Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-06-25
Ellsworth's Drainage.

This letter Is not born of desire TO find
fault either with citizens or Board of Health.
which latter, il have been correctly advised,
has little authority to act in any aggressive
way under present conditions. Its design is
rather to call attention in all good nature to
some serious needs calling for radical change.
The Almighty has done much for the preyen-
ton of disease in Ellsworth. man has done but
little What could be more happily arranged
than natures system of drainage in our town.
with i'll river running through the centre. it,
many brooks coming from either side and the
uninterrupted slope of its banks. All thi, Is
most excellent and forms system Of drain
age unsurpassed during the warmer months II
not hcdged. But it il hedged. these brooks
form the principal drainage for the most thick
ly settled portions Of our city, and at every
step they are stopped by accumuaiion- Of
debris artiticiay SO for purposes of private
or public convenience forming in either case
a ccsspool which deserves condemnation. |
need not 20 into details, every observer has. or
may. see the truth of this. We have most
striking example in the stream that drains the
portion of the town from the new school build
Ing ~ the upper wharye>. The amount OF
filth which thi, brook should drain away j.
large. From school house to river there i an
immense amount Of debris Of every drscrip-
tion emptying constantly into this stream aud
yet al along IL course this material has been
allowed to gather and remain undisturbcd for
8 long time: more than ihi, dam, have been
thrown across at intervals adding serious in
reference to it, flow. The writer ha, cN-
arnnvd some OF these ccs>pVols along it, course
and can affirm that they arc illthy beyond de-
scrpiion. Thi, stream i spoken II not ~ an
exception but rather A. an example. do not
wish 10 seem hypercriticai but there places
in our city that arr disgrace Ia it, civilian
tlun. Now thi, i all wrong and should receive
the protest II our best citizens. II viii be ar
-ucl rhai Ellsworth i and ha~ been healthy
town. The argument j. true. 1, ha. already
been said that The natural drainage Of the city
j. excellent and undoubtedly that fact ha> had
much 10 do with it, reputation for good health.
But Ellsworth i constantly growing older; it,
drainage i, constantly growing worse and it,
-oli more SITUATED with cfi,tc material. furh-
ermorc nothing {, more certain than that most
epidemic disease. cholera. typhoid fever,
ETC., are not generated by foul sewerage Itself
but that the germ or ">rcd'' 81 such once
planted ia dccaying ma,cria and the like finds
productive >oii. In other word, tina; d,ca1ing
animal or vegetable matter doc not Of it.cf
produce spectral disease. or IL ~ rarely. but
combined with ih' germ II certain Diseases
Il Lecome> fruitful source of such. Also in
many ca>e> the germ itself j. harmless unless
combined in this WAY. IIcnc, most epidemic,
are confined to localities poorly drained
What cau b. done az course the bet and
safest method in town u this sire T. thor
ou-h system Of sewerage hut much can BE-
done far short Of thi>. Let the different nat
uTal drain, De cleared Of rubbish aud ob-truc-
tion from beginning 10 end. Let artificial
ones b. cut to connect with th"-, whrr, ncc->-
,ary; let each hou.e-lrain, where practical
b. carried into one Of these. Let no winter
accumulation OF ofial from stable ut other
where's remain later than MAY 10 nor Ice al
lowed To accumulate in quantities during
the summer months. OF better >tiIl let the
health ofiirer- Of the town present certain rules
Of health to our ,iiy fathers for their adoption.
which shall reach this matter and also serve
- guidance for private famic, and public
institutions. In This way q great deal can H.
done 10 lessen the danger OF epidemic.
Wei II 10 promot" good health in future grn- .
tration>. and at slight cost. Let mr here >ay
that misunderstanding evidently exists in
The minds IL many relative to the functions Of
the Board ~ Health. w read Of thc almost i'm
periou- influence Of certain Of these boards in
large cities and naturally attribute like power,
10 our own. Thi, i far from right; whcr, no
special rule exists, 4. in our own town. their
hands are comparati1 cly tied from an aggrcs-
si'r standpoint. And the people have duty
to do first. | have no desire to alarm any but
the best medical opinion Of the country backed
by the history OF the disease. inclines To- the
opinion that cholera will yi>ii our country be-
fore ils march closes. We can not be Sure it
will not visit u: certain il i that enough fear
Of such result TO lead 10 thorough prcpara-
ton i >alutar, aud wise. Thi> Of all diseases
j. oftene-t prevented by H. gi,nic laws have
no reason to question but our city officials
viii be only too ready 10 fashion aud execute
the public request. Let our citizen, at once
determine that our city shall be clean.
GEo. \. PHILLIPS.