Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-07-03
H0w Chey Do it at Munich.

Sewer gas is the deadliest enemy OF
human life, and the advances that have
been made in checking it's ravages have
been followed by striking decrease in
the death rate of cities, and by the COM
parative disappearance of typhoid and
other malarial diseases, where an intel
igent system of sewer sanitation has
been adopted. The people of Los An
geles will shortly be called upon to
grapple with the problem at the polls,
and the outfall sewer to the ocean will
then be passed upon, with what result
no one can predict with any certainty.
There is a general impression that the
working men will vote for the bonds, and
that work on the plans outlined by the
City Engineer will begin Immediately,
and doubtless the votes of many citizens
and property holders will be cast for the
measure because the work will give EN-.
ployment to large numbers of unem-
ployed laborers. This is a view of the
matter not to be despised. If we must
have eewer system, and few are hardy
enough to dispute the proposition, it would
be highly desirable that We should do
the work now, when labor can be COM
manded on reasonable terms and mate.
rial is cheap.
Sewers alone will not relieve a city
from sewer gas. Unless these conduits
are kept well flushed they are really
breeders of malaria, and rather detract
from than add to the health of city.
This fact ought not to be overlooked when
we are making arrangements for per-
manent and expensive system.
OF course it is quite possible that the
people may vote down the ordinance to
issue the sewer bonds, and then it be-
comes an interesting question as to what
will follow next. Will our citizens be
compelled to drop all plans Of sanitation
and fold their hands supinely? We do
not think 80.
A quarter of century ago the city Of
Munich was one of the unhealthiest in
the world. Typhoid fever, in its most
malignant form, was frighIfully preva-
lent, as was diphtheria and kindred mala-
dies. Appalled, at the ravages made
by zymotic and other ailments, the city
authorities resorted to heroic remedies.
They introduced what is called the
'tunnage" system. That is to say, by
system of barrels and carts all excremen.
titious matter was collected every day,
carried to railway train specially built
for the service, on the plan of tank oil
cars, and taken to farm twelve miles
from the city, where it was dumped into
trench twelve feet deep. Twelve
inches of soil were then daily scattered
ON the sewage refuse, the barrels were
thoroughly cleansed, and the process
was repeated indefinitely. The fertiIiz-
ing matter developed by this process s
sold by the city of Munich for enough
money to pay the total expenses OF keep.
ing the municipality clean and whole.
some, and with a surplus for the City
Treasury.
Under such system the generation of
sewer gas is simply impossible. There
is nothing to make the noxious agent.
Coincidently with the adoption of this
system, Munich became one of the
heaithiest cities of Europe, and has ever
since remained 30. Typhoid fever and
all malarial diseases disappeared almost
entirely. There are many regions of Los
Angeles county as fully adapted as any
in the neighborhood Of Munich for the
utilization of the sewage refuse. Should
we fail to adopt the bonds at the forth
coming election there would be great
good sense in thoroughly investigating
the system which has proved so success
full and satisfactory at Munich.