REPORT 
-OF THE 
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AND THE 
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TOULOUSE *STR EET+PU MP, 
-TO THE- 
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OF THE 
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SANITARY 4 ASS©CIATI©Ko 
21st, 1881. r\ A . 
Printed nv M. F. Di nn Bro., 70 Camp St., New Orleans, 
1881. R-EPttRT 
OF THE 
V JI 1 1 4 
-AND THE 
TRANSFER 
-OF THE 
TOOLOUSE*STREET*PUMP, 
-TO THE 
B x e c u t i v o Co mini tie e 
OF THE 
»jp | JfjJ. *f if J'j| i^> 
TUNE 21st, 1881. 
Printed by M. F. Dunn & Bro., 70 Camp St., New 
1881. Mr. Edward Fenner on the part of the Flushing Com- 
mittee, said: 
Mr. President: 
On the 13th day of July, 1880, we met to 
commemorate the completion of the flushing works, 
and their successful operation from Pleasant to Julia 
streets, a length of 13,370 feet, embracing in that dis- 
tance 32 streets, extending from the Levee to the 
drainage canals. 
We are now assembled to celebrate the accomplish- 
ment of this initial part of the plans, designed by the 
Sanitary Association for the purification of the street 
gutters and drainage canals, by means of on abundant 
supply of fresh water. 
To make perfect this great system of purification, 
some plan must be devised to deflect the running 
streams from the perpendicular into the parallel gut- 
ters. The volume which these two powerful pumps 
can supply is sufficient, should occasion demand, to 
make an island of any square in the city. The mode 
so long and strenuously adhered to, of grading the par- 
allel gutters from the centre each way, is, in the opin- 
ion of your committee, defective. The slight and 
intermittent flow from house drains either sinks into 
the ground or lies in stagnant pools before each dwell- 
ing. If the hydrants of the Water Works had been 
placed in the centre of each square, and the Company 
would consent to flush the gutters daily, the parallel 
gutters could be kept comparatively pure. But there 4 
are not and never will be hydrants in the middle of 
the squares, nor will the Water Works Company flush 
systematically every day. 
Having secured a bountiful supply of water, it re- 
mains for us to devise some plan by which the parallel 
streets can receive their share. 
The expense of changing the grade of every parallel 
gutter in the city, that they may avail, automatically 
or otherwise, of the abundant current coursing down 
the perpendicular streets, would soon be compensated 
by the lessened cost of cleaning, and make the system 
the greatest boon ever conferred upon this city. 
Your committee, after a thorough investigation, 
have found it impracticable to convey the flushing 
water through the gutters of the perpendicular streets 
in the rear of the Camp street canal, from Felicity 
Road to Clio street. 
At our request, the Civil Engineers’ Association of 
the Gulf, made a careful survey, and finished a profile 
plan of fhe district bounded by the River, Baronne, 
Felicity Road and St. Joseph street—which shows 
that between Magazine and Carondelet streets, there 
are two natural valleys or depressions, which can only 
be overcome by running a separate pipe from the main 
on the levee, across the Camp street canal to Caron- 
delet street, by which means a territory, wherein reside 
a large number of the best friends and most liberal sub 
scribers to the general work of sanitary improvements, 
may receive their full share of the flushing water. 
We also direct your attention to the triangle formed 
by Esplanade, Elysian Fields and Claiborne streets, 5 
which can only be flushed by means of a special pipe 
from the main on the levee. , 
Our inability to provide for the flushing of the two 
districts named, causes us much regret. 
The two pumps are sufficiently powerful to supply 
these special pipes—but the cost of the main works 
have consumed the sum placed at the disposal of the 
Flushing Committee. 
11 has been often stated that the Sanitary Associa- 
tion do not claim the credit of having originated the 
plan of flushing the gutters with water from the Miss- 
issippi River. 
Honored names of those not with us here to day to 
join in celebrating this perfect fruition of their cher- 
ished designs, are associated with the idea of flushing 
the gutters with a constant stream of water from the 
river. 
Fenner, Barton, Bailey and Ohoppin earnestly ad- 
vocated the system. Dr. White, our Sanitary Director, 
and Dr. A. W. Perry have written learnedly on the 
subject. 
It is a maxim of the Persians that any work raised 
by dishonesty melts rapidly away If the converse of 
this maxim be assumed as the probable life of this 
fountain of health, then may we predict it will be im- 
perishable. The work was conceived in a spirit of 
purest phihinthrophy, and executed as a sacred trust 
confided in you by the people. 
So deeply are we impressed with the great import- 
ance of continuing these works of sanitary improve- 
ment until every avoidable cause of disease is removed, 6 
that Ave presume to add somewhat to the dry details of 
our report, a brief history-of former efforts to flush 
the gutters of this city, their cost and signal failure. 
Bv contrasting the cost of these extensive works— 
complete, substantial and in successful operation, with 
that of former attempts, no vestige of which remain, 
it will serve to demonstrate how much can be done to 
improve the sanitary condition of this city with a 
small amount of money, judiciously and economically 
expended by those devoted to the public good. The 
introduction of the folloAving interesting letter from 
our esteemed and well-known fellow citizen, Louis H. 
Pilie, civil engineer, will aid our design to trace the 
successive attempts that have been Inade to establish 
works of this character, and add to the future value of 
this report. 
New Orleans, November 17tli, 1880 
To Thos. 8. Elder, Chairman Committee on 
Flushing, etc., N. (). Sanitary Association. 
Dear Sir : 
Pressing business has precluded my answering 
any sooner. You call for information relative to the 
irrigation of the gutters, drains, etc., of the City of 
New Orleans, and you will please accept my excuse for 
the unavoidable delay. 
From the earliest days of the city a thorough system 
of irrigation and its benefits as a sanitary measure, has 
been deemed necessary—aye, indispensable. 
Of its inception I cannot speak positively, but I do 
know that on the arrival in this city of my father, the 7 
late Joseph Pilie, in the year 1802, when the city ex- 
tended only from about Canal to Esplanade, and from 
the river to about Burgundy street, there were no side- 
walks nor gutters, but only ordinary ditches; that the 
city was irrigated by means of wooden pipes, laid 
through the levee, at the head of each and every street 
perpendicular to the river, and that said pipes could 
flush the ditches only during high water, say for about 
four months, from April to the beginning of August, 
in each and every year. 
Later, the city being more densely populated, the 
necessity of a larger supply of water was felt. Wooden 
curbs and gutters having been laid, the City Council, 
in the year 1813, contracted with a French civil 
engineer named Latrobe, to construct and erect a 
upompe a feu” (steam pump) at the corner of Old 
Levee, now Decatur and Ursulines streets, and to lay 
the necessary pipes (wooden) on said Decatur, fioni 
Esplanade to Canal streets. The site of the “pompe a 
feu” is where now stands our fish market. The “pompe 
a feu” within a few months was completed and set to 
work. 
The wooden pipe being found of insufficient size and 
capacity, was, in the year 1815, taken up and a twelve 
inch cast iron pipe substituted. This pipe is still in 
existence, but no doubt in very bad condition. 
The “pompe a feu'’ was in constant daily use from 
the time of its erection, to about 1840 or 1841, when 
it was abolished for the erection of the fish market 
In 1844, although the necessity of flushing the gut- 8 
ters, as an important factor for the promotion of tlie 
public health, was still apparent, vet the aforemen- 
tioned iron pipe, proving of insufficient strength, hav- 
ing given way in many places, the steam pump was 
abandoned and a fruit market erected in its place. 
Again, in 1858, the indispensable necessity of Hush- 
ing the gutters asserting itself, many reports made by 
me, as city surveyor, on this all important question, 
brought the Council to the decision of having the 
proper pipes laid, and the necessary buildings and 
steam pumps erected. 
The work was immediately begun and contracts 
entered into for furnishing the necessary outfit, etc. 
A thirty-inch pipe was laid on Delta—from Canal 
street to Calliope street; an iron building, to contain 
the steam pumps, erected at the head of Canal street, 
and the contract for furnishing and erecting the pumps 
entered into with a St. Louis firm. 
The war broke out at that time and the project was 
perforce abandoned. 
The terrible scourge of 1878 having called together 
some of our most influential and public spirited cit- 
izens, to discuss the best means of sanitation for our 
city, your Association was formed and organized. 
To its persistent and untiring efforts for the general 
welfare, the public may well look, and be thankful for 
the results already attained—the unprecedented good 
health of the city. 
It is sincerely to be hoped that our large property 
owners, so much interested—in fact our whole com- 9 
in unity, (rich and poor) appreciating, realizing tlie 
unlimited benefits to be derived from tlie existence of 
your Association, will, by their liberal contributions, 
sustain you in your efforts, and afford the means for 
the furtherance of your plans, which, with the paving 
of our streets with square blocks, and a close attention 
to a proper system of drainage, will make our city one 
of the “healthiest on the American continent.” 
I remain, respectfully, 
(Signed) LOUIS H. PILIE, 
Civil Engineer. 
Weare indebted to Stoddard Howell, Civil Engineer 
for the following details of the cost of the works com- 
menced in 1853, and abandoned before completion. 
“Ordinance No. 4508, approved April 21st, 1850, 
appropriated $75,000 for the purchase of two double 
acting Worthington pumps, one mile of thirty-inch 
iron pipe and five miles of twenty-inch pipe.” 
“ The pumps to he placed in a building located at 
the foot of Canal street.” 
The building was designed by W. H. Bell, at that 
time in the employ of City Surveyor L. H. Pilie. It 
was cast at the foundry of Bennet & Lurges, who were 
paid for the work $ 47,032 82 
Other charges for iron work done 423 40 
J. K. Dunson bought the contract for fur- 
nishing the pipe, he was paid 30,177 50 
Other charges on pipe 140 88 
Patrick Nugent bought the contract after 
the war, for laying pipe; he was paid, 
as per contract 14,000 00 10 
The courts awarded him for extra work . . 7,000 00 
John Clark was paid, for supplying small 
pipe and valves 10,949 40 
And for repairing valves 311 00 
Amounting to .. $110,035 22 
The estimate made by H 0. Brown, City Surveyor, 
in his “Report to the Mayor and members of the City 
Council, July 25th, 1879,” is as follows. 
The cost of 4 miles of iron pipe, from the 
Convent to Felicity Road, will be $105,000 00 
And the adaption of outlets to the gutters 44,400 00 
Engines and Pumps 80,000 00 
Additional for Fourth District 100,000 00 
$330,000 00 
The report of this committee, made in July, 1880, 
contained in detail the cost of laying 13,370 feet of 12 
inch iron pipe, with buildings, engines and all attach- 
ments complete and in running order, amounting 
to $45,078 94 
The cost of extending the 12 inch iron pipe 
from Julia to Esplanade streets, a dis- 
tance of 7,500 feet. The erection of this 
building, with engines and attachments 
complete, amounted to 29,872 14 
Making a grand total of $75,551 08 
The following statement will show the present ex- 
tent and capacity of this great sanitary improvement: 
total length of iron pipe, 20,870 feet. Two Blake du- 
plex condensing pumping engines, having a maximum 
capacity of sixteen million gallons every twenty-four 11 
hours. Number of perpendicular gutters flushed, 13b, 
length of gutters flushed, 207 miles. 
To His Honor, Mayor Shakspeare, and the City 
Administrators, the thanks of your Association are 
due; for their cordial co-operation and earnest support 
in furthering this important sanitary improvement. 
Our friend and neighbor, Mr. A. Socola, has placed 
us under obligations for unrestricted use of his con- 
venient warehouse, for the protection of our valuable 
material. 
The contractors engaged in constructing these works 
have performed their labors to the perfect satisfaction 
of your committee. William Arms, builder; John 
Delatte, head mason; Robert McNamara, pipe layer; 
W. H. N ewton, civil engineer, in charge of the works. 
We sincerely hope that the beneficial effect of this 
great work will inspire in the minds of our citizens a 
firm determination to support your Association, until 
all preventible causes of unhealthfulness are removed. 
Our committee now tender you the results of their 
labor, 
THOS. S. ELDER, Chairman. 
' THOS. J WOODWARD, 
EDWARD FENNER. 
Flushing Committee, 
To which Mr. Albert Baldwin replied as follows: 
Gentlemen of the Flushing Committee: 
As Vice-President of the Sanitary Association, and 
chairman, pro tern, of the Executive Committee, it de- 
volves upon me, in the absence of our President, Mr. 12 
Oh as A. Whitney, and Gfenl. Cyrus Bussey, Chairman 
of the Executive Committee, to act this day in a dual 
capacity I perform the duty incumbent on them 
with feelings of satisfaction, which I shall make no at- 
tempt to conceal. 
The report of your committee, to which we have all 
listened with great interest and attention, is so full of 
interesting details of the creation of this monument to 
the enterprise of our citizens, of such evidences of the 
care and skill of those to whom the work was entrust- 
ed, and contains so satisfactory a statement of their 
stewardship, that it becomes my duty, as it is my 
pleasure, to thank you in behalf of t!ic New Orleans 
Auxiliary Sanitary Association and the citizens, whose 
contributions to the work, you have employed, to use 
your own language, “as a sacred trust confided in you 
by the people ” 
The interesting history which your report contains, 
of past attempts by the city authorities to execute sim- 
ilar works, their great eost; their abandonment and 
subsequent total extinction, show conclusively that 
great undertakings, intended to improve the sanitary 
condition of cities, can be more promptly, satisfactorily 
and economically executed by trained business men, 
than by municipal authorities, wherever found. 
You have spoken of this great achievement, import 
ant as it is, as the initial part of the plans proposed by 
the Sanitary. Association, for the removal of avoidable 
causes of disease—and that I know it to be. Much 
yet remains to be done. 13 
We must purify, with tlie aid of these great pumps, 
every parallel gutter in the city. Clean the drainage 
canals and remedy their defects, protect the inhab- 
itants in their immediate vicinity against the pollution 
of their dwellings and the destruction of their property 
from an overflow of these long neglected ditches by 
storm or lake water, and generally do those things 
which are, in this enlightened age, considered essential 
to preserve the public health. Who among us is so 
blind as not to see that this city lias, within the two 
years that have just passed, sprung into a new life'? 
Who will deny that we have emerged from a trans- 
ition state, and stand to-day upon the confines of an 
unbounded prosperity ? 
To render that prosperity secure and progressive, 
we must shake off the lethargy engendered by misfor- 
tune and misrule, and take on a new life of activity 
and enterprise. 
Every man in every station has an absolute interest 
in the efforts that are being made by the Sanitary As- 
sociation, for removing, destroying and preventing 
nuisances, dangerous to the public health. 
With health assured and confidence restored, en_ 
forced idleness will be changed to steady employment 
for the working man. Real estate will appreciate in 
value, and New Orleans take the lead in the manufac- 
ture of cotton and other goods, and the transfer of 
Western produce—but blasted and dwarfed by pesti- 
lence, the vital force and productive power decreased, 
by reason of the numerous unsanitary evils which sur- 
round us; physical improvement and happiness rendered 14 
impossible, through thoughtless and narrow parsi- 
mony; not all the railroads that may be constructed, 
barge lines established, nor factories built will make 
this a great and prosperous city. 
Dr. Ohaille, in bis address to the State Medical So- 
ciety has stated : “On March 31st, 1879, the Citizens’ 
Sanitary Association was organized. The evidence of 
non-professional interest in matters of public hygiene 
is very encouraging, but experience warns us not to be 
too sanguine, and that it will require at least one year 
without an epidemic of yellow fever, to test the earn- 
estness and enlightenment of this Association. Per- 
sistency in sanitary reform, in spite of the absence of 
epidemics, is the only test of the enlightenment of the 
reformer.” 
Fellow'citizens ! the Sanitary Association exists to- 
day. in its third year of unflagging effort, in the prime 
of life and vigor. The members of 1879 are with us 
still; with a firm purpose they have devoted their time 
and money, and whatever intelligence God has gifted 
them with, to a fight against rife causes of disease 
Imperfect drainage, filthy streets and gutters, foul 
and ill constructed canals, low lots and places, a mea- 
gre water supply, a vile privy system, the rapid re- 
moval from our midst of all refuse matters, tending, 
under our hot sun, to produce and spread disease—are 
matters which engage their attention. Just so long as 
the Citizens contribute the material aid required, they 
can only rely upon the best efforts of the Association 
to continue the war against every enemy, in what- 15 
soever form, to the material prosperity of the Crescent 
City 
Who can foretell the ultimate effect of the measures 
proposed by the Sanitary Association to secure for this 
City a thorough sanitary reform ? Has the experiment 
ever been tried ? If, as the outcome of your small 
annual investment, this City can be made a clean 
delightful place of residence every month in the year, 
life, health, physical happiness increased, and the moral 
condition improved, will not the investment pay? 
The theme has led me to prolong my remarks beyond 
the reasonable limits of your patience, for which I ask 
your kind indulgence. 
1 have now the pleasure, Gentlemen of the Flushing- 
Committee, to receive from you, in the name of the 
New Orleans Auxiliary Sanitary Association this 
splendid engine and buildings, the iron pipes and 
hydrants, which you deliver to me, to be held by the 
Association, as the property of the Citizens of New 
Orleans. 
To the people then, we will dedicate the works in the 
words of the motto adopted for the pumping stations. 
“ The people have created it 
The people will care for it”