Litchfield enquirer., 1879-02-27
From The Berkeley (Cal.) Advocate.l Disposal of Sewage.

EDITOR ADyoCATE.-Prominent among the questions presented for solution to our youth ful city, is that of the disposal of sewage of all kinds Some concerted measures on this subject must be taken before long, for already the noisome odors of filthy water running ID the street gutters have become standing com plaint in some portions of the Commonwealth. If these things continue and increase, as they must with the population, the reputation or Berkeley will suffer not only as to neatness i'll the abstract, but as to it's being location su- perior in healthfulness both to San Francisco and Oakland Typhoid and other malarious levers. as we'll as diphtheria, are the certain heritage of any community or household neg lecting the sanitary precaution now well un- derstoed to be the means of preventing most of the diseases so long classed as mysterious visitations of Providence, but which in reality are nothing more than the logical results or human improvidence.
 The customary mode is to build sewers to the nearest river or sea. The site ot Berkeley is exceptionally well adapted to this purpose, but that site is very wide garment around the shoulders of its present inhabitants. It would take a score of miles of sewers to meet the wants even of the present scattered popu- lation and these, if made large enough to al low for the rapid growth we hope for, would at once saddle us with the national blessing" of municipal debt that would make our tax payers smart; not to speak of the innumerable jobs and other pickings of which they have sach delightful experiences across the bay. do not think such scheme should be serious ly entertained at this time or for some time to come.
 But what would be burden too grieveus to be born If put upon the shoulders of the community, can at present be easily accom- plished by a slight effort on the part of each family. The lots in our town, in most cases, amply large to allow of the disposition of most if not all, sewage and offal on the premises l themselves. Not, however, by the clumsy and pernicious expedient of cesspools, which only remove the evil from the streets to back yards poisoning both air and wells in the
 most insidious, and therefore most dangerous
 way; but simply by little management, and SO much of personal care on the part of in- mates, as may be very proftably bestowed on the saving of disease, doctors bills and death. Such attention is in Gny case sorely needed, for as matter of fact there is no 'self acting" arrangement, or set of arrangements that can, without supervision, be trusted with our prec7 ious health and lives; witness tho constant occurrence of the poisoning of entire families, swept away by dbhtheria, as a consequence of ssslight' and ''unaooountable' disarrange-
 ment of automatic sewer traps, or little
 leak, or stoppage of pipes. To have liquid or
 gaseous poison constantly lurking in our walls, under our floors, in our bedroom closets, is temerity fully as reckless as to have rat poison | on the dining room shelves with salt, pepper
 and sugar. In either case, nothing but the
 constant care and supervision of persons di- |. rectly interested can prevent accidents; the
 danger is there, and of the two cases that of
 the hidden sewer pipes is by far the more diff
 fcult to control Better let it be understood
 at once that the disposal of sewage requires constant care and attention; and that that at- tention is one of the best paying investments | that family can make.
 To come to the point, will state briefly the principles upon which, l think, ninety-hve out | of a hundred households in Berkeley can dis
 pose of their. sewage without difficulty; adding
 that 1 speak from personal experience and
 practice:
 1, Concentrate as much as possible the
 more offensive part of the sewage, as to be
 able to disinfect it effectually without great
 cost. This refers of course to privy and wa | ter closet sewage, which should never be di-
 luted with that from the kitchen, wash and | bath tubs. The water closet is at best cost | ly and dangerous luxury. It should be super
 seded, wherever possible, by the ''earth-closet." | Dry earth is easily attainable in California dur | ing the greater part of the year it's dsinfect- | ing action is prompt and complete. Out of doors SHALLOW priyy pit is easily and cheap ly kept without offense by it's use, as it can be
 discharged at short intervals, with no more cost than other digging, being offensive. This disposes of the most troublesome part of the
 materials.
 3. Wash tub, wash stand and bath tub sew age is easily dsposad of by using it for irriga- tion by means of Cat least three quarter inch)
 hose the outlet which is shifted from place to place as may be desired. This is great help | to lawns and flower beds, and great saving
 of clean water otherwise used for irrigation. | 3. The kitchen sewage is more troublesome, | but can be managed thus let the drain be amply wide (not less than inch) and trapped
 near the kitchen; carry it underground as far
 as convenient, to a point in the kitchen gar den, from which it can be distributed by little ditches, or by means of moveable wooden
 trough twelve to fifteen feet long over ground | which is either loose otherwise, or purposely | spaded or hood few times in the year, in or l der to remain absorbent. A luXuriant vege- lotion will spring up, consuming all ofense, | and entirely preventing contamination 0t any | we'll, whereas, if the same sewage were run into cesspool, no we'll within fifty feet would | be safe.
 We thus effectually dispose of the three | kinds of sewage produced in an ordinary | household, and the method cannot, certainly, be objected to on the score of expedse Noth- | ing. in fact stands in the way of it except the habit of having this disagreeable subject dealt
 with by other means, without trouble to those
 directly interested. But apart from the unde-
 niable fact that the false security so engender l ed costs the sacrifice of thousands of lives
 every year, no such automatic health-traps
 are at present available in Berkely. The
 choice of our citizens lies only between three
 things the construction of sewers at the cost
 of a heavy burden of debt; the abomination
 of private cess pools, breeding disease both in
 the air we breathe and in the water we drink
 or the adoption of some such system like the
 one above described, at the expense of little
 personal attention, which soon becomes an
 unconscious habit. Let it be remembered tl at such attention will have to be given in GRy event-either to proper sanitary precautions or to sick nursing and funerals.-E, " Hit- gard.