The daily gazette., 1882-12-21
CITY AND SUBURBAN.
HOW STREET COMMISSIONER
ZEBLEY DIDN'T INSPECT.
A CASE OF DOUBLE oEssPooLs.
Accepting Inspection Fees without In
specting, Which Results in Direct
Violation of a City Ordinance.
The following communication was handed
q at the G. AzRTTF office this morning.

The following communication WAS handed
in at the GAZETTE office this morning:
To THE EDITOR OF THE GAZETTE !:
Complaint having been made to the Seere-
tary of the Board of Health that John Cook
erected five houses at the Southeast corner
of Eighth and Kirkwood streets and dug
three wells for privies ON the line between
said houses, thereby making double privies,
in plain violation of city ordinance, Execu-
tive Officer Ward called on Mr.. Cook this
morniHg and asked him If he had his privy
wells inspected by the Street Commissioner.
He said no, but he met Mr.. Zebley on the
street and gave him five half dollars, and
told him what he had done, and Mr.. Zebley
said 1t was all right. Mr.. Cook told the
executive officer he knew nothing about the
ordinance and Zebley did not tell him.
L. b. FRAZER.
A GAZETTE reporter called at Registrar
Frazer's Office this morning and made in
quiry about the matter referred to in the
card printed above. The Registrar stated
that complaint was made to him, last even
ing, as Secretary of the Board of Health, of
the violation of the Board of Health ordi-
nance In constructing double privy wells,
and that George G. Ward, executive officer,
was despatched to investigate the case.
Mr.. Ward was present and said to the re-
porter: 81 called on Mr.. Cook at the new
houses, which are not yet quite completed,
and asked him about IT, He had no knowl-
edge of an ordinance prohibiting the con-
struction of double privy wells. He said he
had met Street Commissioner Zebley on the
street and had conversation with him
about the priyy wells, and said he had five
houses. Mr.. Zebley told him to dig the
wells as deep as possible. Then Cook gave
him (Zeblsy) five silver half dollars, which
was his fee, and Mr.. Zebley said 1t would
be all right. There are five houses and
three privies for the Ave, one single and two
double ones.
THE STREET COMMISSIONERS. DUTIES
on this subject as defined in the city ordi-
nances are widely different from what that
official seems to have done in this case. In
section 5 Of the ordinance to further amend
an ordinance entitled an ordinance con-
cerning the health of the city the following
occurs:
"The vault or well of every privy which
may be erected within the city limits, shall
be either digged to the depth of 20 teet, or
shall be at least six feet In depth, at the
option of the owner or proprietor provided
however, that in the case of well six feet
deep, it shall be built and foored with sound
and well burnt brick at least one foot thick
at the bottom, with walls not less
than nine inches thick, with a
cement impervious to water; and shall be
puddled with clay, rammed compactly at
the bottom, and on all sides of every such
privy at least one foot thick; and it shall be
the duty of every person, previous to erect
Ing or causing to be erected, such privy,
| within the limits aforesaid to give notice to
the Secretary of the Board of Health,
who shall notify the Street Commis-
sioner to supervise the work on such
privy, and when completed as aforesaid re-
port to the Secretary OF the Board, for
record and any person failing to comply
with the provisions of this ordinance shall
forfeit and pay fine of $50. For the exc
cution of this service, said Street Commis-
sioner shall receive the sum of 80 cents, In
each and every case"
Another ordinance provides in unmistak-
able terms that there shall be no double
privies.
In the case of Mr.. Cook 1t seems that Mr..
Zebley did not inspect the privies but ac-
cepted the fees, but whether his neglect was
innocent or not remains To be seen. We
hope to be able to publish bis statement in
a later edition,