Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-11-22
THE CHOLERA.
The Sanitary Condition Of the City
Report of the Board of Health OF
fltfn CITY.

Tho Sanitary Condition Of the City
Report of the Board of Healt OF
tlHfb City.
At the meeting of the City Council a week
ago last evening, a preamble and series Of
resolutions were introduced and adopted,
descriptive of the abominable sanitary con-
dition of the city, and authorizing the Street
Commissioner to take active steps in putting
the streets and alleys of the city in such
state as they should be in, in view of the
threatened visit of the cholera. During
the past week, that officer has been laboring
with might and main in the direction indi-
Gated. At the session Of the Council last
night, the condition ofyet other localities in
the city was made known, and the sense of
that body was expressed very emphaticaIly
by the most cautious and conservative mem
Der 1--WE mean no d~isrespect at alp, when he
declared that the Council should be exceed
ingly careful now in making expenditures
for divers objects, since the funds ofthe city
should be husbanded for outlay in putting it
in the most perfect sanitary condition posi-
bic.
The Board of Health have been giving the
subject grave consideration, and submitted
to the Council last evening an elaborate re-
port, which we append. Said Board thinks
no time is to be lost in the effort to set our
house in order before the arrival of the
scourge.
Here is the
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH.
To the honorable, the city Council Of the City
of Cleveland:
The Board of Health of this city would re.
spectfully make the following report:
In view of the anticipated approach Of
the epidemic cholera, the Board have fol
some time been considering what are the
most prolific causes of its prevalence in this
city, and having given the matter consider
BILE examination and mature deliberation
beg leave to submit the following causes
their magnitude being in the order in which
they are presented for your consideration
|. The want of an extension of our sewer
age system throughout the city, especially
m the older settled parts, and particularly
in those parts settled by the more humble
classes, where the houses and lots are small
and closely crowded together. In these
places there is not one house in twenty
where there is any attempt at under drain,
age, and all filthy Stops and water are
thrown upon the. surface of the ground
and this has been continued so long thai
the earth is saturated, or plastered with
grease until it will receive no more. and
hence all this filth has to lie upon the sur
face until it evaporates and is taken up and
mingled with the atmosphere, and this is
the air we breathe. Even where an at
tempt is made at under drainage, the els
terms into which the drains are emptied are
foul and loathsome to the last degree.
The Board would urge that our system OF
sewerage be extended as rapidly as is con-
sistent with q decent economy, and they
would most respectfully and urgently ask
that some of the branch sewers in the
thickly settled parts of the city, like the
Hamilton branch sewer, be built at once,
this winter, if possible. Alarge part of the
territory traversed by this sewer as pro
posed, this Board regard as extending great
er inducements to the ravages of the cholera
than any other district in the city, and the
same applies to all the cross streets between
Erie and Murison streets, as the soil there
is very damp, and will require but little
surface water.
This Board cannot see any great cause for
anxiety in the condition of our streets and
alleys, as compared with private grounds,
and, although they would not relax any
from the labors now being performed by the
Street Commission, they would not advise
any extended expenditure in that direction,
until the atmosphere is less tainted from pri-
vate property.
II. Surface water standing upon streets
and grounds is a prolific cause of epidemic
disease but from this no relief can be OBJ
tanned without sewerage, as the filling of
our low places but drains the water to an
other.
III. Swili and house offal, lying too long,
waiting for chance to be transported away,
loads the atmosphere with its impurities, and
is a very prolific cause ofdisease. And in the
same connection we would mention the
keeping of swine, and would urgently recon-
mend that an ordinance be passed, prohib-
iting their being kept within the city limits;
and for this purpose this Board respectfully
report an ordinance for the purpose, and
also an ordinance to provide for transport
ing beyond the city limits all swill and
house ofIal.
Soap boilers, from the nature of their bust
ness, collecting greasy substances after they
have become rancid and foul, and boiling
them, are ~nuisauces, and unhealthy, and
should properly be excluded from the city
limits.
". The condition OF a majority OF the
privy vaults within the city, may well be a
cause for anxiety in view of an expected
epidemic; and this Board is organizing a
method of having them all examined and
reported upon, and in connection with this,
the Board report an ordinance for providing
some systematic and reliable manner of
getting them changed. This is a want
which has long been felt here, and within
the last year or two it has been nearly i'm
possible to get it done at all, or, if done, at
a very exorbitant price. In view of the
Board having to order much of this work
done, they would urge an early passage of
this ordinance.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
J. II. MARSHALL, Secretary.
Cleveland, November q, 1865.