The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1877-03-10
THE SEWERAGE OF HONOLULU.

Hygienie considerations induce US to make sumo
remarks upon a most important matter most In
timately connected with the sanitary conditions oil
this city. We allude to the question of Sewerage
We deem il unnecessary to advance any ar
guments in support of the indispuiable fact that
the healthy condition of any community depends
to a very great extent upon the prevention OF the
accumulation of natural ordures in its midst
We think that it may safely be laid down as a
general rule that the state of the Sewerage OF
any locality where population is crowded Is q
test Of its healthiness, or the contrary, as the
case may be. The most terrible instances OF the
paramount importance OF the sewerage question
are constantly presenting themselves around us
in the world. To mention a few; last year IN
the months of March and April, a fearful cpl
demic decimated Rio de Jsneiro, capital OF the
Empire OF Brazil, while the Monarch Of that coun-
try was amusing himself with bis Empress on a
tour in the United States. The deaths daily at one
stage Of the contagion were upwards of one hun
dred. Now, what was the opinion eft medical
men, regarding the main cause of the unhealthi-
ness of the magnificent capital of the Brazilian
Empire? Defective Sewerage. A few years
previously, in 1872, another splendid city of
OOubH <hHlcIICas DICAOo AyACey ndS lIAOo w
populated by a pestilence of a novel character,
which puzzled medical science, while it swept off
daily at one stage of its virulence upwards of
two hundred victims. In this instance, also, the
cause of the disease was scientifically attributed
to defective sewerage. We might multiply in
stances of this sort. Indeed, we may assert
that this important matter engrosses the atten-
ton of all enlightened communities in all parts
of the world, We lately perused some very
striking remarks upon this subject in a lead
ing journal of Australia, the Sydney Morning
Herald, in which the writer laments that a coun-
try, naturally one of the healthiest and most
enjoyable in the world" owing to the neglect of
proper sewerage in it's populous localities is be-
coming "pestiferous to q degree never before
known"
Now, to come home to our own city of Homo
lulu, the capital of this Kingdom, it must be
evident to any intelligent man or woman, that a
lamentable negligence prevails here, in this all
important matter upon which depends the health,
nay the life of the population. Almost every
dwelling-house conceals on its premises a reek-
ing cess-pool, where human ordures have been &C.
cumulating for years, without any outlet, while
the presidential matter oozes underground creating
fetid exhalations that polIute the air we breathe.
This is no coloured picture drawn for graphic
effect, but a plain ungarnished tale of an actual
condition of things, the existence of which 70
believe many of our readers may fully ascertain
by an inspection of their own premises. For the
present, we feel that we have discharged our
duty, solemnly warning the people of this city
of a latent danger, whose fatal consequences to
other p~opulous countries we have shuddered to
behold heretofore. We feel convinced that the
proper authorities sitter a due consideration of
this shbject,-to the discussion of which we
have been impelled by considerations of dire
necessity-cannot fail, without a downright
dereliction of duty, to promptly and seriously
take some measures with a view to the establish
ment of sewage works for the city of Honolulu.