The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-07
CHATTANOOGA AND THE TENNES.


The excellent paper by Mr.. G. G. Mat
thews, managing editor OF THE APPEAL,
which We printed IN our edition OF last
Sunday, gave our readers very fair idea
of the advantages OF situation and near
ness to coal. iron and lime. which in few
years are to make Chattanooga, stimulated
by The Times, the most important manufact-
uring center nthe South. Cooking coal and
iron lies all about It's doors and lime is one
OF the commonost OF the common COM
modities that nature has strewn about
with 80 lavish a hand in the towering
mountains and beautiful valleys that are
drained by the Tennessee River. But as
necessary as the ore, tho coal and the llux
are the people who, by their enterprise,
pluck and energy, have laid out on
large scale and partly realized in con-
structon, a city that is full OF promise
from any point Of view, from tho nights OF
Lookout or any OF the villas that from the
Chattanooga range overlook The valley so
famous In the early history OF the State,
and later acquired greater Importance
from the battles in which Rosecranz and
Bragg contenled for mastery, and subse-
quontly Bragg and Grant. No one who
has followed the growth Of communities
in the United States can fail to realize the
possibilities and probabilities Of growth Of
this already renowned city. None Of the
competing cities or towns near il can stay
lis progress or hinder its march to the
attainment Of n great destiny. Many Of
the buildings, the churches and school
houses are 30 many proofs that the dreams
Of tho most sanguine are to be realized,
and within generation. The public i'm
proyements in the suburbs, as well rs in
the city, are 10 the same effect, but the
sanitary arrangements, though they fol-
low In the lines so distinctly laid
down In other and larger cities and though
presently great relief arc, We fear, to give
trouble in tho future. The sewers are
modern In construction and drain both
the street and tho household wastes read
ily, but they drain into the Tennessee
River and must In time silt up the bed Of
that noble stream, especially at the bend
at tho base Of Lookout Mountain, and
thus create an intolerablo nuisance and
one that would impair, II Il did not destroy
the value Of that mountain rs asanitarium.
Then, too, 1t will destroy the water for any
Of the purposes Of the communities below,
as Knoxville must eventually poison IL
beyond any safe use by the people OF
Chattanooga, II Il does not render
II impure, even now. The Ohio River
Is polluted stream the whole way
from Pittsburg IN Cairo and Is unsafe for
human use. This was proven by the
prevalence Of typhoid fever at Cincinnati
last fall and winter in epidemic form,
tuceablc TO the river water contaminated
by sewage. The Upper Mississippi is
nearly as bad and must eventually. Us tho
ciiiesgrow and now ones are built, be quito
a bad. Al the lIygienio Congress held in
Vienna In 1857. NJ. Brouardcl stated that
he knew Of over sixty epidcmios Of typhoid
fever which had been induced by infected
drinking water. As DIR. Charles q. Cur
rier, Of New York, said in a paper read
last April before the Section on Public
Health Of the New York Academy VI Med
iStss. Polluted water may be agreeable
'hts sie aud have no visible sediment.
We, use many deaths. Such water the
unskillod are slow to suspect, aud but for
the advance In sanitary science and the
warning conveyed by those familiar
with hygionic studies. pure supplies
Of drinking water In cities would be much
more Of a rarity than they are" Tho same
NhANNi AAtH W AhhA NiN thi hihlAl Nul'h ~ wv
ually manifested by all streams and rivers
In the spring Is no guarantee Of a curative
process On the contrary, II Is almost nj.
ways accompanied bya large number Of
bacteria The melting snow and the rain,
which wash into the streams an increased
amount Of organic matter, introduce with
Il other germs and bring more nutriment
than usual 90 the micro. organisms already
In the water, thus increasing their vitality
and numbcs" And DR.. Curricr proves
the correctness Of his position by samples
OF the water Of the Mississippi and other
riycn flowing into the Atlantic. But, in
addition 10 this, We have the testimony Of
a Royal tEnglish) Commission, which OK
tended IL Investigations over period OF
ten ycan and terrifying their inyesliga-
tons by the testimony Of noted eng.
nccn and sanitary experts, declared
with po-itiycnoss and emphasis that
they could not lind In the largest
rivers In Great Britain that water
purified itself In any given distance. II is,
therefore, Of the first importance to 40 en-.
terpnsing a city as Chattanooga that II
should find substitute In the crcmatory
for IL street aud household wastes, and
! that "A sbnnll ala, Nu.l ..,,, 81 -. ........