Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-09
CITIZENS SANITARY AssOCIA.
TTON.
Meeting OF the Executive Council
An Interesting and Important Re"
port

the Citizens Sanitary Association, and the
ehairmen of various standing committees OF
the association, was held last evening at
Metropolitan Hall.
The President announced the object to be
the reception of reports from the chairman
of each committee as to the duties OF his
committee, These reports were submitted
and received as information.
General J. F. Gilmer, Chairman OF the
Committee on Public Schools, submitted
very interesting report in reference TO
recent visit Of the committee to the various
schools, which we will present in our issue
tomorrow.
Colonel Screven, Chairman Of the Com
mittee on Canals and Drainage, presented
very interesting and important report, aud
q motion was made and adopted that the
MORNING NEWS be requested to publish
the same. AZ the information is Of valua-
BILE character, We present it In full, as fol-
lows:
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON CANALS AND
DRAINAGE.
The Committee on Canals and Drainage
respectfully report that on the 81 instant
they examined all Of the exterior embank-
ments of the city land on Hutchinsou's
Island, that separating it from the adjacent
tract on the west, and viewed all the land
visible from these establishments.
The committee found that all the breaks
in the former entertainments had been closed
up except one on the Back river, on which
Mr.. w. Barnwell, gentleman of experience
and skill in such work, is actively engaged
with q force of about ninety hands.
This was the principal break, aud is of such
magnitude and difficulty that the committee
are not prepared to report any other opin-
ion as to when it can be closed than that it
can be accomplished in a short time If the
nf WI cnaaQcGf1llv parrfpd
out
With some exceptions, the committee
found all of the exterior entertainments of
the city land, although capable of barring
| OF ordinary spring tides, much mutilated
| by the storm OF the 9th Of August, 1881,
and subsequent high tides, and generally
| below their intended grade.
The committee did not examine specially
the exterior embankments on the tract ada
| cent TO the city land on the west, but saw
that men were at work upon them at differ
ent points.
The committee is not informed as to the
| plans of the city authorities in regard
to completing the entertainments on the city
| land. But, assuming that 1t is intended to
restore them to at least their condition be-
| fore the storm Of August 9Th, 1881, the
/ committee views the drainage of these and
the adjacent lands as objects Of the gravest
public concern, and as demanding the i'm
mediate and active attention Of the Mayor
aud Aldermen. The depth of water in the
bitches of the city lands prevented satisfsc-
tory inspection, but It is improbable that
they can be In good draining condition after
| the damages OF great storm, and inunda-
| ton and sitting during seven months sUbse-
quent. The committee we're impressed with
| the apparent absence Of other than the
main or margin bitches of the fields, and
| ventured to conclude that the soil could not
| nlQpp0
| ness, nor for culture successful in proper
| ton to its great natural fertility, without
| improvement Of the existing system of
| diJches.
In this regard the land adjscent on the
| west was more exposed to view, showing
much vegetation in a wet and decsying
state, and betraying, when the last month OF
the winter has but just ex PRED, exhslations
! too foul to be permitted to remain In close
| proximity to the CITY. These exhalations
we're distinctly offensive, and in the opinion
of the committee were sufficient to create
mslsrial disease even at this early period Of
the year.
The committee were unable to inspect on
| this occasion any other of the low lands
| subject TO the dry culture contracts, and
| make this special report as to the portions
OF Hutehinson's Island alluded to as i'm.
perstively demanding immediate attention.
| The thorough drainage of these lands should
I
muniiy, already impeTilled, should lot be
injured by deferring the work to time later
In the spring.
The committee are of opinion, that al
though the city authorities may restore the
embankments and drainage of the city land
to their condition before the storm Of Au-
gust last, this should be regarded only as
step toward q more effective system of i'm
provement, by which the land would be
protected by embankments sufficient to
fortify them against storms, be brought
under a plan of drainage forbidding the
generation Of malaria, and so secure such
| cultivation of the soil as would give assur-
ance OF profit the cultivator and authorize
besides tax for the thorough maintenance
of the Improvements.
Finally the committee are OF opinion that
the whole system of so-called "dry culture"
in the vicinity of the city of Savannah
should be brought under revision, with
view to the effectual correction of its de-
ficiencies. For more than sixty
years the dry culture contracts have
been In existence. In some
instances they have been wholly inopera-
tive, even where the municipality was itself
the owner OF land, originally legally but
always morally subject to dry culture cor
tracts. In some cases 1t may be doubted
whether the dry culture, so called, has been
a sanitary improvement over q well coz
Island has been almost immemorially a
marsh The city lands, covering several
hundred acres on Hutchinson's Island, the
shores of which lie within a few hundred
feet of the whSTves of Savannah, was will
dcrness for many years, anterior to say
1914, to be again relegated to nature dur
ing the war This has been q marsh
continually since, until recovered about
three years ago. The Springfield plantation,
while private property, remained for years
imperfectly drained until purchased by the
city authorities, when 1t was materially i'm
proved, but again fell into neglect for a pc
Rod of several years during and after the
war, until the Commissioners OF Drainage
of Chatham ccuny, following up and ex-
banding the efforts of the Dry Culture Com
mittee of 1876. placed 1t in good condition
and restored it to the custody of the city
authorities. With some exceptions the
drainage of the low lands nesF and sur
rounding the city on three sides has been
not merely imperfect and constantly peril
GUS to the public health, but demonstrates
after more than sixty years OF experience,
that the system Of dry culture, so called,
is failure, and should be so amended as to
! render the drainage of these lands matter
! of real and not of fictitious sanitation.
Founded upon the absurd proposition
that the rice plant was In itself source Of
| mslarisl poison, and its cultivation In any
! luhlutE d uulcduC6y AlSnb w II
was prohibited, and hence lands which
for many years subsequent were incapable
Of producing other profitable crops were
| converted into I'll drained and III cultivated
fields. A vicious standard of dry culture
was thus permanently established from the
very initiation of the system. It proved
practically that the city authorities had
| purchased only the right OF wet and rice
| culture, securing but partially that which it
really and solely sought, namely, the purif-
! cation of the low lands, and correspondent
| health, happiness and material welfare to
| the people OF Savannah,
No charge of intentional neglect at any
| time is here directed to the city authorities
for the failure Of the dry culture contracts,
handed down through many successive ad-
ministrations. But there must have existed
some controlling reasons for the repeated
| instances of failure to maintain good and
persistent standard Of dry culture.
Experience has certainly shown that
| the community has suffered severe
| ly from paludsl polsons, believed
! to come mainly from the low lands near the
/ city subject to dry culture contracts, either
/ imperfectly. or not at all enforced.
| 10 short, the laws and regulations touch
| ing this vital subje fall short Of the rigor
| demanded by the subj sct, aud II made strin-
| gent enough to be really strong and search
| ing in operation their efectiVness should not
| be imperrilled In the haads OF public agents,
not chosen for their special fitness and skill,
| but possibly for q brief official term, to serve
! merely passing political occasion, or to
| crafty q personal, though worthy,