Category Archives: Sewage History

Pumps at Eastern Ave Pumping Station 1906-1960

30 Wednesday Mar 2016

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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.

Kerbs

23 Wednesday Mar 2016

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From the 1899 Commissioner’s Report on stormwater, sewers and streets – Referring to the present condition of the paved streets of Baltimore, I cannot say that they are in good or bad condition, as this is a relative term, and depends a great deal upon what residents are accustomed to, what advanced civilization requires and the willingness of the tax-payers to keep pace with the same. We have succeeded in the last year in repairing most of the places which were specifically complained of, and have done much to make the best of bad pavements. The kerb-stones are far from being in repair, but the citizens become so accustomed to seeing them lay over in the gutter, or partially so, that they have long since ceased to make an outcry concerning the same, especially as it involves an outlay on the part of the property-holder to repair his footway; but we have succeeded in resetting more kerb this year than any previous year, over ten miles.

1900 curb

The trapping of inlets to sewers

21 Monday Mar 2016

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From the 1887 Annual Report of the City Commissioners – This, perhaps, has, as much as any other subject connected with the sewerage of cities, occupied the attention of inventors. Many plans have been devised, from time to time, and for which patents have been granted, for the construction of a perfectly sealed trap. Now, the bad features of all inlets I have yet seen, or know of, are done away with by the simple and comparatively inexpensive contrivance patented by one of the attaches of this office, Mr. Charles P. Kahler. By resolutions of your honorable body, two of these traps have been placed in the inlets to Howard street sewer, at the intersection of Conway and Howard Streets, and at the corner of Camden and Howard streets, which are working clearly up to the degree of efficiency claimed for them by the inventor. I have no hesitation in recommending this invention for adoption. Mr. Kahler can explain the principle involved in his trap more fully to those who may call on him than could be done in this report. A cut representing the improved inlet is annexed.

THE KAHLER PATENT INLET.

CityCommissioner 1872-1887

No. 1–Longitudinal section of Inlet.

No. 2–Section of valve or door with gum packing.

No. 3–Section through A. B.

No. 4–Section through C D.

M—Water mains.

Discharge Into River

18 Friday Mar 2016

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The sewage of Baltimore City is pumped to the sewage plant at Back River in Baltimore County, where it is ‘cleaned’ and then discharged into the river. Interesting fact about the below photos from a 1955 report is this – “A number of leaks were repaired in the wood stave discharge pipes by a diver. The pier at the river, which had been damaged by hurricanes was rebuilt.”

As the photographs from the early 1900s show, the discharge pipes are above the water? So were they lowered into the water after assembly? That seems unlikely as there are hundreds of adjusting bolts holding the pipes into the air? Maybe I will find the answer one day in the many reports still to be read…

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Low Level Interceptor

17 Thursday Mar 2016

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Report of the Low Level Division, Kenneth Allen, Engineer: Section One begins at the Sewerage Pumping Station at President St and Eastern Ave. and extends through President street to Pratt street, and thence westerly to Center Market Space, crossing under Jones Falls on the north side of the Pratt street bridge. General notes on construction. The excavation in general was through a dark material containing particles of sand which appears to be a compacted deposit of mud, with clay, sand, fullers’ earth, gravel and quicksand in places. Gravel was usually found at or near sub-grade, and where this or other firm material was absent the material was excavated and refilled with gravel. Near Pratt street and West Falls avenue, where the depth to sub-grade was some 23 feet, a fine running sand was encountered above sub-grade, which made progress slow and difficult. Previous to excavation, the corner of the four-story brick dwelling on the corner of West Falls avenue was hung by 5 sets of needle beams and twenty 8-ton jacks. Section Two: This section extends from Pratt street and Center Market Space to Pratt and Light streets. The diameter of the sewer is 74 inches throughout the section.

005-119Section #1 Center Market Place showing supports to conduits in foreground and supports to large conduits leading to United (?) & Electric company Power House.

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Section #2 Backfilling from Carson Trench Machine.

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Section #1 Cofferdam for going under the Jones Falls at Pratt Street.

More Pics of Outfall

16 Wednesday Mar 2016

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While on a break from Facebook, I have been working on my new sewer history book, completing so far, 159 pages with 101,232 words. Now I need a break from writing! So I will just post some photographs with mini-captions!

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Section #6 Showing David Peoples, contractor, in concrete invert, ready for brick work. 1907

010-134Section #6 Laying brick and completed section near Back River Road. 1907

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Section #9 Showing inside of completed sewer at manhole Daylight exposure for this shot. 1907

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Section #9 Showing bridge at Eastern Ave. over sewer trench. Danger sign in driveway where a teamster drove into bridge and threw a mule into the trench (Go slow danger) 1908

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Section #10 South of Eastern Ave, section of sewer on 7 degree curve. 1908

Outfall Sewer

14 Monday Mar 2016

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The Walbrook Testing Plant gathered information on sewage disposal. The Eastern Ave Pumping Station would pump Baltimore’s sewage to a newly built Sewage Treatment Plant at Back River. (For the most part, the sewage of Baltimore would flow by gravity to Back River except in the area downtown, near City Hall. This area is below a sufficient elevation to allow the sewage to flow on its own, or the shit is just deeper in City Hall)

An Outfall Sewer was built from the Eastern Ave Pumping Station to Back River, connected by force mains and interceptors. The contract for the Outfall Sewer was divided into 10 sections.

Below is section #3, showing what I consider a few points of interest: The Baltimore Brick Company to the right, which means this is looking west on Monument street. Making the house in the far off right on Edison Highway – Loney’s Lane. After the new Edison Highway bridge was built, I grew up in that area, west of the road. I was told as a kid to not play under the bridge because of there being quicksand on the other side. This area is now occupied by a covered-over landfill. Armco steel was in the vicinity for years, taking over a cemetery on the west side of Edison. I do remember the Brick Company. They had sample walls built along Edison, showing the types of bricks they manufactured. Bocek Park was there also.

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Storm Water Study

11 Friday Mar 2016

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When the sewer system was to be built, a separate and independent storm water collection system was also constructed. This seemed to work fine in the early parts of the 1900s, but as the City grew, problems arose and this is what happened next:

1948 Annual Report – It has been recognized that the technology of storm drainage design could be improved if a better experimental background were established to guide the designer. To accomplish this purpose, the City together with the Baltimore County Metropolitan District and the State Roads Commission of Maryland have agreed to jointly sponsor a Storm Water Research Program to be conducted at the Johns Hopkins University.

1959 Annual Report – A Parshall flume was installed in the vicinity of the outlet of a 48” drain at the east side of Hillen Road south of Argonne Drive in order to measure the amount of run-off from a shopping center (Northwood) type of drainage area. Both rainfall and run-off data for this area are collected by automatic recording devices.

1965 Annual Report –  The Storm Water Research Program is in its 17th year (and still no results mentioned)

I found the structure where this site was located on our property. I sent off an email to Johns Hopkins University to see what became of the report. You would think that a study conducted for 17 years would have a report. The Environmental Engineering section and others have no clue what happened to that study?? 077

This is the structure where the recording equipment was stored. The door is padlocked but I was able to stick my camera under it to see what is in there – nothing but an old recording device.P1060414

Here is the guy that was guarding itP1060418

This is the 48″ drain from the Northwood shopping center.

I was looking for historical information on this study but at the same time, the plant was receiving complaints that the Montebello Lake had a green tint to it. Besides the processes inside the plant, this is the only other source of water that empties into the lake. The lab is now analysing the water to see what caused the discoloration.

Rendition – Sewage Pumping Station

07 Monday Mar 2016

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Below is an artist rendition of what the Eastern Avenue Pumping Station was to look like in 1907. I found this water color drawing at the DPW Museum, tucked behind a bunch of wet, moldy boxes (some museum pieces were damaged by water and fire years ago). I am hoping to take this art work and have it restored soon. I like that the artist also included the Baltimore Shot Tower in the background, to the right. With the coal bins above the steam boilers, that ran the pumps, the coal was unloaded from rail cars and ships, then conveyed to the top of the building. It fell into hoppers and the hoppers fed the boilers. Engineering marvel. The building is being considered as a Historic Landmark.

The building is still pumping sewage every day. Where the boilers once were, had been converted into the DPW Museum, which has been closed for a few years.

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Eastern Ave Pumping Station

04 Friday Mar 2016

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Another “Breaking Ground” ceremony took place in 1908, with Mayor Mahool. It was for the start of construction, for the Eastern Avenue Pumping Station. The plans for this were started in 1906 and the first contract was let in 1907 for the purchase from Bethlehem Steel, three pumps. Later the contract was let for the building itself. Not only did they break ground, they also broke the pile driver used to set the foundation. Because the building was to be so close to the harbor, they had to go deep to hit solid rock. The 3 pumps were going to be heavy.

I hope to be able to find the original photographs in the archives, so I can stop using the pictures from the reports. The first shows the Mayor breaking ground. The second is a panoramic view of the construction site. The third is the broken pile driver.

1908 mayor

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