New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-06
HEALTH or TIE WASHiTGTOy POOR.

AN INCREASE OF MORTALITY CAUSED ny THE DE-
rECrs or TIKI RING SYSTEM OF sHwERAGE.
rome Rdifor or The TriSunA
SIR: The recent reports Of the Washington
Board OF Healii have shown TINT while tho grnfr1
health of tho city daring tho pat wntor hns boz cool
the rate OF mortality Jng tnc poJfor classes h been
very high his br partly ao,OnnIed FIR ny the faot
that thousands Of poor people, IN ,sty black. who were
brought into tho Dstic, o Columbia during tho rule Of
the Ring have been for tho past year without employ
ment aud in spits OF the ir;o appropriations .de by
Con ;r their rclie AMI tho generous aid afforded
by charitable citizens, many have died OF wnnt or OF dis
case induced by exposure and the lack OF proper food
Another ca,isn OF the increased mortality nmpng tho
colored people IL. think. been overlooked Ills thr
iID;,srct construction OF many OF the built by
tue late Board OF Pnblc Works an the fatal errors In
the system to hch attention bstn repeatedly called
I'm rhs TaIBuyR. For ant of sufficient conductive
capacity In most Of tina main sewers. their liquids IN
tmss heavy back MP Ia high elevations In their
Contributing branches AMI ny great pressure forced
through house drains into many cellars and blsements
which thus bosom satddtol with foul sewage. the odor
or poison Of which ROMAN In an | unljr the floors
and In The walls long after the visible liquids have boen
removed or have disappeared.
A great number Of the branch composed ~
short lenyis VI pottery ppes mp,riocty b5dlod with
their Oh butte together an loosely ioned In various
ways the last Ius snosdenoo OF the SOIL
the brittle pipes break the joints open, and nnmarOns
leaks arc produced through which the sewage passes out
Into the earth by one all Of these processes great
quantities Of the sewage liquids forced into tho earth
all over the city far bad and leaky drains have
ben laid by this means PORTIONS OF nntur-
ally dry soil through which tina sewers pass
are lnalo foul and damp. and must, OF oour,o:
s sycT9 is ' continued Tno ars, injurious eoct ro
smiling "A soh snturatiOn OF tho so thst muoh VI
the moisture rises W tho surface aud INTO the air aud
dwclpys making thom moist AMI unhraithfu This Is
the result the excessive humidity arises from
the purest water and In such oauses rheumatism.
ption and uthOr Diseases Uf Ike character hut
wo,p is saturated with the foul Tnds ofnty
FROM the soil are also largely composed Of or
ceeinsy noxios vapors aud yssos uch cause typhoid
fyes aud various other Kindred and ciJlJr Diseases
The uwurJ tendency Of the M DISTURB, gases a.
nuei by hra hut they may b, diverted from tbur nat
upward direction BY intervening o@lacies Ia suoh
Csc, iey viii move latorally toward points loss Oh
srueted and will there rise In concentrated form frO
tho earth. During warm weather the oxhalng prO-
cess Ia mainly Produced BY heat from tho sun.
wc nearly uniform all over tho exposed surface Of
the ground But during cold Winter weather when tue
forming barrier ~ tho escae through 10 VI the gases
&C. ana thr ground actually covered with dwellings 10
not thus CLOSED by frost tho rising mcsturo and gases
naturally concentrate bcnrhth The houses ana
cane ward the Unsfs basetnents and near
the ground surface and tbL process Is greatly promoted
by e kept up Within dwellings during cold weather.
Al the Same tine BY keeping the doors and windows
cUre OF the umc fur excluding GOLD. tho posios
exhaatons from the sill are retained within tho dwell
lngs AMI Tor these their oocs usually most
fatal In the lower apartments those Nearest to the
from which the sis e1halalons otunas In The
foregoing brief presentation OF facts and the dis
prop,rti0nate mortality under oonsdcr alton Ii beloved
tO be partly accounted Tor
The poorer classes usually and OF necessity occupy
places most ajuriousy aifected by tho deadly onana
lions frUin tins badly devised and badly constructed
sewers Many OF thoI servants or ~ cheap teunnsi
spend 0f their tiur In Easements and cclars and
there breathe the air thus poisoned. and. natural
many them soken and die. Others 1.-Two
Luddsd together IN siaAll cheap. onostoiy hns aud