Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-31
OPEN OR CLOSED VAULTS.
eHYsTCIANs GIVE THEIR VIEWS
BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL.


physicians Of the city last night, upon
the subject Of vaults, whether as q sani-
tary measure the continuance Of the pres
ent system OF eemented vaults and re-
moval OF the contents is advisable. or
whether the cement bottoms should be re-
moved and the Accommodations allowed to
the soil.
The discussion was brought about by
a petition in reference TO the matter, sign
ed by a large number Of citizens, and con-
sidered by the Council last week In or
der 10 determine plan TO be pursued, the
physicians Of the city in body were in
Yited before the Council, with the view 70
their professional opinion as to
the sanitary influences Of the vault sys-
TEN.
Among those present were Doctors Bull
loeb. Mum, Charlton. Stone. Falligant.
Waring, Purse, Weichselbaum, Sanders.
Nichols, Lincoln, Chisholm, Mcfarland
and others.
The Mayor stated the question which
had arisen before the Council. and upon
which it desired the views Of the medical
fraternity, aud read the ordinance estab-
fishing the cemented vault system.
DIR. BuIlOch objected to the use OF
vaults under any circumstances. he be-
lieyed the most thoroughly sanitary plan
70 be a connection Of all closets, so far as
possible, with the sewers. In choosing
between the cemented vault and the open
bottom. he approved Of the former, since
il allowed the removal Of the accumula-
lions which. if they remained and perco-
lated through the soil, would contami-
nate the water in the wells, as is shown
to be the case in many instances now,
and render il unit for use. He approved
81 If a
provided it could be accomplished with
thorough disinfecting and deodOriZatIOn.
DR.. Charlton drew the line between the
closing Of the vaults and abandoning the
wells. s.If." he said, ''the vaults can be
made water tight and the excTement be
removed then there is no objection to the
system, but so long as they are not tight
and the impure substances percOlate
through the soil they are the source of I'M
told danger. A barrel OF Kerosene oil
buried ten feet below the surface Of the
soil will cOntaminate every well within
the radius Of a quarter Of mile and the
oil will be apparent to the taste. The ac-
cumulatiOns Of vaults will, he added, eX-
tend their perniciOus influences even
greater distance. although the water
which it affects viii not indicate TO the
taste the presence Of any impurity.
SEWAGE IN THE WELLS.
DIR. Weichselbaum submitted the re-
suits of a series of tests which he had
made, showing the presence OF human eX-
crementaI matter-the most dangerous
organic substance which has even yet been
found in drinking water-ln the water from
a large number OF the wells in the city.
"A great many people," he said, ''seem
to think that a small mixture of pollution
from the worst sources can do no harm.
Some intelligent physicians have advO-
waited the theory that the most impure
water will be made pure by filtration
through few feet of earth, and that a
dug well located within ten or twenty feet
Of a vault or cesspOOl is not liable to be
contaminated by animal matter. From
certained that sand interpOses
absolutely no barrier between walls and
the bacterial infection from cesspOols,
cemeteries, etc. lying even at great dis
tauces in the lower wet stratum Of sand.
These facts prove cOnclusively that the
ordinary dug wells OF towns and cities
generally contain water poisoned TO
greater or less degree by sewage, and
the use of such water for domestic pur-
noses should be prohibited by law"
Ina series of experiments DIR. Weichsel-
baum used a test originated by Prof.
Gregory, Of the Ontario College Of Phar-
macy. in which he used. Liq. POttass9
20 parts, distilled water 80 parts, pOtass
Permanganate part. The method OF APP
plying the test was as follows: Test tubes
were twO-thirds filed with the water to
be tested. Into each tube drop of the So
luton was put. and thoroughly mixed by
shaking. The tubes were then stopped
with cotton or wool to exclude atmospheric
impurities, and placed into tube rack
with a sheet of white paper at the back
so that any change of color might be
readily noted.
PUNT WATER UNFIT FOR USE.
81 find,' continued the Doctor, shat
water Of good average quality viii keep
its color for 4S hours. If II becomes de-
cidedly paler in "a hours it is scarcely fit
to use. This process makes no pretension
to scientific accuracy or completeness,
but is, 1 am convinced, ready and re-
liable method by which, in the absence of
opportunity for more careful analysis,
decision may be arrived at as to the adj
visibility Of using any particular water
for drinking or culinary purposes.
''Water was taken from several wells in
the southern part Of the city. That from
the pump at Cemetery and Gwinnett
street lane commenced to lose color in ten
minutes. In one hour all the color was
gone. | found also in t1is pump earthly
phosphate and chloride. The water from
Der streets commenced to lose color in
two hours, and in five hours lost nearly
all its color.
1.-The following pumps lost color in three
hours: Forsyth Park, Monterey square,
Charlton and Barnard streets, Chatham
square, Wayne and Jefferson streets,
Cemetery at entrance, Guerard lane and
Sims street, Reynolds square, Theatre,
McDOnOugh street, Lumber and Sims
streets. Bull and Liberty streets, Aber-
corn and South Broad streets"
VICIOUS SMELL OF DANGER.
DR.. Num- regarded the we'll water of
the city nothing more than filtered sewage.
So far as the vaults were concerned he
regarded the question purely one of
finance. The best system was without
question the constant and continuous re-
mOval of the accumulatiOns. Sunken
wells, without any closed bottoms,
in which the excrements are allowed
to accumulate, he regarded as
most vicious source of danger to the
public health. The removal of the cement
bottoms at present in use would create
danger far greater than now exists, even
though the cementing is imperfectly done,
for no matter how well the work be
performed the bottoms of the vaults
would in time become porous through the
action Of the accumulated substances,
and the soil would receive the poisonous
elements and carry them into the water
and wells within reach OF their influence.
He was in favor of a new system of pals
or bOXes-the ROchdale system-by which
the Accommodations might be constantly
DR.. Lincoln saw only one alternative if
the vaults remain. That was to close up the
wells. With the excellent water which the
river affords he approved of removing the
bottoms of the vaults, closing the wells,
and using exclusively the river water.
Alderman Thomas wanted 70 know
whether the river water, with its clay i'm
puritIes. was better in a sanitary point OF
view than the well water.
RIVER OR WELL WATER.
DIR. Waring regarded the water fur
nished to Savannah from the river to be
the best and most healthful water sup
piled TO any city in the country. AS to
the clay impurlty, he regar led the water
the best when it was the yellowest. As
to the vault system, he regarded it injuri-
Gus to the public health under any cir
The Rochdale pail system-so called
from its use in the city of ROchdale, Eng
land-he regarded by far the best sys-
TEN of closet in use. In a financial point
Of view it was inexpensive compared
with the system requiring the pumping OF
and their removal by other
methods.
DIR. Faligant referred to the large num-
Der of dry wells in the city and their per-
niciOus influences. In the case of &C.
mented vaults he was aware that in
nearly every case they are imperfect. al
lowing the Accommodations to pass through
into the soil. what, then, is gained"