Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-23

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contents q The drains and have compel
the cwre-s % incur CONSIDERABLE expense
f- sz-z--airiu- the damage and remedy
7-- frs Fzre-rs- ThIs state q Affairs must
necessarily continue until a properly
GRADED and uniform system ) created
AFTER investigating the suoject very
-r--7v-hlv both il IFS economic and
s--f-s-v views. he late Sanitary Board
framed z 1iu which vas passed by the
Iz-islarure empowering the municipal
authorities 70 establish such system -
have described. II has been a matter q
sunrise q ne that 50 intelligent
b,5v a gentlemen as the present
Council sen 70 have taken no
interest whatever in this matter Re
Gently I suggested 20 the Mayer tnat Il
The Council would authorize me 70 have
framed a model illustrating the position
and grading Of the system Of central lane
-ires. with uecks for the connection Of
tr-1Sz drains at an interval Of
everv few feet, aud with the flush
-f-l Al its higher extremity,
would have such a model made
and illustrate its wOT Kin : IN the presence
u the Council Prom my conversation
wiz tie Mayor. I feel assured that he
takes a very great interest IN the ma ter,
f.-t % carry il into effect 1t would be
advisable for the Council 70 create
sueeiaI committee On sewerage, whose
particular duty il would be % take charge
% this work
What difficulties seem TO have been in
the way Of the WORK Doctor:i
The chief difficulty which has present
cd itself % nv mind results from a false
impression as 70 its eXpensiyeness. For
instance. a main drain passing IN the rear
% an individual lot viii not cost the owner
Of the lot probably more dollars than half
the number Of feet represented IN the
width u the lot, and 1 viii venture 70 as
ssrr that there are very few owners Of
improved houses in the city who do not
expend more than that amount every year
in remedying defects growing out Of the
present imperfect system.
..What is the effect Of tie present sys-
TEN in the way Of expenset'
s.Bv lis operation the health authorities
can c0mueI lO-se owners 10 incur the ex-
peuse Of making a sewerage connection
10 the distance Of hundreds Of feet
OF piping. whilst under the system
inaugurated BY legislative enactment
they cannot compel house owners 10 pay
for anv more piping than such portion as
Is represented by the share OF the piping
adjacent 70 his own lot If you VIII figure
that 90 feet Of piping would subject the
owner Of such Tot 70 scarcely more than
So or $50 under the new system, whilst
he may be forced 70 incur an eX-
pense Of from 500 10 $500 under
The system now in vogue, you Will not
wonder al my surprise at the little inter
est taken in il not only by the Council,
but by property owners themselves"
What would be the difference IN the
reliability Of the new system IN Its SAM
taTv workings"
1T would be incomparsbIy superior,
and as near perfect as any
system Of sewerage can be made
This expression may seem strong.
but II vCu viii reflect for a moment that
house drain connected with such lane
pipe would leave the owner no necessity
Of looking after the condition OF MS drain
beyond the point Of its connection with
the lane pipe, YOU viii perceive that ne
can very easily secure the cleans
In- Of such house drain by
the occasional emptying or a
tub Of water As a flush into il. Now re-
member that after the contents Of the
house drains find their way into the lane
pipe they are not dependent for fur
Their passage upon the quantity Of
water poured therein through the
connecting house drains, because the
system which 1 have advocated provides
for flush pipe to be connected with the
upper extremity Of the lane pipe, and by
turning on this flush for few minutes a
pine running from West Broad TO East
Broad street could not only be secured
thoroughly in a few moments, but the
securing could be repeated as often as cir
cumstancas might seem 10 require
In what way could the authorities put
such q system into execution
The bill provides two methods. The
first by application Of the owners repre-
sentiug a majority Of the lots abutting on
the Two sides OF any lane or street
through which such piping is run.
knowing fuH we'll how difficult it i
IN many Instances TO enlist property own
ers In public works, even though such
works he a direct benefit TO themselves,
and that the health authorities should
have absolute power % carry out such
measures a. might be for the general san
itary welfare, secured the engTaftment
Of "A provision into the bill empowering
the municipal authorities, also, 70 estab-
lish such lane pipes as might be
necessary for sanitary purposes
upon recommendation Of the Sanitary
Board. Let u take. for instance. Bay
street lane. l deem il Of absolute in
p0rtaHce 70 the health Of that section that
a good system Of flushed lane drainage
should be created. A pipe Of twelve or
fifteen inches in diameter, with fall OF
from three 70 i've feet, from West Broad
% East Broad streets. would fully answer
the purpose % drainage in that
locality, aud would give system
incompaTably superior, in a sanitary
point u view. 20 that low in
existence. aud would lie Of much less eX-
pense in maintenance 10 the owners OF Z
tie property adjacent than would te the
repair q the oDnoNi0--s drains now IN Use. I
II this one line were established IN good
working order. ! am willing 70 stake my
reputation that IL would give 50 much sat
Istacti0n that IL would not need the rec
ommendatiOn Of the Sanitary Board for
the construction Of similar drains through
the remaining lanes OF the city. /
cannot help thinking that the Council
should take this matter in hand al once.
because the cold weather, during which
such work can be most safely done, Is
now rapidly coming upon Us and time
would Be required 10 have the piping
made. For my own part l viii cheerfully
give such assistance as my time viii per-
nit III furthering this important
work. upon which. in my Judgment,
depends more than upon anything else
the surest methods Of securing and main
tanning the good health OF the city. Ii is
a curious fact that since the surface
drainage Of the city and its surroundings
the proportion Of diseases due 70 MAS
matte influences has been very greatly
lessened. and II Is equally true that the
ratio o. diseases classed as malarial and
typhOidal, which are supposed
70 have their origin in defective
sewerage, has been increased. This fact
is due not 70 the existence Of sewerage
because Of the sewerage itself, but 70 the
impsrfectiOns incident 70 its present IN
scientific construction. | see no remedy
upon which can be placed any reliance
except by a remodeling Of the entire sys-
ten, and the bringing Of il under proper
sanitary regulation. II does not need
suggestion from me or any
one 70 comprehend that 10
system Of piping can be safe unless II Is
20 coust ructed that IL can be readily
flushed and secured az any time and with
out any possibility Of uncertainty
ssWhat would you do with the drains
and drv wells now in usss'
AS soon as the new system CT piping is
constructed the property owner adjacent
% whose Tot il is should be required 70
connect with il and al other drains.
whether emptying into sewers OF dry
wells. should be abolished. This Is the
only way in which the present
impure condition Of the soil can be grad
uailv and permanently improved. IL Is
not what a man wants that the Council has
70 deal with. but what Is best. not only
for that man Qua Cor the general public as
well. and these flushed lane pipes offer 50
elective a means Of carrying on the i'm
uuriffee hereafter created that no gqes-
ton Of Individual 0hstinacy or captious-
ness should Be allowed 70 interfere with