The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-12-19
The Canal, Again.

The present and future condition of the
southern end of the Canal is a subject of
great interest to our citizens
Without assuming the position to which
&c" arrived in his communication of Satur-
day, let us briefly consider the influence the
Canal exercises upon the value of property
and the health Of citizens near it.
It's length from Eighth street to the elbow
and from that to Pigeon Greek is near q
mile. This distance divided into lots of
twenty-four feet each makes about four hun
dred and fifty. The last duplicate shows
that these lots are valued at something like
two dollars foot less than lots one square
from the Canal Hence the conclusion is
reasonable that it depreciates the value Of
lots fronting upon it about two dollars per
front foot, or fifty dollars a lot. Multiply
four hundred and fifty, the number of lots
on the Canal, by fifty, their deprecated
value, and the product, or loss to the lot
owners, is $22, 500.
1t would be a very low estimate to fix
the deprecated value of property more re-
motley situated at $22, 500 more. Add these
amounts together and the total depreciation
of property would be $40, 900. Is not this
low estimate?
There are now from twelve to fifteen
bridges across the Canal. Several Of these
are worthless. The average duration of
canal bridges does not appear to be more
than FIVE years. Hence we may estimate, if
the Canal is to be kept up, that an average
of three bridges year for the next FIVE
years must be made. The cost of these
may be estimated at $500 each, or So, 400
year for bridges for the next five years.
Think of it, Taxpayers Within the next
five years you win be required to pay
something like $l2, 200 for canal bridges if
you desire to keep that worthless ditch
properly bridged.
The condition the Canal has been in
during the summer months for the last
several years, and the condition ii is likely
to be in at the same season for several years
to come, if efforts be made to keep it up
renders a consideration of its influence
upon the health of citizens near 1t an i'm
portant question. All medical authorities
and common experience teach that stagnant
water, filled with deeaying vegetable mat
ter, is a prolific source of disease during the
summer months. As this water diminishes
the effluvia or poisonous vapors increase in
virulence, so that by the time the Canal is
nearly dry they become so poisonous
that few hours exposure will frequently
cause sickness For the last several years
in August and September. The consequence
has been, citizens living near it have been
much more afflicted by disease than those
living more remote. .-
| presume the number of citizens living
sufficiently near the Canal TO be influenced
by it's water when it attalns a nOxious state,
may be reasonably estimated at five hundred
Suppose the increased ratio of sickness is
equal to FIVE persons daily zone man and
four women and children) for the months
of July, August, and September. Let us
place a cash estimate on this atllictiOn. The
women and children are self-sustaining /;
but their sickness involves cash outlay in
the way of physicians bills and other extras
of one dollar per day each. This make an
aggregate of $500.
The men lose their time, which is worth
a dollar, and incur dollar of expenses
This would make another aggregate of $500
In consequence of the unhealthy influence
of the Canal, therefore, citizens living near
it annually incur an expense, by loss OF
time, physicians bills, and other extras Of
$500. If a cash value can be put upon the
Affections Of our fellow-beings, this appears
low. G.