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Back River 100+ Years

11 Wednesday Jul 2018

Posted by Ronald Parks in Archives, Baltimore, HISTORY, Sewage History

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Back River, Baltimore, engineering, FILTRATION, Public Works, Research, sewage, Sewage History

I went to the Back River Waste Water Treatment Plant the other day. I was looking for some surplus bricks and also to turn in a security gate swipe card that was given to me many years ago. Since I had not been there in a few years, I thought I would give myself a tour. It sure has changed with all the new construction. A lot of the older buildings are gone, replaced by new Clean Water Regulations. Last I heard it was over a billion dollars in upgrades!

Here is an aerial view of the plant. Red numbers correspond to the photographs. I tried to match up some of the older photos I have with what remains, not yet demolished.

This next drawing (thanks engineering) labels the buildings.

Here is a photo of just outside the gate, when the plant was first built, showing homes for sale. I had previously posted another blog back in March 2016 of the Eastern Ave entrance.

And here is an older aerial, showing a race track on the property.

Once through the gate and past the admin building on the right was this building. (#1) This was where I first started collecting and documenting the water and sewerage archives.

This is what is there now.

Across from here was a really smelly tank (#2). The drawing calls them the Primary Clarifiers.

Around the corner use to be this.

This is all that is left of the Trickling Filters.

The Waste Pickle Liquor Facility!?

A close up view (#4)

The sludge Storage lagoon, according to the drawing. A worker there said they were sludge storage tanks that are no longer being used.

Let’s see what is up top (#5). It is covered over.

I tried to do some research in the one building by the smokestack years ago. I even volunteered to clean the mess up and document everything, but after a few years of asking and getting no response, I said forget it. There are a lot of the early sewer contracts on the 3rd floor. (#6)

The building to the left was the Vacuum Filter Building as shown below from the 1930s. 

Next was a real lagoon of sorts. Just another dumping ground. (#7)

 

Then onto this – the Elutriation Tanks (can’t pronounce it, so I can’t explain it!!) It didn’t smell as bad as the first tank though.

I ran into a worker and asked where does all this flow into the river at, so he showed me. (#9) All the years of coming down here, this was the first time I saw this.

The sewage gently cascading down the steps to an opening that dumps into the river (as if sewerage can be called “gently cascading”!)

Past the trees and out into the river. (#10)

If anyone wants to fish near here, believe me, you don’t want to.

Here is what was the plant effluent when the plant was first built. Wooden Pipes.

They moved this discharge point over a bit, replacing the wood with steel.

Here is the view from the side, of the new concrete and steel structure.

With a close up. There were quite a few osprey in the area.

Next was the filtration building. (#11)

And how the original one looked when it was first being built.

Getting ready to head out and saw these stairs! 

Ooops wait! Wrong photo (Although I did travel to Mexico and saw the ruins years ago) (#12)

Not sure what these were but it still has water flowing through it.

As can be seen on the above drawing there are a couple notations concerning Bethlehem Steel. With that plant closed down, I wonder where these pipe go and the purpose of the buildings?

Nice day at wastewater. PS – I never did find the bricks I was looking for. Ending up going to the Loading Dock and buying them!

Vac Pics #2

22 Thursday Sep 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in kayaking, Photography, vacation

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goat, islands, kayaking, photography, sewage, vacation

After returning from Ocean City, we loaded up the kayaks and headed to Goat Island on the Pocomoke River, Snow Hill Md. Byrd Park was nicely deserted and the water was calm.

It was high tide. The water was up the ramp into the parking lot.

And there she be – Goat Island.

What have we here? Goat’s name and address?

It was about a 1/2 mile paddle to circumnavigate the island – I felt like Magellan!

Goat house – but no goat. Didn’t see a single goat. Well, to be fair, I think there is only one living there.

After the island we headed to the Rte. 12 drawbridge. No going under that. You need to give them a five hour notice to have it raised.

On the other side there is a kayak rental place. There were quite a few people on that side (we saw them as we were crossing back over the bridge leaving)

Heading down or was it up? the river.

Buoy markers, open water and lilly-pads is what we pretty much saw for the near three hours we were out there. And that was fine by me. Peaceful.

Although a smell did lead us here – the waste water treatment plant.

Leakin Park

05 Monday Sep 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in art, Baltimore, Hiking, HISTORY, Photography, water history

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art, Baltimore, engineering, Hiking, HISTORY, Parks, photography, Public Works, sewage, Sewage History, water history

Visited this park the other day. Our plans for the Eastern Shore were cancelled by Hermine. It was a nice hike. Below is from the Baltimore Heritage website.

Crimea Estate at Leakin Park
By Johns Hopkins
The Crimea Estate is the former summer home of Thomas DeKay Winans, a chief engineer of the Russian Railway between Moscow and St. Petersburg in the 19th Century. The estate features Winans’ Italianate stone mansion, Orianda, as well as a gothic chapel, a “honeymoon” cottage, and a carriage house. The architectural design is said to have been inspired by Winans’ French-Russian wife, Celeste Louise Revillon.

An early, and now often overlooked, part of the estate is called Winans Meadow in Leakin Park. This current meadow was the site of an early milling operation along the Gwynns Falls River. An iron water wheel still remains that pumped water to the Orianda mansion. Along with the water wheel, a barn, silo, smokehouse, and root cellar also tell the story of early development in West Baltimore. There is even an intriguing battlement near the meadow that is thought to be modeled after the Battle of Balaklava where the Russian stand against the British was immortalized in Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade.”

Although Leakin Park has retained its original structures in a picturesque natural setting, it almost wasn’t so. In the 1970s, federal and city officials planned to route Interstate 70 through the park in front of the mansion and directly through the carriage house. Saved by a group of dedicated Baltimoreans, the estate remains a central element in Leakin Park. (Check Google Maps for this road – it ends right at the park. The road to nowhere)

Not mentioned in the above narrative is the fact that since 1940, 71 bodies have been found in the park. Dumping ground for west Baltimore knuckleheads. It is about 1200 acres large. Part of the Blair Witch Project was filmed here.

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The chapel where annual herb festivals are held.

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Part of the ‘Art in the Park’ collection. Mr Keebler’s house.

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Sometimes nature creates her own art.

013Shrooms.

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Clay art.

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Big scary squirrel.

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Spider-woman.

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Nice little walkway to the next trail down.

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Fort remnants.

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Through the doorway, fireplace.

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Windows to its soul.

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Looks like a place to keep your black powder.

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Interior of bunker.

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The water wheel. It is unbelievable how far up the hill this had to pump water – to the mansion.

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Water works. (I have to mention something about water since that is what my blog is supposed to be about) (It smelled like sewage here. I read that during the last storm, 850,000? gallons of sewage was dumped into the Gwynn’s Falls – controlled dump?)

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Trails were marked pretty good.

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Kathy and I stood and stared at this for a while. No clue. It is on cables and has a trap door with hooks. Torture item? Remnant from filming Blair Witch?

099Man made art…

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Nature made art.

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The old carriage house.

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Pole dancing crab

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Honeymoon cottage.

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Art.

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Mansion.

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Nice.

Entrance to the Jones Falls

20 Monday Jun 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, HISTORY, Sewage History

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Baltimore, bricks, engineering, HISTORY, Jones Falls, photography, POLITICS, Public Works, sewage, Sewage History

On sunday I went looking for the entry point of the Jones Falls conduit. Here is the 1912 description of where it should be:

The extent of this improvement (Jones Falls conduit) will be from Baltimore street bridge to the westerly side of Maryland avenue, a distance of approximately 8,850 linear feet. The structure planned is of reinforced concrete with a flat roof, designed to carry the heaviest city traffic, and curved inverts, lined with vitrified brick. This design was selected after considerable effort to find an arched structure which would fill the requirements and keep the expense within a reasonable figure. The lack of head room over a considerable part of the distance to be covered made the problem very difficult. The structure proposed can be erected without disturbing the present retaining walls, the invert of the east conduit being first erected to carry the ordinary flow of water while the other conduits are under construction. As the retaining walls are not to be taken down they can be reckoned upon to give side support to the structure which, in consequence, has not been designed to carry all of the lateral pressure which the side banks would impart to it if not already safely supported.

A quick view of Google maps is deceiving because of all the growth under and around the JFX. The plain map view shows the Falls ending right about under Howard St. So there I went. This portion appears to have been built later – for the light rail and Amtrak? Looking thru the tunnels you can see daylight and I believe this is where the actual entrance starts. Didn’t have my water shoes on so I didn’t venture thru the first set of tunnels And it actually smelt pretty bad there – sewage! (Sewage does not belong in the Jones Falls!)

Here is a link to some guys who actually went into the tunnels – amazing and I thank them for the trip!

http://ronniekirchner.com/jones-falls-conduit/077

Howard Street bridge up above

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I just added this last one because I like the brick-work.

Bridges Along the Jones Falls

17 Friday Jun 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, HISTORY, Sewage History

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Baltimore, boats, bridges, engineering, glass plate negatives, Health, HISTORY, Jones Falls, POLITICS, Public Works, sewage, Sewage History, water history

Here are some photos from the DPW collection of various bridges along the Jones Falls. These negatives were all in an unmarked box. I posted them on Facebook a while ago and people told me the names as best they could guess. I am no longer on FB and unfortunately I did not write down the names they told me. Some are marked. Some are duplicates from other views – north to south or south to north.

If you can correctly name these bridges I will send you a copy of my book – Baltimore’s Water Supply History. Thanks.

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br045

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81_6_1338

The Walls of Jones Falls

14 Tuesday Jun 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, HISTORY, Sewage History

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Baltimore, engineering, HISTORY, Jones Falls, POLITICS, Public Works, sewage, Sewage History

February 12, 1816: Edward Johnson notes his retiring as mayor after eight years. Jones Falls – A Law has been passed by the General Assembly of Maryland at their late session, authorizing a Lottery to raise a sum of money, not exceeding fifty thousand dollars, clear of all expenses. One half of the net proceeds of which is to be appropriated under the direction of the managers named in the law, to the deepening of Jones’ Falls and walling the public streets binding thereon; the other half in conveying a stream of water that passes down Harford Street in a culvert or tunnel, below the surface of the street into the cove.

January 5, 1829: Jones Falls – The hand rail on Jones’ Falls and Harford Run has been completed, as directed by the resolution No. 15, of February, 1828, and affords security to our citizens. The walling of Harford Run has been continued southerly, as directed by Ordinance. The walling of a part of Jones’ Falls, as directed by the Resolution of April, 1828, has been executed; but the efforts of the City Commissioners in enforcing the provisions of the Ordinance of February, 1826, requiring the owners of property on Jones’ Falls to erect walls, etc., have continued to prove unavailing. It is submitted whether the City Commissioners should not be authorized to have the work done, thereby to avoid future injury to the navigation; and require the owners of property to pay the expenses thereof.

Walls will be built. Walls will be knocked down or tunneled through, all to try and change the course of the Jones Falls, flowing through the city.

wall1

Walls upon walls.

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Tunneling through the walls (I would liked to have seen the park up above)

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Close up of one of the walls (Is that graffiti to the right? HW)

Possible Treasure Trove

10 Friday Jun 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, HISTORY, Sewage History

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Baltimore, engineering, FILTRATION, HISTORY, Jones Falls, Museum, photography, Public Works, sewage, Sewage History, water history

A few years ago, before I was asked to relocate the DPW Museum Archives, I was researching Baltimore’s Water History. I knew there were files kept down at Back River, in the museum storage area and after repeatedly pestering people to let me have access to the building, I was told ok – the only problem being, they sent me to the wrong ‘archives’ area. This building was old, dark, damp and a disaster. I was unable to find anything I could use. (It was so dark, I had to use my camera’s flash to get around!) I told the admin down there that if they were to put in some lights, I would volunteer to clean, organize and document the files. No response. A while later I was given access to the museum files, the ones I originally wanted to see.

For my Sewerage History, I again asked for access to the old building. The museum files have since been moved to my work location, but I knew there were others down at Back River, in that original building I was sent to. The place is still a mess but at least I could see inside. The boards on the windows have rotted and fallen down. Sunlight filtered in. There are a lot of old records in there that need preserving. Maybe someone will give me permission this time to do what needs to be done.

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Early contracts, specification books and drawings.

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Three floors of Early Sewerage History!

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There are even photographs from water filtration. These are of the renovations at Ashburton. Why they are at Back River is beyond me!

Sewage at Back River

03 Friday Jun 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, HISTORY, Sewage History

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Tags

Baltimore, engineering, HISTORY, POLITICS, Public Works, sewage, Sewage History

I read with some interest a blog on Baltimore’s disposal plant at Back River, where it was stated that the Outfall Sewer, which connects to the plant, has sunk about four feet and that millions of dollars will be spent to correct this problem. (For 35 years working in the water department, it always amazed me that there was work going on non-stop at Back River. Billions of dollars’ worth. Nothing for the drinking water side though!) It was also mentioned that this ‘sinking’ was possibly caused by poor construction and engineering. I guess it is easier to blame people who are no longer around that can defend their work! The system is over 100 years old. Below is some info on construction.

1906 – The Board of Police Commissioners caused a census of the city to be taken by the Police Force, which was completed about April 10, 1906, and showed that by the police computation the population of the city at that time was 543,034. A later estimate made in September, 1906, gives the city a population of 555,000. The capacity of the system in whole, will be for a projected one million persons. The Outfall Sewer extends from Chase and Durham streets to Monument street and Loney’s Lane inside the city limits, a distance of 7,016 feet, or 1.33 miles. This portion is under contract and construction was begun on December 24th. From Chase and Durham streets to Madison and Luzerne streets the sewer will be 10 feet 9 inches high and 12 feet wide; thence to the Disposal Plant it will be 11 feet high and 12 feet 3 inches wide. It will be built of concrete, the lower half being lined with brick. From the city limits the line continues east in Monument street to the Union Railway, thence on the south side of the Union Railway, and with a general easterly and southeasterly direction in Fayette street extended and across private property to the Disposal Area on the west shore of Back River south of Eastern avenue, a distance of 23,354 feet, or 4.42 miles, in Baltimore County, making the total length of the Outfall Sewer 30,369 feet, or 5.75 miles.

1908 – Disposal Works – The fact of being able to intercept two-thirds of the City’s sewage and carry it by gravity to the disposal works, where the sewage of the entire City is to be treated, is an item that future generations will appreciate, as it means an enormous saving for all future time in the cost of operation of the sewerage system.

1908 Engineer Hendrick’s report – “It has been our endeavor to treat the work, both as to letting contracts and the employment and promotion of the men, entirely on a business and merit basis, resulting in an excellent class of work and men, including both contractors and engineers. I wish to express thanks to Mr. W.W. Crosby, Chief Engineer of the Maryland Geological Survey and State Roads Commission, for making various rattler tests on brick; to Dr. E. B. Mathews, Professor of Mineralogy and Petrography, for making examinations of various stones, and to Prof. Earle B. Phelps, of Boston, for his assistance in our chlorine experiments at Walbrook. Considering the many difficulties arising daily in constructing two separate systems of sewers (sanitary and storm water) among the vast number of underground obstructions, in streets crowded with traffic and the rapidity and satisfactory manner in which the work has moved forward, which could not have been accomplished if it had not been for the faithfulness and devotion of everyone connected with the work, regardless of overtime and weather, I take this opportunity of expressing my high appreciation of the faithfulness of my staff, consisting of Mr. Albert M. Brosius, First Assistant Engineer; Mr. Herbert M. Knight, Storm-water and Low Level Divisions; Mr. Oliver W. Connet, High Level Division; Mr. Ezra B. Whitman, Disposal Division; Mr. Thomas D. Pitts, Office Division; also, including the engineers, rodmen and inspectors. As stated in a recent address I made to the Society of Civil Engineers in Washington, D. C., the sewage problem as a world factor is forcing itself to the front very rapidly, and our country is approaching a point where it will have to deal with the sewage question on a broad scale. As rivers run from one State to another, the States cannot deal with the problem without clashing, and it will soon have to be dealt with by a National Sewage Board, similar to those abroad. We have heretofore, on account of the vastness of our country and the size of our rivers, simply disposed of the sewage in the most economical manner at the time, regardless of results, such as dumping it directly into lakes and rivers. This has been a short sighted policy from the fact that large expenditures have been entered into in the way of sewers, which will necessarily have to be readjusted in order to conform to sanitary laws now being passed requiring the treatment of sewage before discharging it into rivers or lakes. The City of Baltimore is showing the same progressive spirit in handling this great sanitary problem that she has shown in many other enterprises of world-wide interest, causing cities all over the world to send committees and engineers to study the plans and methods of prosecuting our work.”200- 2

Here is a drawing showing to the left the supposed sunken outfall connection to the plant. img001b

Here are the engineers that built this structure. It appears to me that if this brick-lined conduit did sink 4′ that there would be a mass amount of broken brick and concrete?

Lime

24 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, Sewage History, water history

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Baltimore, engineering, FILTRATION, Gunpowder Falls, Health, HISTORY, Lake Montebello, Montebello, Public Works, sewage, Sewage History, water, water history

As can be seen from the list below, Lime has been used as a disinfectant for many years as far as the sewerage system and health goes.

1865 – Board of Health: The general health account shows an expenditure of $2,918.11. This account includes the appropriation for enclosing the Eastern Potter’s Field, erecting a dead house &c. and that for lime and incidentals.

1866 – Board of Health: 11,000 oysters were thrown away (This was in response to a cholera epidemic where 9 of 10 cases were found from eating oysters). We have used lime, Ridgewood’s and Sim’s disinfectant, and carbolic acid freely in the alleys and sewers.

1880 – General Superintendent of Streets: Your instructions in reference to the free use of lime in all alleys, gutters, vacant lots and places where stagnant pools of water were to be found, have been faithfully carried out.

1886 – Health Department: Disinfection – There was distributed in the streets, lanes, and alleys six hundred and thirty-seven cart-loads of lime. In addition, the Department manufactured and distributed twenty-two (22) tons of disinfectants; the principal portion of which was used in sewers and inlets.

1888 – Assistant Health Commissioner’s Report – During the year six thousand and thirty-one (6031) cart loads of refuse were removed from sewers, inlets and covered gutters. Six hundred and ten loads of lime and twelve tons of carbolate of lime were distributed for the purposes of purification and disinfection.

Liming against Asiatic Cholera.

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In 1910 Baltimore used chloride of lime (along with calcium hypochlorite and intermittent applications of alum sulfate) as a disinfectant in the water supply. And in 1922 it was specifically used for corrosion control.

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The above photo, from a previous post, was before the Montebello Filtration Plant was built. The water supply came from the Gunpowder River (7 miles away), directly to this gate house and emptied into the Montebello Lake.

As can be seen, too much lime is not a good thing.

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This is after about 10 years of lime application, under the clear-well at Plant 1 Montebello.

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And this is after about 20 years. No clear-well at Plant 2, this pipe goes directly to the reservoir. There is about a 6″ pipe overhead that drops lime directly into this conduit.

Perception

20 Friday May 2016

Posted by Ronald Parks in Baltimore, Sewage History

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Baltimore, Health, HISTORY, Jones Falls, POLITICS, Public Works, sewage, Sewage History

Below is the art work of Francis Guy (Brooklyn Museum). Showing what Baltimore looked like in 1802-1803.

Balt 1802

And this is what the mayor had to say about Baltimore in 1803:

Mayor’s Message – February 14, 1803: Mayor Calhoun. Experience evinces that no measure we can take contributes so much to protect us from the malignant effects of fever as cleanliness, and therefore that every exertion ought to be made to remove from the City all impure substances and putrefactive matter, and to fill up low and sunken situations which retain stagnant water and filth; much has already been done in this respect since we have been incorporated, and every observant mind must view with pleasure the great improvements that have been made, as well in the east part of the City as the west, in filling up low and sunken grounds, and in making streets, that were before quagmires, not only passable but elegant; these, together with a variety of other matters, such as watching and lighting the City, erecting and repairing bridges, repairing and improving markets, assisting to build and to support an hospital, erecting a powder magazine, deepening and improving the Harbour, sinking wells and keeping pumps in repair, cleaning the streets, etc., etc., have been attended with heavy expense to the City, and have borne hard on many individuals, but I trust they will reflect that the expense has been unavoidable, and was the only means whereby their property could have been rendered valuable to them.

Hard to see, for me at least, how one is related to the other. The artist shows Baltimore as a clean, nice little town on the Patapsco Basin. The mayor paints a picture of Baltimore as a “quagmire”; talking the politics of how much has improved.

To quote the Talking Heads – it is “The same as it ever was…”

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