The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-17
DANGERS 10 THH HEALTH
OF the Community in the Pres
eut Inadequate Provision
FOR REMOVAL OF GARBAGE,
Tho Fault In tho System and not In
the Contractors-The Abundant
Complaints-swilI-fed MIX.
The Need of the Hour,

tanCe OF cleanliness u tHeOTellCAIIl
recognized by everybody in this day
but the practical observance of the pre-
cents laid down by sanitary science, ant
confirmed by experience and common
sense, is too often neglected, Wheeling
has from time to time recognized the
desirability OF keeping the city free
from disease.breejing filth, but so fal
this recognition is more formal than
real-more theoretical than practical
There are on the ordinance books pro-
visions which aim at cleanliness, but
these, II faithfully enforced, would be
inadequate, and as a matter OF fact are
not enforced, mainly for the reason
that they are impracticable,
Council has from time 70 time ordain.
ed and enacted that certain things shall
be done, and then provided means for
doing these things which are so far from
commensurate with the thing TO be done
as to be iarGlcal.
Not only Is the collection lacking in
promptness, thoroughness and regular
ity, but II all the garbage were collected
while fresh; the present crematory has
not sufficient capacity to get rid of 1t,
ANY reform must commence at the bot
tom and 70 up. The present hot, wet
weather increases the danger ten,fold,
The service ought to be efficient now,
above all other seasons, and the more
time is lost the worse the situation be.
comes. The accumulated filth grows
worse daily.
HAS wnERLINGA scAVRNGER SYSTEM
Nature has provided mankind with
oliactories to serve as q warning
against filth and the seeds Of, pestilence.
Enlightened investigation shows that
the refuse, olIal and filth Of q house,
hold, II allowed to lie and decay, breeds
disease, and aggrevates diseases orlginat-
ing from other causes. The city author
ties have enacted that such refuse shall
be gathered and removed at t'tho public
expense. The ordinance requires that
each house shall bo visited one time In
every week In the months OF December,
January and February, two times q
week in the months OF March, April,
May, October and November, and daily,
with the exception OF Sunday, In the
months Of June, July, August and Sep
tember.
For the purpose Of carrying out this
requirement, the city is divided into
five districts, and the work Of removing
the garbage from each Of these districts
is let to a separate contractor, sealed
proposals being received for doing the
work, and the contract awarded to the
"lowest and best" bidder.
The first district Is composed Of the
First ward; the second Of the Second
and Seventh wards; the third Of the
Third and Fourth wards; the fourth OF
the territory between Wheeling Creek
on the north and Caldwell's run on the
south; the fifth Of all that portion Of the
city south Of Caldwell's run.
The present contractors are: First
district, Andrew Murphy; second, John
Manion; third, John Baker; fourth,
Henry Kreis; fifth, Lawrence Murphy.
None Of these contractors, exceptin the
Second district, where there are two, has
more than one one.horse cart to do the
work. Tho collection Of garbage In the
first and fifth divisions-a family affair
isdone with asingle one.horse cart. The
highest figure at which any Of the con-
tracts WIS lot tho last time was about
5000; the aggregate amount OF the five
contracts Is within fraction OF s. 800.
This Is the sCayenger system on paper.
A few figures will show that itamounts
to little, and, in the nature Of things,
never can amount to more, In practice.
There are In Wheeling B000 habita.
tons At present, the ordinance re-
quires each contractor to visit each
house in lis territory ence daily. Five
men, to visit 0,0O0 houses in day, must
ON IN average visit 1900 houses each,
which, II they worked twelve hours,
would be 100 houses an hour-that is,
ten houses every SIX minutes-to say
nothing Of the time required 10 haul
the loads to the crematory.
Common sense shows at a glance that
this iSa physical impossibllity. ItiSthe
system that is at fault. The ordinance
requires to be done thing which the
provision made by Council does not al.
low to be done.
TIIIltRALTH 0FFlCER'sviEws.
An lSTELLlGRNcER reporter called on
DR.. q. !. Garrison, the faithful and eff.
cient City Health Officer, Saturday
evening, and solicited his views upon
the inRdeQuaCy oithe present sc6Venger
system, and the evils Of an inadequate
system.
$50 much has been said" responded
DR.. Garrison, "about the inadequacy Of
the present sCNvenger system 10 effect
the prompt and thorough removal oi
the garbage, and the situation iS 80
thoroughly understood, that really
think there Is nothing new To be said
upon the subject | am personally
quite tOmiliar With the question from
actual observation. The yards have
been rs a rule the recoptaCles for oil the
refuse matter oil families for q long
time. II will readily be seen that they
Affect the air Of those dwellings which
arc near to them, as well a. those Ii
which they are attached. Even alleys
and streets are made repositories for gar.
bage and other fllth,"
us this a source Of as grave danger
70 health as Ia commonly supposed ~
Under favorable conditions, Dc 70,
CARDS moisture and temperature, yege'
table matter undergoeS q putrelactlvt
process, resulting In the formation OF {
specific poison, which, BY its reception
or that Of tho micro. organisms which
produce Y, In tho living body, produces
certain forms Of fever"
what Ia needed here2b
~ Is not Il vain boaBt that Wheeling
is naturally place Of nndoubted health
iulness, owing TO tho Balubrity OF ils 10
cation aud favorable situation Tor fatir
al drainage, aud all that ID redulEed
generally speaking, for the maintenanc
ol iw reputation, Is a proper attention
70 common @ sense sanitary regulations.
Think Of the soil saturated with ID
iusionS ot decomposing human Oxcfela
giving rise 10 foul odon and noxiou
gases; Think ol the people having Il
breathe, during the susceptible houfs Q
sleep, al atmosphere contaminated b,
These, and exhilallOns from accumu
lated pits Of iCcal matter and heaps .
uecaying garbage, Think, further, .
tne lamsntAbls Ignorance concofnin
we consequences Of these lhinRS anon
tue masses, IL II not the duty Of III
proper authorities 10 interfere III Thea
maWenf Nay, 10 II not imperative thl
buch laws should be enacted and fiRidl
enforced "a shalt rid the cily 81 M coi
Eliminating hlth7n