The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1890-02-27
Sanitary Address.

In accordance with notice given last
week. Mr.. +. c. Jordan, Civil Engineer,
of Portland delivered an address in Co.
burn Hall Monday evening on sanitary
matters. accompanied by stereoptlcon IL
lustrations Hon. NJ. f. King of Port
land, formerly Mayor Of ths. city, assist
ed. Mr. Jordan in exhibiting the cuts up
on canvass.
The address was a very Instructive one,
was listened TO with the closest attention,
and must have made lasting impression
upon the citizens present The audience
was a fair sized one but It Is TO be regret
It'd that the hall was not 4 ed to over
flowing.
DR. j y Merrill presided aud at the
close Of the address on motion Of Mr
Lewis Anderson vote Of thanks was
passed in behalf Of the Board Of Trade,
under whose auspices Mr.. 3rdan came
here and in behalf Of the citizens pre-
sent.
We give brief synopsi, Of this timely,
address
The speaker said that it was his pur-
pose to deal with such errors Of santa
ton a. arise in place where new and
larger wataf~supply has been lately fur
nisucd. Thu ounce dose Of prevention
would be better given in this lecture In
Skuwnegan than the pound of cure,
which Is necessary in the Older towns and
cities where systems Of sewerage have
Jeen put in. This purpose could best De
iurthered by making an OBJECT lesson
showing wherein lie the sources OF evil
The first source of air poisoning is the
saltwater about the walls and foundation
Of the house How has this been dealt
with: a cellar drain has been put In
with shallow trap which soon becomes
cmptled Of its water and the ground air
Is circulated through the house above.
Another source Of soil-poluton is the
| proximity Of grave yard. The failure
| Of water to purify itself by 1ltering
| through soil has been proven. Again.
there may be gases arising from dumping
! grounds near at hand.
To the defects Ia plumbing, |
Will now call your attention. The pipe
under the cellar floor pollutcs the soil :;
The joints should be made gas tight. In
/ lhe walls Of the house use only .ar-cOated
| iron pipes with gas-tight joints. A wa
| ter seal will not be a seal 10 gas under
| pressure, a. when the water below draws
| up and there Is no vent to the gas above
except through the trap.
Care must be taken with the connection
If the wall pipe with the cellar pipe.
Again, often the wall pipe is of lead
which is apt to be attacked by rats and a
| vent thus given to the gas. Often the
| oath tub is just above the wash stand on
"A lower floor and both are connected to
The same pipe. The passage of the wa
ter from above will suck out the water
from the trap of the wash stand below,
and the water seal Will be wanting. This
espionage may be prevented by having a
vent IN the pipe above, outside the roof.
Each fixture should have its seperate
Trap, each deep enough TO prevent the ev-
aporaton of the water seal Tie over
| how should not be without its trap
Ran-conductors passing into .he drain
are another source Of evil. Galvanized
ron pipe is never gas-tight, thus the gas
mas a chance to pass up and escape in the
cellar or where the pipe on the outside
| passes near windows. As remedy use =
| Trap and within the walls of the house
| let the rain-conductor be a pipe with gas
| light joints. There is also danger where
A ventilatng pipe is turned into a chin
ney, as then the gas is often brought by
a downward draft into the rooms. Let
no sewer be laid under the house except
when cast iron pipe is used.
he main reason for these errors on
sanitation is the want of knowledge IL
| plumbers concerning the laws of the flow
If water and the escape of gas. Each
should demand that his plumber should
ne skilled and versed in his work. Yet,
the work may be well done, and soon be
damaged by the settling of walls; so |
would demand that all pipes and traps be
| IN sight.
In the construction of sewers avoid
contract jobs, and never have foot Of
| pipe laid without the presence Of the Of
u iaii Inspector here lives aud h5a it 4
are at stake you will agree with me that
these precautions are necessary,
In your house let your soil pipe be Of
solid cast iron starting from six feet out
side the house wall and thence in unbrok-
On line through to the roof; let the open
ing of the pipe above the roof be unob-
structed by hood; place trap just inside
of cellar wall and let each fixture have
its trap before it joins the main soil pipe.
Your cellar should be drained by sub
soil pipe.