Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-08-04
SANITARY MATTERS.
THE SEWAGE-OFS SACRAMENTO DIS.
CUSSED.
An Interesting Report from the
Committee of Five-Additiolsaa-
Health Ofiicers-Etc.


were recommended for appointment, and
Frank Ffedericks, Z. Hess andg. B. Pierre
pont were nominated for the positions, each
to receive a salary Of $75 per month for
August, September and October. The
Board passed a resolution declaring China
slough nuisance and recommending its
Immediate abatement The fact that putrid
human remains had been kept in an uIa-
dertaker's rooms longer than proper, and
had disseminated an odor poisonous and
offensive, was brought to the attention of
the Board They voted that a similar
occurrence would be coupled with prose
cution.
Saturday evening at the Courthouse
meeting of the Citizens Association was
held, which was largely attended. Sparrow
Smith presided, and the committee OF i've
appointed by theprevious meeting. through
their Chairman, DR.. W. K. Cluness, made
the following
REPORT:
NJ. ChairB,as, end Gentlemen: Your committee,
appointed at our meeting last Wednesday even
ing, to confer with the City Trustees and urge
upon them the speedy adoption of the sanitary
measures so unanimously deemed necessary by
you beg leave to report that they have carried
out your Instructions and found those gentle
men in full accord with you upon every sugges-
ton.
After full discussion of the subject was had
by your committee and a plan of action agreed
upon, it was deemed advisable that few of our
prominent citizens be taken into our council, to
whom the plans could be submitted and from
I whom valuable suggestions might be obtained.
The following recommendations are therefore
offered for your consideration, as the result of
our deliberations
For the speedy and effectual cleansing of all
cesspools privy vaults, cellars stables and low.
damp places of all kinds, it is deemed best to
divide the city into districts in accordance with
the locations of the main sewers therein running
north and south, as follows: The first district to
embrace that portion of the city extending from
the water front on the west to Fourth street on
| the East; second district, from Fourth to Sixth
streets; third district, from Sixth to Eighth
! streets; fourth district. from Eighth to Tenth
streets; fifth district, from Tenth to Fifteenth
streets; sixth district, from Fifteenth street to
the extreme limit of the city at Thirtyrst street
eastward.
| 1t was further suggested that the City Board
of Health shall recommend to the Trustees the
appointment of three Deputy Health Officers,
whose duty it shall be to act underline direction
| of the present Health Officer, and who shall
| commence the work of cleansing as soon as
practicable. In pursuance of this suggestion
| am happy to inform you that the Board of
| Health held meeting this afternoon, and have
! already carried out this part of the programme
| so that at the meeting of the Board of Trustees
1
| who have been recommended will doubtless be
duly installed in Office. But for the purpose Of
| avoiding delay, and in order that the work to be
| accomplished may be commenced as soon as
| practicable u committee has been appointed to
| confer with the owners of the odorless excava-
| tors, as well as with those of our citizens who
are prepared now or are anxious to provide them
| selves with whatever apparatus experience has
| taught them to be the most etfectual and eXpe
ditious means for the purposes indicated; and it
| is not doubted that the work can and Will be
dom mi, Irt1tfr of -
property, for it has been definitely ascertained
| that where such operations are conducted stead
| lily and without intermission the expense as
| compared with that which has ordinarily pre-
| vailed, will be materially lesSened But for the
purpose of still more effectually carrying on the
| work proposed, and with the view of lending a
| larger amount of moral support to those en-
gagged in the undertaking. as well as for the pur-
| pose of giving counsel whenever required by
| the proposed employees, 1t is suggested that Il
| committee OF five be appointed for each dis
| trict. Whenever it may be deemed necessary
the various committees are recommended to
| resolve themselves into joint committee, to be
| styled the Sanitary Vigilance Committee. The
| following named gentlemen have been selected.
| after considerable reflection, and are therefore,
| submitted for your Endorsement:
| Front to Fourth-AleX. Nelson, John McNeill
w. D. Stalker, R. 7. Deylin and Geo. schroth.
| Fourth to Sixth-H. Weinstock, F. Miller, j.
| Mcclure, +. X. Dray and l.. L. Lewis.
Sixth to Eighth-W. H. Beatty, James McNas-
ser, w NJ. Petrie, J. Il. Watson and Grove l..
| Johnson.
Eighth to Tenth-L. Williams, r. A Rose, c.
| McCreary, D. ellis and ]. l. Felter.
Tenth TO Fifteenth-John We'll. C. II. Hub
| bard T. B. Hail, Elwood Bruner and r. S. Carey
| Fifteenth 10 Thirty -frst-Joseph Steffens H.
| NJ. La Rue, K. Wittenbrook, Geo. NJ. Mott and
| A. s. Hopkins.
| In regard to the proposition of pumping the
sewage of the city directly into the Sacramento
| river, your committee found that the work had
already been undertaken by the Trustees and
is now well-nigh completed. In reference, how
ever, to the capacity of our sewers to conduct
SO large an amount of solid material as will be
contained in the sewage, provided all of that
which is now being retained in our privy vaults
be allowed to pass directly into them, your
committee found the Trustees divided in opin-
ion. The experience of few days will be re-
quired after the commencement of pumping to
determine the question satisfactorily 1t is
nevertheless believed that but Il small amount
of money will be required to be expended as
compared with the immense benefit to be de-
rived, in adapting orr sewers to this require
ment Meanwhile the cleaning proposed is
deemed an absolute necessity in any event, its
importance increasing as the real situation was
discussed and brought to light.
So far as the question of plumbing is con-
cerned, your committee were informed by the
Trustees that by an Act of the Legislature en-
titled IAN Act to grant to Boards of Health in
| cities and counties the power to regulate the
plumbing and drainage of buildings approved
March IS, 1853, the whole question is under the
control of the Board of Health. The Board
however, at its meeting held this afternoon,
|
| recommend the appointment OF an expert for
| the purpose contemplated, unless it be implied
| in section 4 of said Act which says: THE
Board OF supervisors, or other city or county
officials whose duty it is to make appointments
| for the Board of Health of such county or city
and county, shall make the necessary appor-
| tionments and shall insert the sum in the
yearly tax levy, to provide for carrying out the
ever by the Board, that this Act has special
| reference to San Francisco, and does not apply
| to Sacramento.
| Your committee while il would gladly end its
| labors here nevertheless desire, in view of the
situation to suggest that while the Trustees and
| Board of Health are doing all in their power
with the limited means at their command it
will not do for us, the people, to rest in apathy
| and until disease and death are upon us. A
! cursory examination of our mortuary records,
| laying aside all possible danger from any new
| diseases which may threaten us, will convince
| the most Skeptical that general cleansing is
necessary. Our death rate is too great, and there
| is no good reason Why 1t should not be very ma
terally lesseued. Preventablc diseases, or those
| which are directly occasoned by just such filth
| rs we now propose removing cause this increase
| in our proper ratio OF mortality. Had the COM
mittec had the time TO colate the local statistics
| necessary to demonstrate this proposition, they
| would have given you the figures to prove the
| assertion, although they are aware that great
| many cOncOmttant circumstances must necessa-
| rly enter into the calculation But as illustra-
| tive OF the beneficial effects of cleansing, let us
| say that DR.. Buchanan, Medical Officer of the
| Privy Council OF England, shows that the death
! rate in nineteen out of twenty-five towns was
| thus reduced 1913 per cent, and that the death
| rate from typhoid fever alone in twenty-one
towns out of twenty -four was reduced 45.4 per
| cent: and what is true of the cities and tou ms
| of England is equally true of Sacramento How
to avert this waste oflife is plain that he that
| rpnncth may read. The world is teeming with
| information in the daily press, and in no doubt
| full language is II demonstrating to us that our
| fate is in our own hands; that we can literally
| choose between health and disease and that rs
| a race man holds his destiny in his own hands
| Health is wealth, and if an Intelligent, united
| and determined effort be now made on the part
| of the people not only will the dangers which
| now threaten us be ayerted but death and the
| tomb will be robbed of many who must other
| wise fall victims.
| Your committee appreciates the force of the
| suggestions offered by Judge Beatty at our last
! meeting, that Sacramentans are supine where
| health matters are concerned, and that what
| We most require at present is agitation Let US
| therefore, awake from our lethargy; let a more
| lively public sentiment be created in favor OF
| cleanliness and general sanitation let us en-
| courage and sustain our Health Officer our
| Trustees and our Board of Health to whom we
have intrusted the grave responsibility of guard
| ing the public health; let us make them feel
that their efforts are appreciated, and that they
| are sustained by the intelligence, patriotism
| and wealth of the whole community Is it,
| then, too much to ask of this intelligent COM
\ munity that they decide between right and
| wrong good and evil. between health wealth
| and happiness or disease poverty and death ,
| We do not believe it.