Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-03-30

Mr.. Willius read the following report:
Following is the report of the committee
appointed by the citizens meeting held at
the council chamber on Tuesday evening,
March %, 1888:
The subject matter pertaining to a pro-
posed improvement in the sanitary regula-
tions of our city referred to the under
signed committee has had our careful at
tention and consideration, as far as the
short space of one weeks time would per-
NIT.
1t was not expected of course and 1t is
not intended by this report to supply any
thing more than some few practical sug
gestions, based upon personal observations
of the condition of affairs surrounding US
and upon information collected from other
limited sources.
A thorough investigation of the subject
such as its great Importance seems to re
quire would involve years of careful study
at the hands of men highly educated in all
the different branches of science and pos
sibly experiments in many directions,
coupled with large expenditures of money.
Investigations of that character have fire.
quently been made in the interest of nu-
merous cities in this country and abroad.
The progress and results of these labors
have been published from time to time and
by a careful study of such publications
and also of the annual official reports of
the sanitary departments of other older
cities, it ought to be comparatively easy
task fol our city government to collect an
amount Of valuable information sufficient
to enable US to decide what practical meas
ures may be best adapted for our wants to
promote the public health of our own city.
Filth in all its different forms is 1njuri-
GUS to our health. This no one Will deny.
We are blessed with climate equal if not
superior to any on this continent and what
we require to make this city one of the
healthiest spots of the country is simply
cleanliness of the air in and around our
buildings and a supply of clean pure
drinking water. How can
these two requirements be secured
The answer in general is this: Remove
from your houses and their surroundings,
consequently from the city, any and all
kinds of refuse matter liable to decomposi-
ton and do not permit decomposition to
take place before its removal. Do not
permit any organic matter in fluid state
to penetrate the ground, where it must
necessarily decay and infect the air and
your wells.
The next question that suggests itself is:
How can the removal of said refuse matter
be effected at the least expense and in the
| most convenient manner? And this is vir-
tually the problem to be solved by your
delibel alton.
The refuse matter so to be removed may
be classified as follows:
FIrSf-SfQhlQ nd ctr
ipgs.
S9cond-Kitchen garbage.
Third-Ashes and house sweepings.
Fourth-Rainwater carrying the i'm
purities of streets, yards and alleys.
Fifth-Dish and washwater.
Sixth-Human excrements.
There IS no difference of opinion as to
the proper and only practical mode
of removing the frsAs three kinds.
This must be done by team, boat
or railroad. The manure may be dis
trlbuted over farm and garden fields, the
garbage is of value for feeding cattle and
swine and the ashes may also be utilized to
good advantage. 1t is necessary, however.
that this removal be properly regulated by
city ordinances and stringent police regu-
lations, based upon the best possible svs-
| TEN, such as may have been adopted, tested
and approved by other well regulated
cities of the size of our own. There is no
doubt but that such q system can be sue
cessfully introduced in this city, and if
once introduced will be found of great
benefit to our citizens, not only as a SAN
| itary measure but also as a matter of
| comfort, convenience and economy.
The question as TO the best method for
! removing the contents of vaults and
| closets and the dish and wash water from
| houses, is by far more serious one. Ii
has given cause to wide differences of
| opinion and should be decided perhaps TO
great extent, by the size of the city to
which the question applies, by It's location.
| Its facilities for water supply, easy and
proper drainage and the facilities for dis
| posing of its drainage. In many instances
| grave objections hare been raised against
| the introduction OF said masses into the
public sewers and in many
| cities in Europe it is pro
hlbited. In general, however. it
| seems to have been conceded, that in the
| absence of particularly innfavorabIe con-
| dltlons, it is by far the best and most eco
| nomical method to remove said refuse BY
| means of public sewers, through water
cIoselS, conditioned OF course upon q liber-
a. supply of water. Whenever this system
| is adopted IL larger cities, much caution
is generally exercised to guard against
the infection of public water ways, from
the discharge of sewers. In London, for
| instance,the main sewers are carried near
| ly to the mouth of the Thames before thew
are permitted to discharge their water in
| to the river.
The city sof Berlin, located upon
the river Spree, with a slow current of
water, does not permit any sewerage dis
charge into that river. The sewerage of
the city is divided into number of indie
pendent systems, each radiating from a
common cen er. At the outlet of each
system reservoir is established for the
re ception of the sewerag e water, and from
these reservoirs, by means of steam pumps
1t IS forced through iron pipes and distrib-
uted over farming lands many miles from
the city, for manuring purposes. This
method of disposing of sewerage
water has also been success
fully introduced in Danzig and in
a number of cities in England. The lands
used for that purpose are carefully selected
and not until the fact has been established
as far as possible. that tho undarpro1nc