Daily Republican., 1885-01-17
The Sewerage % stem AEain

last con teIn plated by number VI our
citizens, may be- everything That oan
DO desired as perfect system vi so a.
erage and Training, or ~ may nos, but
in either case IL is doubtful If VII
mington would be benefited by any
such extensive system, and Ill regard
TO the cost Of it, there can De but one
opinion, and that Is, at the present
time Wilmington Is too iauch in debt
already TO enter into "a system OF i'm
provements OF doubtless utility that
may double thai debt before 1t Ii COM
pleted. Any system Of sewerage to be
complete cCdld not cost less than five
hundred thousand dollars. With our
present debt hanging over US like an
incubus can we in prudence and safety
increase the burden With a required
tax rate OF Sl.1j to the hundred dollars
can we afford TO make IL more, espec-
tally at the present time when bushes
is depressed and the future looks 30
dark and gloomy.
Retrenchment and economy are the
order of the day every where at the
present time. Is It wise then for Will
mington 10 contemplate entering into
costly scheme now, that in more pros
porous times she would hesitate to en-.
courage
But we are told that the health of
the people is far above money consider
atoms and should be the first thing
looked after, and we are further told
that we cannot have good health IN
less We have our city severed and bet
ter drained than it is. We admit the
first declaration. that health Is above
every other consideration, but we do
not readily admit that to have better
health, or even to preserve our low rate
of mortality, it is requisite to tunnel our
city with sewers
Our very able Secretary Of the Board
OF Health coLfers great benefit upon
the community by publishing from
week to week not only the state of the
health Of the city, but at times in max
ing comparisons between the death
rate OF other cities and Wilmington, in
which comparison our city generally
shows up in the list of those with the
lowest death rates, and the comparison
with those cities that have extensive
systems of sewering is not to the disad-
vantage OF Wilmington AS to the
real necessity of An extensive system of
sewerage for Wilmington 30 far as the
preservation OF health Is concerned
there Is no necessity for it. On the
other hand great dangers may arise
from the introduction of sewers. tx
perience has shown us that TO be effec-
tive they must be connected in some
manner with our dwellings, which
subjects US at once to danger by the
admittance Of sewer gas into our prem.
ises. This, we are told, can be avoided
by a perfect system of plumbing, which
includes traps, stops-off, ventilatinl
tiues and other inventions. We would
say nothing against any of these i'm
provements, only that it will requir,
the best mechanical skill, which canno,
always be had, and careful watch u
keep them in order, and shut out tn,
little germs of malarial diseases tina
persist in forcing their way into ou
dwellings through every little crevic,
and crack, left by imperfect plumb bling
and by good plumbing getting disar
ranged.
The broad question then is what nee,
has Wilmington of costly and exten
lay on broad, fiat surface whicl
could not be washed by surface drain
age, the case would be different. Blu
no city in the country is more favorabl
located in healthful aspect than vii
mington. 1t is scarcely posi- BILE t
Imagine more perfect succession G
hills and wales, each hill growing highe
until the apex at Rodney street basin |
reached. Every dashing shower G
rain bushes out the CUTTERS and carrie
on every impurity. Sewers could do
no DETER, nay not 80 well. Natur
seems to have provided the princips
sewering that the city needs. She ha
provided natural running courses
water IN The wales between the hill,
that need only to be assisted by tb
city 10 make complete system OF SUI
lace drainage more effective and mo,
con3u i've to health than undergroun
sewers.
Al these natural water courses al
utlI'Zeu, as under the present circuu
stances they must be (for water mn,
nave an escape) the city will have a
the sewerage ii needs. But we are co,
annually reminded that unless the sew
sraee Is taken away the earth will |
surleited in the attempt TO absorb
and will send forth the seeds of disea,
and death. We are rather inclined
doubt this assertion. The earth ia
Wofderful deodOriZer. 1t is next 10 in
possible to overcharge il. A handful ,
IL deadens the most offensive odors an
oDll'erat-s the most deadly poison
Even II IL were possible that the cart
would become overcharged with offer
sive matter, that can be guarded again
by crmented wells, such as the cit
now requires shall be constructed wbe,
they come in contact with water cours,
and such as could be constructed an,
where.
We would say nothing to prevent ,
retard any needed improvement.
the records of the Board of Healt
showed great excess of mortality oy,
cities that are extensively severed, al
also showed that this excessof mortalit-
is attributable to lack of undergrour
drainage, then we might entertain an
feasible project that would have for /
OBJECT the preservation of the lives ar
health OF our citizens, but until the
conditions are made to appear beyond
doubt, we shall feel in duty bound
oppose an experiment of doubtful O.
pediency, not sure of accomplishin
anything but rolling up huge de
against the city.
SPITE and jealousy were both e.
hibited in the Military COMMITTEES
the House of Representatives, in ii
consideration of the Senate hill 70 Mo