Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-08-13
SANITARY MATTERS.
ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING OF THE
VIGILANCE COMMITTEE.
A Portion of Chinatown Condemned
and Must Be Cleaned Up or
Destroyed.

A Portion of Chinatown Condemned
and Must Be Cleaned Up or
Destroyed.
The Sanitary Vigilance Committee met
last evening at the Office of W. P Coleman.
The Board of Health, Board of City Trus-
tees, members of the Board of Trade and
a number of citizens were present by inVi-
tation. The meeting was called to order
by the Chairman, Robert T. Devlin, who
E'stated the object of the meeting to be the
consideration of the best and most speedy
measures to be taken looking to the cleaning
up and putting into . proper sanitary con-
dition that portion of street known as the
Chinese quarter, and also the cleansing, if
possible, of the China Slough. He called on
the City Attorney for recommendations of
the best methods to pursue.
Mr.. Anderson said it was matter ofvery
grave Importance, and one that was re-
ceiving all the possible attention it could at
this time from the Health and police Off
GERS and the Prosecuting Attorney. They
were doing all i'll their power to have peo-
pie see the necessity Of cleaning up and
purifying their premises without eyoking
the law. Arrests were only made in eX-
IRENE cases, and then upon showing that
the arrested parties had done the necessary
work the cases were invariably dismissed.
He was opposed to cesspOols, and believed
in a perfect system of sewers. He knew
Chinatown TO be a nuisance-it was a fact
apparent TO a stranger to the city before he
reaches street from the depot. He said
the Board had power 10 abate il, and they
should not stop short of their duty. He
said the Trustees in his opinion, could not
create debt against the property by filling
it up, but they could set Judgment against
the owner of the property. He said if
necessary you can
| TEAR DOWN CHINATOWN,
And then your work ofabatement is surely
| accomplished.
! F. K. Drav said If the property-owners
were compelled to have constructed ce-
mented cesspools and discharge them into
the sewers all the nuisance would be
abated. Could the property be condemned
or taken under the Eminent Domain Act ?
Mr. Anderson-It could if the city was
able to pay for it, but III her present tinan-
| Cial condition we cannot look in that direc-
| ton for relief.
Health Officer Ferral said he wanted to
| know how to proceed against the individu-
ais who dumped garbage. filth and sewage
matter into the slough. He said the hum
dredS of men who crossed the slough on
the Third-street bridge were continually
complaining to him. The filthy condition
OF the water, the sickening Odors therefrom,
gave them malarious diseases, destroyed
their appetites made them generally mis-
cradle, and they seemed to hold him re-
sponsible for all their troubles. Some of
them even went SO far as to say he was
! fighting the Dutch. He knew no friends
in the matter. All be desired was to be
clothed with sufficient authority to go Gnd
do, and when he was given that he would
do or die.
DEAD FISH AND DEFUNCr DOGS
Are daily found floating in the lake. A
man cleans out the dead animals twice
week. He said two drainage pipes from
the O'Neal property led directly into the
slough.
Mayor Brown being called upon, prefaced
his remarks by asking; What does the
Board of Health desire to do?" What plan
Of action have they outlined?n The Board
! of City Trustees meets Wednesday morn
ing at 10 o'clock, and he would assure the
Board of Health that they could rely on
the Board of Trustees for
ALL THE SUPPORT THEY DESIRED.
He said China slough was surveyed a
few days since, and the surface of the water
found 10 be seven feet higher than that of
the Sacramento river. A pipe could be
laid from the slough to the river that
would drain the slough off and greatly re-
duce the acreage. He said the cost of the
work would be in the neighborhOod of
| s.. 900. The discharge pipe would be laid
down the river distance below the suction
pipe of the water works so as not to inter-
| fere in the least with the latter. He said
he had talked with property owners along
! the margin of the lake, and they had all
| assured him that as soon as the banks and
beaches were exposed by the drawing off
of seven or eight feet of water they would
| cover them up with clean sand,
thus precludiug the possibility of
malaria arising therefrom. The water by
this means would be drawn entirely from
Sixth street, and a large number of islands
! formed in the northern and eastern por-
lions of the lake. This was not alone what
il would do, but he was positive that it
would
LowEB TIE sIPAGE WATER
Throughout the city. Tie river will go
down al least three feet more, which, with
the slough in its present condition, would
leave the surface Of the slough fully ten
feet higher than the river, and it would thus
be forcing its filthy waters in every direction.
He said twelve-inch pipe would do the
work, and that effcctuallv lie would like
to hear from some of the medical gentle
T1en as to the probable effect the exposure
| of the mud and filth on the banks and
! slopes would have on the health of the
city. The Trustees have SO far taken no
action. but are ready to do so at once, and
spend S., 900 or 81, 900, if necessary, to i'm
prove the sanitary condition of the city
Other portions of the city are being most
thoroughly and effectively cleaned up. In
deed. it seemed to him that in some quar-
tiers citizens were vying with each other to
see who could do the most in that direction
in the least time. The only part of the
city that is now
MENACE TO THE C1TY's HEALTH
Is the three blocks known as Chinatown
proper.
DR.. Cluness said there was no doubt but
that the exposure of a large area of the
filth and Stun of the slough that would
naturally follow the drawing off of so
much water would increase malarial effects
However, if the property owners would
cover. up as suggested by the Mayor, in the
wake of the receding waters, danger from
that quarter need not be feared In his
opinion The health of the CITY would I'M
| NDubpSliN Dc III pIbNtN " inc
of the slough with the river as suggested
by the Mayor However, he was unaltcra-
bly, of the opinion that the crying evil
must still remain until Chinatown, that
portion of it north of street. was abated
Chinatown is in itself nuisance, and will
remain so. That which has
BEEN CONDEMNED FOR YEARS
As nuisance should be abated. The City
Attorney tells you that the Health Officer
can abate even to destruction of property,
and he was of the opinion that life was of
more value than property, and that the
nuisance should be abated, and that AT
once He said he would offer the follow
ing motion, which he hoped would be
adopted:
Rcsolued, That that part of I street, north of
street and east of Third, which has been de-
| clared nuisance. should at once be abated,
under instructions of the Board of Health and
Health Officer.
Dr. Bruno said he did not wish to speak
TO the motion, but he would say that he
agreed fully with the remarks made by the
Mayor and DR.. CluneSs. He did not think
there would be any putrefication in conse-
qucnce of the lowering of the water of the
lake. The banks were of sand and would
not be affected by the suns rays TO any
great extent, but would Immediately and
thoroughly dry out. At any rate the drain