, 1880-10-24
HOUSE-DRAINAGE.
Report Of the Committee OF the
Citizens Association.
The Evils of SeWer-GaS. and How
to Remedy Them.
4 Complete System Of House and
Sewer Ventilation.
Legislation Needed to Protect tie
Health Of the Community.

The following report of the Committee on
House-Draiuace OF tho Citizens Association has
been approved by the Executive Committee
snd ordered to be published for the information
Of the members and the public:
To The EIec,ttire Committee Of the C1tizcns' 49,
Drainage, appointed by you, beg }eave TO submit
The suuitary condition Of houses is Of vital
Importance, not only 10 the occupants gut dt TO
sonous gases into one house may PC the cause ot
anepldemic disease In considering the ques-
tons connected with house-drutnage- thefelofe,
We have endenvored to regard them> not as tney
affect the interests Of the Individual household-
et only, bur, iu broader view, in their relations
to the health and sufety Of the whole city.
DANGERS OF MAIAR1A-
It's often said that there Is now a tendency 70
eIaEgrrate the dangers from malarth1 pofSons-
Tbs is 0uly partially true. In spite OF III! tae
discussion of the subject, the great mass q me
qeuple are still tsnurunt OF the eAtenI % tue
daugers to which they arc daily and hourly e3-
posed end even the commonest methods OF
prevention. it's desirable that tue attenuon OF
The public shall he SO thoroughly aroused to tae
Importance of this subject tbAt no one Will oe
content 10 live in n house until he has been con-
Tnced thut it is in good sanitary condfuon;
II Is mot too much to say that large maJo11ey,
ol I'LL the buildings in Chicago are now e1posea e
10 great risks from injurious gases. AS We
nave shown thAt this is II matter neartS conceIh~
ing Tue public health, We sball 1rst conslder tne
remedies, and then recommend that tue aooP-
aon @1 VI some Of the simplest Ct them oe nlaoe
Obligatory by Inv, and he enforced by tho mp
polatmeni Of Sanitary Inspector
CAUSES or DASGER-
r1nere are three principal causes OF oa1Rel'
3f'Fs'- from dtcaying matter about the premises,
1ht'4y condition Ut the house; but this does nor
properly coule Within the scope OF our lnEestl-
.1,t sauon. second; from scwrr-gns ,str Gcnertc1
@ within ct the building. Third. frum the sewer
Sas ID The main Ur street sewers.
REMEDY.
These dangers are very serious. but there IS
4enedy for them. They c:aI be averted and the
ees. MxeEeEas rendered harmless by the thurough
hS'a hh;,alauon Of the drainage system Within tue
aoase aud OF the .auin sewers
MAIN SEWERS
"a az We snall treat Of the main sewers only so
.al Us they uGect the hcnithfulness Of houses,
sn se shaA first consider the danger from this
7'G1ce %1ce anu how to uvcrt it.
tSacaRn IS 4 INT city, the streets baF1ng only
Ioat NY! zen 1eet average elevation above Lake
s@1Haaignn- III Consequently its sewers are laid
iii tI 10y very Slight fall: heavy showers nearly
exe ee@anxe u wind to the north or east always
~ Tses ~ sudden accumulation OF water in them
the a. space IS contracted and the aiF .R1ta'1
usf aS 1 nd 1t mu5t ~snf ad x na 1hia
Tept po.1oed for tho most convenient and easiest
T1.a,!stae - tae pipes lending up into tho houses.
prrxs'1aps aps ouer almost no resistance to the COM
- as tney nre generally constructed
d,".. OF temperature and other causes pro-
eGee ~ like result
1ers: NV n'cuns |" oos'ate taese oaa~
corats -. -4hat the present system Of perforated
nn,tto " manhUlcs jn the main sewers be made
b. nesit ~, ana that every manhole In Chicago
petien"s With perforated top. 1t is the ex-
this ereta " London and uther large cities that
p,sa, ,s!etn- when fully carried our. renders tho
g. sdr,;,t. an tac sewers comparatively harmless,
ieryas ya'stcg as fresh air to them Ut frequent in-
Fnr ano IN abundant quantities
no, - g. ss eral reasons. however, this remedy is
0ree9s oe entirely relied upon in Cbicayo. Our
not si..asn e not ali paved und the puved ones are
eosers sass sq;. s;. %ell ccuned; and the manhole
dit and ~ asaole 10 be cloggcd with mud and
are AM -: are Often covered with snow. aud they
1eoze1, m~a ~ pe almost hermetically sealed by
"e'S"d-Hence We recommend m aad,+tona,