St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-18
IMPURE WELL WATER.
Health Commissioner Hoyt
Suggests Improved San
itary Conveniences.
Decreased Death Rates Des-
pite an Increase in
Population.
Railroads Derive a Big Reye-
nue. From Interurban
transportation.
Immortality Viewed From the
Standpoint of a Prominent
UnivePsaliSt.

According to the annual report OF
Health Commissioner Hoyt for1ssS the
death rate was lower than ever before
in the history of the Sanity City. In a
total population of 175,000 there were
2,07S deaths, the percentage being 1.So.
against 12.7s for the preceding year.
Referring to this fact DIR. Hoyt says
while the population has steadily i'll
creased the death rate instead of keep
ing up in like proposition has steadily
decreased. These figures are 4 wonder
full, advertisement for our city, and
many letters of inquiry are received
from persons who are desirous OF
locating, and through our correspond
ence many have been induced to
make this city their home. There
are in st. Paul .60,o00 Inhabited
houses, of which about 1850 are pro-
yided with pure and healthy city water,
and less than 5000 are connected with
sewers, leaving over $4,000 without
sewer drainage or city water. The we'll
water in this city has been the subject
of condemnation so many times that 1t
is not necessary to more than speak OF
it's unhealthfulness. A very large per-
centage Of the cases of zymotic diseases
reported were in premises supplied
with well water and surface drainage.
In this bad water, surface drainage and
improper, old-fashiOned plumbing, we
have all the essentials for the gerRina-
ton, propagation and distribution of
these diseases, and one Of the remedies
proposed is to compel house OWN
erS to make the proper sewers and water
connections as speedily as possible.
Among the recommendations OF the
commissioner is the necessity for public
baths. Lakes Como and Phaien are
too remote, even if bathing were allowed
there, and the river can only be used at
certain hours and places, and several
drowning eases each year do not speak
very highly in favor of such q resort,
Other large
CITIES HAVE PUBLIC BATHS
and there is no valid reason why st.
Paul should not be similarly equipped.
Almost every day in the year-per
haps oftener-Some poor unfortunate
falls from building, is struck by an
engine. or is injured and manned in one
of the many varieties of accidents that
are constantly occurring in our city. and
at present the only provision that we
have for removing them gently and com
fortably to their homes or some hospital
is the police patrol. While the patrol
wagon is great improvement over the
methods in vogue before its arrival, it
is anything but an ideal conveyance for
the unfOrtunateS L have described.
Then, too, it is often in demand for its
regular work, and it not lnfrequently
happens that, when a wagon is tele-
phoned for in hurry for service in one
Of these accidental emergencies, the
answer comes back. sit is out after
prisoner. will send it soon as it comes"
ANY one who has had any experience
will understand how disastrous iD many
cases delay of this kind is to the
patient. would respectfully suggest
equipping one first-class ambulance to
be always ready at a moments notice
night or day-to attend, exclusively,
calls for accidental emergencies. Here
tOfore | have advocated, from motives
of economy, and from the fact that fer
tlizing material was not in great de-
mand by our farmers, that, as long as
the great sewers of Minneapolis and
st. Paul discharged their contents into
the Mississippi river that our most
feasible plan was to convey our refuse
matter to a point below the city and
deposit it in the same receptacle.
The plan was given a thorough trial
during the past season, anu was d ldll-
ure. | understand that the United
States government has decided to pro-
hibit it in the future, and will take
steps to enforce obedience in this re-
spect in the spring. While in attend
ance at the recent annual meeting of
the American Public Health association
at Milwaukee was highly interested
in descriptions of method for dispo-
sition of garbage now in vogue in Buff
falo, n. Y. l will not describe it more
than to say that it takes garbage. trans
yerts it into a valuable merchantable
commodity at no expense to the city.
Instead of destroying everything at
great expense, valuable article is
created from the same material at no
expense. This spring we have abso-
lutely no provision for the disposal of
the tons that accumulate in our city. |
respectfully request that committee
be. at once appointed to consist OF one
member of the council, one member of
the chamber of commerce and the COM
missioner of health. to visit and exam
inc the ''Vienna plant for the disposal
of garbage, now in operation in Buffalo,
n. Y, with view of utilizing the proc
ess in our own city.
TWIN CITY TRAFFIC.