Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-12
BEYOND THE LIMITS.
The Beck's Run Schindery Cannot
be Reached.
WRONG STEPSTAKEN BYCOUNCILs.
The State Board or the United States
Government Has Power.
THE EVILS OF SEWAGE DISCUSSED

The action of councils on Monday in re-
gard to the Beck's Run schindery, has
furnished fresh impetus to the agitation
against the alleged nuisance. started by The
DISPATCH, and the Southside people seem
more determined than ever to fight the mat
ter until the schindery is thing of the
past.
Notwithstanding the fact that winter is
here and the danger to the health of the
Southside is practically over for six months.
at least, the citizens are not satisfied to let
it remain. It turned out yesterday. how
ever, that possibly wrong steps have been
taken at the outstart
The schindery, the target aimed at, is out
side of the city limits, and consequently
OUTSIDE OF THE JURISDICTION
of the city's representatives. At least, that
is the general impression. There is pos
sibility of there being no remedy unless the
Government takes the matter in hand.
The river being Government property, the
Government is liable for its proper care and
control. Another theory advanced yester-
day is that the State Board of Health is
the body that should act in the premises.
The. committee to which the matter was
referred, to act in conjunction with City At
torney Morelsnd and Superintendent Baker,
of the Board of Health, will visit the schin-
dery next Monday for the purpose of investi-
eating it, and to discover, if possible, what
amount of damage Is really caused by its
existence.
AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT.
Clerk House, of the city attorneys Office,
said yesterday that he could not tell what
might be done. "There iS possibility"
be said, ''oi the whole thing being outside
of the city's jurisdiction. If there is any
part of Beck run in the city limits, then
the city can stop the nuisance, if it is nui-
sance. But if the run bears the contamina-
ton into the river, the river belonging to
the Government, the city has nothing to do
with it. The matter has not been consid-
cred in this department as yet, and 1 am
not prepared to make statement as to what
the result of the investigation will be. In
fact, may say 1 know nothing about the
schindery. I do not even know where it is
located"
THE CITY PowERLEss.
Superintendent Baker, of the Depart
ment of Health, said: "I do not believe the
city can do anything. 1 think the matter
tary Lee, of the State Board of Health.
There is no doubt that the thing ought to be
abolished, but then the people ought to pro-
ceed in the proper manner"
The majority of the physicians on the
Southside are loud in their condemnations
of the schindery. DR.. J. D. Thomas, how
ever, is one who believes that the Southside
has other sources of danger to the health of
IL H.
said last night: ''This whole business is a
great delusion. If diseased animals are
taken to the schindery they are completely
destroyed. Animals have few diseases
that can be conveyed to the human being,
and the utter destruction of all the animals |
removes the danger from those diseases that |
might be conveyed.
A POTENT SOURCE OF EVIL.
''The most potent source of danger to our
side of the river comes from sewage. We
have ten sewers above the dam, anyone of |
which is much more dangerous than the |
schindery. Our only remedy is to get water
from another supply, and the Southside
will always be in danger until we do so.
If we had pure water. supply, we would be
the healthiest community in the State be-
cause we have good drainage"
DR.. E. A. Mundorf differs from this
theory, ard holds as his opinion that any
contamination reaching the river from the
schindery pollutes the water that is pumped
into the basin and used from the hydrants
by the consumers, and that germs of disease
must necessarily be contained in that
water.
The proceedings of the committee, City
Attorney and the Superintendent of the
Bureau of Health will be watched with, in
terest