The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-06-23
The semerage Question.

Yesterday a HERALD reporter delegated
for that purpose interviewed number OF the
most prominent taxpayers of the city as well
as several leading physicians, on the sewer
age question. he found, with but few ex-
ceptions, that they we're thoroughly i'm
pressed with the necessity Of sewers and es-
pecially were the physicians who naturally
study the health of the city. Those whom
he met that oppose it, do 50 on the ground
that the tax on the people would be too bur-
densome. DR.. Garter. the health officer, who
has labored so jealousy to keep the city in
good sanitary condition, in answer to a
question put rs to what he
thought Vi the sewerage question,
said that he did not think it possible to make
Dallas a good sanitary town without system
of deep drainage in which all the fifth and
excrementitious matter Of every description
ean be carried away before decomposition
sets in. In his opinion, when such matter
begins TO decompose, it is the most potent
generator Of desse. 1t is impossibie TO have
clean city without this sort of drainage. There
is no system superior to underground sewer
age. The situation of the city, as it is on atiat
surface with but little dip in any direction,
renders it favorable to sewerage.
The level ground makes the
surface drainage difficult and ineffective, as
it fails to keep the surface soil dry, and ut the
same it fails to protect the well and spring
water from contamination by impure matter.
He pronounced the city as healthy now, but
~ l,,.,i ,,,;..hf 10 70 az tirDa
in the shape of an epidemic, and for want OF
proper precaution the city would DO pros
tratei.
The physicians visited, all OF whom have
the health of the city at heart, were very pro-
nounced in their views as regards the vital inn
portance of system OF sewerage,
which they deem absolutely necessary to the
good health of Dallas, and q preventive
against epdemics, which are 80 sure to fol-
low if timely steps are not taken. The health
of cities and towns depends more than any
thing else upon their cleanliness. The ma.
tional board of health, as well MS the national
medical association, fully appreciate and
urge the importance of drainage, which can
only be thoroughly done by underground
sewerage. The latter has section set apart,
entitled, "a Section on Public Hygiene and
State Medicine" devoted exclusively to the
consideration of sanitary meas
ures in the respective towns
and cities the country. They we're unan-
imous that the health ofsll places of the pop
ula.on of Dallas, and especially those SINH
larly stuated-in hst-depended upon
good drainage. 1t was question to them of
the utmost importance. The topography of
the city Is such that it could be easily sew.
cred. why" said one leading physician,
"the amount of animal execretions that has
been packed a way in back yards in the bust
ness portions of this city is simply astound-
ing. The ground is perfectly saturated with
impure matter that has been acenmulatng
for years past and the air is filled with pois.
onous gases generated by it, Ii system OF
sewerage is not adopted the water closets, es-
pecially those in the main business part, will
have to be condemned by the health officer,
or an epidemic is inevitable. To insure the
health of the city the water closets must be
closed and if we cannot have sewerage it
would be better for the city to erect large
one or two more at convenient points, where
the matter could be carried of, but if
possible the city should be severed
The majority of the citizens, those who pay
heavy taxes, whom the reporter called on,
favored sewerage. They saw the importance
oft and they argued that while 1t might be
too heavy burden on the people to con-
struct complete system at present, yet some
of it could be built where it is the most
needed and could be added to from time to
time, until the work was completed. In this
way the tax would mot fall SO heavy on prop
erty owners