Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-02-23
AN EPIDEMIC THREATENS SAN FRAN
CISCOI

DR.. Meares, of the San Francisco Board
of Health, said at a meeting of the Health
and Police Committees of that city Tues
day afternoon that he had examined a
number of sewers in the southern part of
the city, and had also talked with the
Superintendent of Streets, and from his
observation and information was able to
state that the sewers were in a horrible
condition. Many of the sewers were con-
structed of wood, and had not only be.
come saturated with the impurities of the
sewage, but had impregnated the ground
for some distance around them with the
deadly miasmatic poison. During heavy
rain-storms the pressure of water displaces
the poison in the soil and causes it to be
distributed in the neighborhood of the
| sewers, to breed pestilence and occasion
death. DR.. Meares referred to the deplora.
BILE sanitary condition of the city in 1876,
when an epidemic of zymotic diseases
every month swept hundreds of victims
into untimely graves. He had no
hesitation in asserting that the
present alarming death rate had been
swelled to its disheartening proportions by
bad sewerage In some of the narrow
streets south of Market the side sewers
dIC lOhOl VIAL VIC uIdiu5 WI are
supposed to drain Them These sewers
can therefore only serve as generators of
foul gas, which escapes into the other
sewers, and finding its way through de-
fective traps, infects dwelling houses. No
place in which there is defective trap is
exempt from the deadly influence of these
gases, for, being many times lighter than
the atmosphere, they range along the sew
ers until, finding an outlet, they escape
perhaps on the summit of Mob Hill. The
doctor thought that in fact the higher por-
tions of the city were more exposed to
danger from sewer gas than are the lower
places. DIR. Mesres advocated sy stem of
ventilation of the sewers, and cited the
Geary- street sewer as an example of the
advantage OF giving sewers free out
let to the open air.
Superintendent Graham described some
of the sewers as filed within six inches of
the top with filth, and that men could not
be hired to go into them to clean them.
DIR. Simpson said San Francisco must
submit to either high tax rate to clean
the sewers, or else high death rate. The
sewers must be reconstructed, but it would
do present good to clean them out. Some
of the sewers absolutely run up hill, and
some have no outlets at all.
At the meeting OF the Board in the even.
ing the committee reported the result OF
the investigation, stating the necessity for
immediate and thorough work in the
cleansing and repairing of the sewers, but
regretted that the lack of funds precluded
the performance of the work as thoroughly
az it should be done. As the next best
thing they reported series of resolutions,
which were adopted, directing the Super
intendent to proceed forthwith and con-
tinue with all diligence for two weeks, with
the entire force of workmen in his depart
ment, to cleanse the sewers and cesspools,
beginning with those in the lowest parts of
the city directing the Street Committee
to furnish whatever disinfectants the Board
of Health shall recommend for the work of
publication and instructipg the Chief
Engineer of the Fire Department to render
all assistance in his power in the work.
THE WETTEsT PLACE IN THE WORLD
The rainfall at Cherrapungi, a small Indian
station in southwestern Assam, is believed
to exceed that of any other known place.
Cherrapungi occupies the summit OF one Of
the Khasia hills, at an elevation of 4 100
feet. The hills rise abruptly from low
plains, and lie directly in the course of the
southwest monsoon from the Bengal coast
Surcharged with moisture, the air currents
sweep across the lewlands and are detected
upwards by the hills, the expansion of the
currents on rising causing fall of temper.
ature and condensation of moisture. The
effect is surprising, for while the low plains
have an average yearly fall of about 100
inches of rain, the annual rainfall OF Cher.
rapungi is 493 inches, or more than Al feet.
As comparison, it may be stated that
the annual rainfall of the United States is
from II to so inches, being greatest near
the seaboard.
GENTLEMEN: You. Hop Bitters have been
of great value to ne. l was laid up with
typhoid fever for over two months and could
get no relief until tried your Hop Bitters
To those suffering from d. bility or any one ia
feeble health, cordially recommend them.
J. C. SToETzEL,
SO Fulton street, Chicago, Ill.
Ere fancy you consult, consult your
purss.-[Franklin.