Falls Flooding and Proposed Improvements

14 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by in Baltimore, HISTORY, Sewage History

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First map – July 1868. Showing Plat and Sections of Streets Submerged by Flood Exhibiting Proposed Changes Projected to Relieve the City Against Future Overflow by Latrobe, Trimble and Tegmeyer, Commissioners.

The area between the green lines is the flooded zone. The blue is the proposed changes. The grey being the actual Jones Falls. The smaller diagrams show the various streets and how high the water was when they flooded. It appears that the Falls rose about 20 feet in spots. The lower left diagram shows the proposed changes to streets.

A few things I find interesting is; the drawing of the skating pond as being the former City Reservoir (Possibly the second Mt. Royal?), The number of small dams, and all the businesses along the Falls that contributed to the pollution – gas, coal and oil factories, tannery, brewery, sugar refinery, lime kilns, oyster packing and taverns. Not to mention all the residences along the Falls. The City Dock and Block St. drawbridge I will write about later.

Plat and Sections of Streets Submerged

Second map – April 8, 1869. Revised Design for the Improvement of the Channel of Jones Falls and Drainage to Adjacent Portions of the City by H. Tyson. Note in upper left – The original design for this improvement will be found in the report made at the request of the Committee of Property holders of the Flooded District on the 31st of July, 1868.

This map shows the flooded area in a darker tan with numbers indicating the depth of water in feet, i.e. 15’ at Saratoga and Holliday. The proposed Falls is in pink with proposed sewers in red. The Falls is green.

Interesting with this map are the cut-away views showing sewers of Brooklyn, NY and of London. Also the cut-away views of the new retaining walls with sewers running along the Falls. I especially like the Baltimore St Bridge drawing with boat. (They dredged the Falls a lot for the passage of ships to merchants. More on that later) Note the wooden pavements above the sewers in the lower diagrams to the left. Houses and businesses were also built over the sewers. If you are from Baltimore, note that Alice Ann St. was 2 words. Now it is Aliceanna. Canton Ave. is now Fleet St. The note/drawing on bottom shows bridges, then and proposed over the Falls.

Revised Design for the Improvement of the Channel

End Fluoride

07 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by in Baltimore, Fluoride, water history

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In May 2008 the Mayor of Baltimore had a program called the “Innovation Bank” This was a program that allowed City Employees to make suggestions on how the City could save money. The winner could win up to $5,000.00 for their idea.

The first idea that popped into my mind was to end Fluoridation of the drinking water supply. Back then the over-all savings to the City would have been $670,000.00 a year. Today it is closer to one million a year. After about a month of waiting for a reply to my proposal, I called the Mayor’s Office and was told – “Yeah, she saw it” (Was that a snicker I heard in her assistant’s voice?)

Today I received an email from a woman who had started a campaign a couple years ago to end fluoridation of Baltimore’s Water. It said: Breaking news:  The resolution/bill to study water fluoridation is being introduced TODAY at the City Council meeting, in City Hall, 5pm.  You are all welcome to attend; however, there is no actual action taking place today except that the bill will be read off a list as being officially introduced.  Exciting!  And now: Its on.  Time to start prepping for a hearing about 6 weeks from now.

This is great news! I could list all the reasons WHY we should have stopped (or not started at all) but I will let the experts tell you. For me, my dislike for the poison came my first week on the job in 1981 when I was asked to work on the fluoride pumps and saw how the leaking acid ate thru the metal stand and concrete base. I thought to myself – this stuff can’t be good for you! You can read what the experts say here:

http://fluoridealert.org/

Below is a photograph showing when Baltimore first started using fluoride

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Tunnel Inspection

06 Wednesday Apr 2016

Posted by in Baltimore, water history

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Between the years 1875 and 1881 a tunnel, 12′ in diameter 7 miles long was constructed between a dam on the Gunpowder River and a man-made lake at Montebello. This was all part of the new, permanent water supply for Baltimore. It would eventually replace the supply from the Jones Falls. As needed, this tunnel was inspected and found to be in very good condition over the years. The majority of the tunnel is through solid rock with only a few sections having a brick lining. As the City grew, a new dam was built upstream in 1914, with a connection to the 1881 conduit.

In 1933 the City was contemplating a new source of water. The decision was made to build  a parallel tunnel from Loch Raven (on the Gunpowder Falls). An inspection by the consultants was made of the old tunnel first. The below photographs show what they found – rock falls and leakage.

The old tunnel was taken out of service and the new tunnel was used. In the 50s and 60s it was decided to re-use the old tunnel, which carried raw water, to start sending processed water to Baltimore County. An inspection of the tunnel, which at this point being only 5-1/2 miles long (Bulkheads built on each end of the tunnel that were no longer needed) was done in 1968. These consultants, pictured below, found more of the same. Rock falls and leaks. Three of these men I eventually worked with in 1981.

Another inspection was done in 1984. Unfortunately I can not find any photographs. I do have the reports from this inspection and it is not good. More rock falls and leakage. I was asked last year to be a part of a new inspection group to enter this tunnel. I immediately said yes! BUT, over the course of a couple months preparing for this and all the safety people you can imagine being involved, it was decided to send in a remote operated vehicle. Not sure when they will do this, I just know the sub isn’t big enough for me to fit into!

Two quotes came to mind when i was asked “Why do you want to go in there? It is dangerous!”

Valeria to Conan the Barbarian – “Do you want to live forever?” And Lenny and Ziggy singing “Death by Misadventure!”

The Morgue

31 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by in Baltimore, Sewage History

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From the 1888 Health Commissioner: I may be permitted complacently to add, that there has not occurred more than five cases of small-pox in the City of Baltimore during the past five years (all imported), and not more than two deaths. This is due to vaccination, carefully and persistently practiced by the excellent corps of Vaccine Physicians, added to the watchfulness and diligence of our able Quarantine Physician. Too much cannot be said to the people on this subject, and all should be convinced of the absolutely protective power of perfectly successful vaccination against small-pox. Those who arrogantly set themselves up as anti-vaccinationists should be regarded in every community as public enemies, and treated accordingly. Notwithstanding the good results of our past years’ experience, there are many defects in the sanitary condition of our City, that it is our bounden duty to correct at the earliest possible period of time. Prominent among these is the improvement of our storm-water sewers, most of which are defective in every particular. Constructed in bad form of improper materials, with insufficient and irregular grades, and for the most part un-trapped. Hundreds of damp or wet cellars contribute to the causes of sickness and deaths, which could be prevented by a system of drains, if the system of sewers were such as to render it possible or practicable. I trust the City Council will not delay in this important work. The disposal of the offal of our large cities is a problem of great importance as well as most perplexing difficulty. Cremation has been urged and adopted in several places, but as yet has not proved entirely satisfactory, either from a sanitary or economic point of view. The subject is still undergoing experimental investigation at Buffalo, New York and Chicago, and we shall await the result before recommending any plan for the improvement of our present system of disposal of garbage, street dirt and night soil. I would be failing in my duty if I did not again appeal to your Honorable Body in behalf of those who have so often and so sorely felt the need of a Morgue. In the name of the afflicted friends of the unknown dead, in the name of our efficient and zealous police force, and in the name of every reflecting citizen of Baltimore, I urge that this long felt want shall no longer be neglected and laid aside as a matter for future consideration. A city of five hundred thousand people cannot afford to be without a Morgue any more than she can to be without electric lights.

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Undated photo showing the morgue, which was connected to the Eastern Avenue Sewage Pumping Station

Pumps at Eastern Ave Pumping Station 1906-1960

30 Wednesday Mar 2016

Posted by in Baltimore, Sewage History

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Pumping Station: The land for a pumping station, located at East Falls and Eastern Ave was acquired by arbitration. The contract for the construction of pumps and machinery was awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, on December 10, 1906, to the Bethlehem Steel Co. of Bethlehem, Pa. for $450,000.

Six Years Operation of the Baltimore Sewage Pumping Station by Keefer. 1915-1923 (From Public Works July 1924) At the present time there are only a few sewage pumping stations in this country equipped with vertical triple-expansion pumping engines. One of these is the Eastern Avenue Pumping Station. The design of this station started in 1906; construction work was begun in 1907, and it was put in operation on January 31, 1912. Since then the station has operated continuously and has given excellent service.

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This photograph was taken soon after the original pumps were installed, showing Calvin Hendrick, engineer. The three sewage pumping engines now under contract will weigh 4,000,000 pounds or more. They will develop about 400 H. P. each when running at full normal load, and about 1,000 pounds of coal an hour will be burned under the boilers, on an average, when the plant now under contract is running at the designed capacity. Of the three engines included in this contract it is intended that one shall be always held in reserve, other engines being added as may be necessary to make this possible.

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From an undated photo, showing one of the newly installed centrifugal pumps. At the Eastern Ave. PS, since its installation, essentially all the incoming sewage was handled by the new 40mgd centrifugal sewage pump, the old reciprocating steam-driven pumps being used for standby purposes. Photograph found at the DPW Museum, in a box of fire and water damaged albums.

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1960 the new pumps.