New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-05-10

to say, to be extinguished, and become the
property Of the city, as provided for in the
original charter Of the company-its only
good feature.
Early in the summer the cholera made its
appearance in the third district, but was
soon suppressed by the energy of the Health
officer, aided by men detailed from this de,
partment, and liberal use of carbolic acid
and other disinfectants.
The experience of New York, London,
and other large cities was confirmed as to
the value of an intelligent and judlcious
use of disinfectants more especially Of car
bolic acid, at that time but little known in
this CITY, and as far as l know, had not
been publicly used. Many members of the
medical profession who were skeptical as to
its usefulness as a disinfectant were after
ward convinced, and are now warm advo'
Gates for its generaluse.
When the epidemic broke out, the large
number of unacclmsted persons in the city
furnished the material for its continuance.
Among its victims we're many who were too
poor to pay a doctor and without friends to
bury them in case of their death. Upon
this department deyolved the duty OF car.
rying the INDECENT sick to the hospital, and
burying the INDECENT dead. From the fifth
day Of June, 1861 up to May, 1868, eight
hundred and twentyone sick were carried
to the hospital; anddHring the same period
six hundred and seyenty-tiye were buried.
This is exclusive OF any sick that were con-
veyed during the night time by orders from
the police.
Fumigation with sulphurous acid, follow
ed by disinfection with carbolic acid, was
used to considerable extent during the con-
tinuance ofthe yellow fever, and with consid-
cradle advantage wherever we had fair OPP
portunity of tryingit. The want ofa proper
ly trained ecorps of health officers with full
powers prevented that extensive application
desirable, and which am sure would have
resulted in great good, and the saving of
many valuable lives. The Street Commits.
sioners force is only an auxiliary TO the
Board of Health, and in the present condi-
ton of the law can do but little of itself.
what's wanted is some proper institution, or
asylum, some temporary home where the
poor and helpless could be removed to while
the houses in which they lived were prop
erly fumigated, iislntected, and made
healthy.
In spite of the oftrepeated assertions of
few persons in our midst, / am of opinion
that no Well-informed person believes that
you can with safety to the public health
permit so many millions of square feet of
foul and poisonous water and filth to be
exposed to the decOmposing influence of sun
and air as are contained in the many drain
ing canals Of the city,
In my first commul cation to the Common
Council last June urged the necessity of
having the draining canals cleaned out; and
since that time / several times called atten-
ton to the necessity of having it done on
the score of public health. To me it|1ooks
very much like waste of public money and
culpable neglect to permit such mass of
corruption and filth to exist, poisoning and
communicating all it comes in contact with.
II is not for me to say where the blame lies.
l merely draw attention to the fact.
am prompted to make these remarks,
because | have found that the imperfect and
inadequate drainage is one of the greatest
obstacles have to contend with in attempt.
ing to keep the cutters clean; for while the
large canals are full and are permitted TO
remain so day after day, the water in the
street cutters can not run OIL, but is backed
up, and lies exposed to the sun and
air, and no force at my command can prop
erly remedy the evil so long as the canals
are allowed to remain full. Even while
write, the streets of the fourth district,
between Dryades and Claiborne, are par
| TALLY flooded in consequence of the ClGi-
borne Canal being full. This trouble is
much increased in consequence of the water
sluiCes at the levee being so rotten that it
is not possible to shut off the water; the
cutters soon ill uD and the canal being
full, the water can not run OFF. Unfor.
tunately, the necessary repairs can not be
made until the river falls.
Since / came into office in June last, l
have had four blocks and two intersections
on Magnolia street macadamized, giving a
good road from the jackson Railroad depot
to Lafayette street, The actual cost to the
city was only labor for hauling and placing
the stone. All the stone used was found on
the street, and had only to be broken.
which was done in the City workhouse. A
| good cypress gutter which was placed on
each side of one block, cost only the labor
of placing it, the merchants in the vicinity
having furnished the lumber free of cost.
The four blocks on Canal street, south
| side, between Liberty and Claiborne, have
been for many years almost impossible in
wet weather, and very bad at all times.
Large sums have been expended in throw.
| ing down ballast she'll, and brickba with.
out any method, and which in few weeks
at most left the street in as bad condition
as before. The absence of a gutter on the
north side made the condition of the street
much worse.
AS several of nv predecessors had work.
ed on these four blocks, and all had failed,
was scarcely in office before l was beset
with complaints demanding that | should
have the street putin order. Upon care
tul examination found a good gutter was
neeueu On w n ~ sue, IN orueF W secure
propeiI ou; ;Sa ~ sle water WhlSn cam
uown shas JIa ~ "a sne s1leet. nse soou
sSad aJ dr @-T sutSel d t
IoAu osu G9s Up properly .graueu' ana
r ram WIZ t oou use OF paVihg on each
sue aoouI ea aiStl leeG "iue; inc centre OF
Of hroSen stone. The worE has now ' been
camnIatad nearly vear and COS r tbinL
he satisf,ctorilv naintad ~ es q oood ION
There having been a great des1 Of 93nbiic
comment as 10 the cost af The warl, snh,
NIT the foiIowing i,sms from he records y,