Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-02-28


has deciminated large cities. In canvassing the
subject especial thought has been directed to
the sewerage of cities, the poisonous and
death-dealing yapors of which, it has been
said, are responsible for very large percentage
of deaths resulting from malarial causes. To
employ a smile, the vast subterranean network
of pipes, underlying and traversing the modern
city, may be compared to the lungs of the
human body, and as pure, fresh respiration is
considered the first and most vital requisite of
the body, in the same proportion does good or
Isbad sewerage effect the health of a city.
The present article is confined to general
idea of the sewerage of st. Paul. In order to
ascertain the condition of the sewers, and their
influence on the health of the city, about
which SO much has been said of late, a GLOBE
reporter sought and obtained the views of
several well-kaown medical gentlemen on this
interesting subject.
DR.. d. W. HAND
The reporter first called on DR.. Hand, find
ing that gentleman in his Office, and, on stat
ing the object of his visit, he gracefully SUBJ
mitted to the interview. He said in substance,
that he fully agreed with City Engineer Sew
all with reference to the horrible condition OF
a great portion of the sewerage of st. Paul;
speaking particularly of the district bounded
by Wabashaw street and Seven Corners, and
Third street to College avenue; he said that
within this area the sewers were a putrid cess
pool, choxed with filth, which was knee high
and terribly offensive. For six months of the
year, during the dry season, these sewers, with
their accommodations of filth, were frozen up
and there was no way to flush them.
Many of them could not be flushed at all,
except in cases of heavy rains. 1t was these
sewer deposits that propagated contagious or
blood poisoning diseases. To illustrate his
remarks, he said it could be clearly seen that
since the Rice street sewer had been construct
ed there was wonderful decrease in sickness.
He was sure that typhoid fever had been gen.
Grated from the horrible condition of the
sewerage on the flats, abiding to that
portion of the city south of Third street and
between the river and Fort street. A notable
instance was given of the deadly work of the
Franklin street cesspool, misnamed a sewer.
During the past month six cases of typhoid
fever have occurred in the basement of the
old Irvine mill. This basement is directly
connected with the horrible Franklin street
sewer. In conclusion DR.. Hand thought the
remedy is in the construction of one large
sewer draining upper town and emptying into
Pigs Eye or Trout Brook.
DIR. HAGAN.
DR.. Hagan was next subjected to the ordeal
of an interview. He stated that he had given
the sewer system of st. Paul some thought,
and that he should prefer to have no sewer in
his house than to have q cesspOOl with imper-
feet traps and connections. The subject was
one that vitality concerned the residents of st.
Paul. It was most important that the traps
and pipes should be as near perfect as posi-
BILE; the foul gas percOlated through faulty
pipes and traps and escaped back into the
dwellings. He had no doubt that typhoid
fever, diphtheria, spotted fever and all forms
of blood poisoning were produced by inhaling
carbonic or exhausted air; the lungs must
have oxygen for health, and it was
the breathing of carbonic gas
that poisoned the blood and created disease.
DR.. Hagen alluded to q recent paper of his
read before the medical society, in which he
showed the intimate relation bearing between
good drainage and ventilation, and the proper
observance of the laws 0fhygiene to longevity,
happiness and health. In speaking of the alb
solute necessity of pure air and water to good
health, he gave it as his opinion that since the
introduction of Phalen water to st. Paul, the
general health of the city had greatly improved
for the better. Lower town, where Phalen
water was used, had entirely escaped typhoid
fever. Much of the sickness in the city and
country could be traced to the bad drainage
and water which had been furnished from the
excrements of barns and outhouses. The
mortality of Minneapolis was greater than st.
Paul, and one-tenth of the deaths resulted
from diphtheria. In st. Paul there were
scarcely any deaths from this disease In con-
clusion, he took the broad view that one-half
the deaths of the world were the result of pre-
tentative diseases, which had their origin in
foul air, bad water, and imperfect drainage.
DIR. TALBOT JONES.
The reporter then called on DIR. Talbot Jones,
whose experience is valuable, from the fact
that he is the only physician who has per-
sonally inspected the sewers of St. Paul
The interview was substantially as follows:
What can you tell me about the sewerage of
this city? Well, the subject is certainly an
important ont, land I suppose all physicians
know more or less about matter which plays
such an important part in the causeation of
such large proportion of the disease en-
countered in densely populated city. have
long taken much interest in the subject of
sewage, and have made some personal inves-
tigation. One day last May Assistant Engi-
neer Rundlett and Prof Weitbrecht and nv
self decended ''man-hole," at the corner of
Sixth and Franklin streets, for the purpose of
investigating the city's system of sewerage
We first put on long rubber boots, coats and
caps. We found ourselves in what is known
as the old sewers. We examined the lines of
sewers along, Franklin, St. Peter,
of the lines along other streets.
was amazed to find the sewers in such a
filthy and disgraceful condition. The fonl af-
iuvium through which we waded was from
two to three feet deep, and in walking along,
candle in hand, through these dark subterra-
mean passages, the stencil arising from the de-
composing animal and vegetable matters was
something terrific. I shall not soon forget
the experience of that day. No means are
provided for cleaning the sewers, by flushing
or otherwise, and the decaying product of a
city's excreta is allowed to remain to feed
disease, and swell its mortuary list. What /
have said applies only to what is known as the
old sewers; the new sewers being so far as l
investigated them IN an excellent condition
and would be a credit to any city. I was so
overcome by the foul gas arising from these
products of decomposition that became quite
sick and thought 1 should faint away.
The latter are walled up with brick and cement
several feet from below and at the bottom OF
the sewers the bricks are SO arranged as to
form slope through which stream of
water is constantly flowing. The old sewers,
| however, are in such condition that it seems
| to me strange that the proper authorities,
who cannot be ignorant of the influence of
foul sewage upon the city's health, should
permit them to remain in their present condi-
| ton.
Portions of The Franklin, Exchange, St.
Peter, Seventh and other lines of sewerage
which might be mentioned I do not hesitate