Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-07-19
CONSIDERATION OF HEALTH oRDI-
RANGES.

RANGES.
The City Board of Health met last evening
with the Board of City Trustees. The former
Beard was fully represented, while Of the
latter Mr.. Gutenberger was absent. The
object Of the meeting was to consider certain
ordinances proposed for passage by the Board
Of Health. These ordinances would require
that all vaults or cesspools within certain
limits which are constructed after August
1at be cemented, aud that 10 vaults hereaf-
ter be allowed to be filed up. but the contents
be removed. President Cluness, of the Board
of Heslth, presided at the meeting.
Trustee Nielsen thought the ordinance as
presented ought to be modified, as it would
work great hardship on some Of the poorer
class Of residents, and he thought it was un.
called Tor IN some portions of the city. He
believed that west of Tenth and south of
+ or q streets should be the only district 60
which such a stringent ordnance should be
applied, and to take such sweep as from
railroad to railroad, and from the river to
Twentieth street, was too broad.
De. Iyrrel said the ordinance only re-
quired new vaults to be cemented, and did
not require old vaults TO be repaired.
The discussion following was of an informal
! character, and WAS participated in by all
present excepting DR.. Lsine, who was ex
cused to meet a previous engagement, and
before be had expressed sny opiniou on the
matter.
Trustee Neilseu, while appearing to be
| favorable TO this passage OF the ordinance,
found many objections TO It, and thought thu
people would have TO be educated up TO it.
lie had made It q rule since he had been in
Office to prevent the building OF vaults aud
cesspoojs without the proper o5menting and
I ventilation. he knew there was one CESS
pool in Seventh street, between j and K,
and ore ia the street ct Fifth and K,
and believed there sre one or two others.
! He said his experience had been that IL vas
very easy to pas5 an ordinance, but exceed
| ingly difficult to enfotcs an unpopular one.
To show this he cited several instances of or
dinances now on the city books. He also be-
/ lieved that it was asking too much of soma
people to pay the prices asked by the exca-
vators now as work in this city.
DR.. Montgomery thought that digging
vaults and cesspoOis in the streets was an en-
croachment on the rights Of the city. He
said that csmented vaults were now being
required by large number OF cities, and
were coming iotO general use.
| DR.. Cluness said it was the unanimous
/ opinion Of the Board Of Health that where
vaults were UEcemented the soil was in course
Of time thoroughly saturated with the ex.
creta, and that the odCrs arising therefrOm in
| certain seasons Of the year were very detFi-
mental to health. He said that TO s large
extent public belisf was that the action of
| the soil neutrslizsd and deOdorized the con.
/ tents OF vaults, but nothing could be further
| from the facts. He said it was surprising to
| what extent in some parts Of the city, old
vaults had been filed with earth and new
ones dug but short distance away.
| DR. Hatch stated that no knew of one 20
foot lot in the city where eight vaults had at
different times been filed with earth.
Mayor Brown was in favor of doing all
that can be done for the health of tia city,
| and OF assisting the Health Officer TO inforce
the laws. He believed that should the ordi.
nance be passed. the boundaries should be
brought nearer TO the central portion Of the
city. As 80 the portion Of the ordinance re-
curing vaults to be cleaned, he thought that
was fully covered By Section 3 Of Ordinance
II, now upon the statute books Of the city.
| This reads as follows:
Section 5. 1t shall be the duty of said Health
Officer, Immediately after his appointment, to make
systematic and thorough examination OF all parts
| Of the city where any noNious or offensive sub
stances supposed to exist and for this purpose
he shall be permitted, IN the daytime to enter any
house, store, stable or other building, and should he
deem it necessary cause the floors TO be raised for
| the purpose OF examining cellars, vaults, sinks
drains or cesspools and it is hereby made the duty
Of said Health Officer to enter all grounds prem
ises or lots where offensive or RoXiOus substances
to be found and cause all stagnant water to be
drained off, where practicable aud all pools, sinks
vaults, drains low grounds to be clean5ed, filed
up or otherwise improved, require all priyies
TO be cleansed and kept in good condition
to require the use Of such disinfectants
and in such quantities as the Board Of Health may
direct aud 70 cause all dead animals, other
5eous and unwholes0me substances TO be buried or
removed beyond the limits OF the city. It shall be
his duty to notify the occupant Of sny) or owner or
agent Of any lot, building or premises upon which
any offensive substances may be found, requiring
them to remove the same forthwith and should
he deem 1t necessary, he may specify how said
premises shall be eleaHsed or purified and should
the same not be done forthwith, IL the owner or
occupant cannot be found, ne shall cause the same
to be done at the expense Of the city, keeping
account Of said expense, which he shall collect, by
suit il necessary, against the occupant, owner or
agent in the name Of the city, Tor money paid at
his or their request and he shall also act as agent
OF said Board OF Health in carry ing out their III
structions.
Some one suggested the advisability os The
city purchasing sn OdOrless eKcaVstoT and Il
Wsa the unanimous opinion that it would be
step 10 the right direction. La this event
the citizans would be charged Only the actual
cost of the labor performed
Dr. Hatch made o motion thss The City
Board Of Trustees be recommended By the
Board Of Health to purchase sn excs7ator,
and do ths work of cleaning vaults az the
actual cost. The molten was carried unan-
imously.
Tie physicians present agreed that tdis
| city need not he surprised 70 receive q vista
! sion Of the AAiatic cholera before the close Of
the year 1884, and they urge shat before May
lat of next year every ysuls in the city
should be cleaned.
DIR. Tyrr3H thought the Health Officers sal.
cry should be increased. The general ex.
preston Of those present was that tie salary
paid should be 500 instead of $50 per
month. The Trustees win probably take
some action in ths matter st their next
meeting.
Il was understood, at the close OF themees-
icg, that the territory which the proposed
new ordnance should effect should be
bounded by E, Eighteenth and streets and
tnp river