The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-02
INVESTIGATE YOUR HOMES,
AND SMUT our THE POISONOUS GiSES
THAT BREED TYPHOID


that They May Discover and Remedy.
So many houschulders suddenly awaken
ed to- the importance Of excluding sewer gas
from thor homcs have sent to the Board Of
Health complaints and requests for inspections
ofthcir premises. that the work demanded has
exceeded tho ability Of the limited force OF in
spcctors Hence some delays are unavoidable;
but 1t Is promised that there shall be as much
despatch ns Is consistent with thoroughnoss.
Those who desire an inspection ofthcir houses
may do much To facilitate She work 10y thom-
selves making such preliminary inspections ms
will enable them to inform the official sanitary
inspector when he arrives Of such parts of their
drainage Us they I>''y to be defective.
The house scY< should be an iron pipe of six
inches diameter Vitrinod carthenwarc piping
Is generally used. but is Objectionable because
OF its fraglity. Brick and mortar or cement
drains are bad AZ no skill or caro- can make
them long impcryous 10 the gases that disntc-
CRATE their mortar and the liquid matters that
find leakage through their intersticcs. The
earthcnwaro pipes are often unsound when put
down, or arc cracked in tho process Of laying.
and when tho plumber comes along To connect
an iron pipe with the drain, he is very likely to
mash hole in the oarthen pipe. poke In the
Iron pipe and perhaps not caulk around the
connection. A. the law stands. the laying OF an
Iron house sewer is not compulsory upon the
landlord There must b. trap. e.. a down
ward bend in the Pipe which will retain guam
tlty of liquid OF tho full volume Of the diameter
Of The pipe. 10 act a. seal against the gases from
the main scwcr-whilh must bc placed. not Mt
tho immediate connection Of waste or soil pipe
with the house sewer but between that point
and the street scwer But single trap in that
position ie not an effective seal under all con-
dtions. whatever an army Of plumbers may
aver IN the affirmative. Violent winds driving
NON o r I'M
strong flood tides hurting back the CON
tents OF tho sewers aud exon the sudden
rom the nous" ' connpctions, nav ma "1 nm.
seal that single tran and permit the gases
trap can give pusitiye assurance Of mn inVio-
liable s'nl But the law no moro demands. as
yet. double ifapping here ham 1t insists upon
iron house drains So while men improving
thoir own homes may lay this knowledge TO
heart. tenants who have 90 fight landlords for
repairs need not ycdrn alter the unattanahc in
this direction. Every joint should be- thoroughly
secured and eaulkcd with molten lead: hut. II
cement h used instead very close inspection
should be made at every joint. and 1t should be
seen that. in drying. the material has neither
shrunk nor bcen Jared loose from the pipe nor
has cracked so that gases can escape. Cement
joints should be often examined. Sometimes.
instead OF cement, common mortar il used.
lectionatle foatur,s of cement the mortar il
certain 20 "rumbo very soon under the action
Much attention has been given to house sew
ers, because they being generally hidden and
lltlI liNNls llIlFNl col exp sure. ARE most
likely to De- passed over with insufficient eNam-
lnhtiun in an Otherwise thorough Inspection.
Yet their soundn"ss Is "a vital matter. II de-
lectiNc they poison H." air Ol tho cellar the mir
that a-c'ul9 through the p'pn reeo.-,s in the
wellS t. gil IN" upper stories ~ the house. the
air that foods the ycutilafiu.: shafts and the air
hat Is heated boy the furnace and poured into
ne bcdtgyuis. pdrlVr-. dining rooms. aud halls
above. The inspection should next b. COM
tinurd To- the waste and soil pipes The former
generally are. n thcy should be- Of iron The
latter are often OF lead, scarcely thicker than n
AlIF an
Dy their own weight and to be- corrcdcd 10y the
gases aud liquids passing through them. Some
them dotted with holes. laad soil pipe should
always be an object Of grave suspicion. The
distinction hero made between waste pipes,
which carry az waste winter from bath tubs,
wash ha-ins. slop sink. &c. and soil pipes
which drain the wat ,osets is not always
rad' In private houses. II Will not be difilrult,
however for anybody go trar. upward the pipes
empiying into the hous" sewer and 10 follow
out al W. IT. ccnnee'iuns Three rules must
apply to both pipes alike. That it, they must
be poricsy sound between the Joints their
Joints and connections must be tightly caulkcd
with lead they must eXtcnd TWO feet above the
roof, without any dimiuution Of their diameter
and be sprmounted by an umbrella shaped cap
Tho bad practice is common OF closing Joints
with cemrn; plaster or putty, materials that ara
not durable They are used because they are
cheaper than lead but lead is 50 far the best
that the substitutes are never employed in good
by mems of an iron sleeve takes more time and
skill than Iamming the lead pipe into u hub II
the iron PHO and plastering the place over with
huu hh,l bluWu fs VINO are ether dishonest or
incomprtent viii bo very likely to swear that the
intt.r way IS as .ood AZ the former. but the con;
nectlon wth eye Is the only thorough and
trustworthy ono. II there H. the slightest open =
ing oven II II Is no larger than pin hole. in
any Joint or connection. sewer gas will surely
ind thnt outlet and through 1t eventually poison
the inmates Of the house.
The pipes must extend. fun bore above tho
roof. 10 Insure their ventilation. Such ventiln-
ton is absolutely necessary To- prevent the traps
+ 4 fll ha mott of .ttt