St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-21
SAINT PAUL MATTERS.
Health Officer Jones Gives an Interesting
Interview on the Proper Plumbing
of Houses.
An Awakening of Citizens to the Needs OF
Parks-Row the Mill City
Did It.
a Snow Shoveling Match--What the
st. Paul Ministers VIII Preach
About To-Day.

The suspension of the license under which
James Dunnigan carried on the plumbing
business. has caused deal of public inter-
est in the question of proper sewerage in
residences and buildings. Dunnigan had, it
is alleged in the complaints made to the
health officer and building inspector, failed
to comply with the requirements OF the 0rdl-
nance which provides for the inspection OF
all such work by al officer of the CITY eS-
pecially appointed for the purpose. Health
Officer Jones' in an interview on the sub
ject of sanitary measures In this connection
with a GLOBE reporter yesterday, said:
The regular and systematic inspection OF
the drainage arrangements of houses,
although matter of paramount Importance
in a sanitary point of view. is almost ignored.
House drains, even when properly con-
structed, according TO the best possible sys-
TEN, require occasional examination. How
r,,uch more necessary is it that house fittings,
as usually constructed, with multitude or
defects, should be periodically subjected to
thorough inspection, in order to detect ana
remedy serious faults, which may otherwise
remain unsupported until serious illness at
tracts attention to the probable cause OF the
trouble Traps may become Oostructed,
openings designed for ventilation get clogged
nm. and Joints may give way and allow the
foul sewerage matter to exude and ponute
the ground under the dwelling The fact
that drain is water-tight to-day is no guaran-
tee that it will never leak. Considering the
perishable nature of the materials used in its
construction, the liability to derangement by
accidental circumstances, as, for ex-
ample, the settlement of founda-
ton wall, and the frequency with
which distractions occur, either by
the gradual deposit of matters suspended in
the sewerage, or by the surreptitious intro
,1ncfo nnf
be too strongly recommended that the drain
age of every house be periodically examined
say st least once year, under the direction
of men skilled in sanitary engineering. The
public authorities cannot assume this duty.
nor intrude inside the house, unless nui-
sance has already been created, and it is there
fore necessary that the householder attend TO
it himself"
How can this be done?'
In making these examinations there
should be kept clearly in mind tue question,
is the house properly drained. &Chis will be
tested by simply fastening the Nater-closet
handles up for few minutes, and watching
the flow past the grid at the external trap. 1t
is clear that no obstruction can exist on either
side of the trap if the flow is seen to be I'M
impeded.
IS THERE ANY LEAKAGE
from the sewer under the house into the
basement? If so, of what magnitude? This
Will be tested by temporarily plugging up the
drain at the trap, and filling the pipe or
drain in the basement with water. If the water
remains at a constant level the drain is clearly
water-tight; if cot, the amount of the
leakage can be measured by the rate at which
the surface falls. No head of water should
be put on the drain, or pipe, which is usually
not designed to resist pressure: but all sew
erage pipes passing under the basement OF
house should be as tight as a bottle. 1t will,
in this way, be quite easy to test the sound
ness of drain, without uncovering it, and TO
repeat this experiment as often as may be
desired. 1t is necessary to know if the pipes
of a house are air-tight and all openings
trapped. This will be ascertaiDed by making
fumes of parafine inside of a closed vessel,
over the open grid at the trap. and driving
these fumes into the house system by a fan.
but not so as to cause any internal pressure.
When it has been ascertained that these
fumes have reached the highest point in the
pipes, each room in the house will be in
spected, and any escape will be easily de-
tected. In the newer and better character of
plumbing the test by the oil Of peppermint,
now much in vogue in Boston, may be tried.
Different varieties of plumbing require diff
ferent kinds of tests. 1t Is important
that the traps and pipes of a
house are properly ventilated. This
will he ascerlained by endeavoring
to put the pipes under a slight pressure by
pumping air into the pipes at the bottom. If
no parafine fumes are then forced into the
house. it is clear that at least one part of the
uentilating system is in order. In addition to
this experiment the test of passing smoke
through venJilating openings will be made
whenever this may seem desirable"
SIS plu IN bling IN this city up to what it
should bel''
lit is great error for persons in building
houses to solicit bids from plumbers and then
to accept the lowest bid. This implies that
the cost is the uppermost consideration in
their minds, and the securing of a good piece
of plumbing which will afford adequate pro-
lection from sewer gas is matter of second
ary importance. 1t is far better to ecOno-
nize in some other direction and secure the
very best plumbing attainable. The most
thoughtful among practical reformers of the
present day base their hopes of sanitary pro-
gress on the education of the masses as the
real groundwork of public health. While
disease is inherited, more still is self-inficted
by indifference and carelessness; for the
more closely the subject is studied, he clearer
it becomes that very large amount of sick
ness is attributable to influences brought into
operation by man himself, and Their efore
more or less under his control. But it is en-
couraging to note the steady progress being
made in establishing and carrying out sound
principles Of sanitation in this city. The
period Of half knowledge and painful expert
mentation is gradually passing away"