The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-11-18
BIG WASTE OF WATER.
SUPT. MANNINGS FIGURES BEFORE
THE SANITARY ASSOCIATION.

The Need for a New System to Re-
lieve the City of an Impending DAN
ger-Dr. LeHardy's Views Approved
by the Association.
The Citizens Sanitary Association held
its quarterly meeting at the secretary's
Office last night.
DR.. LeHardy's report on the sewerage
system was the feature of the meeting, and
was discussed with interest The members
of the committee agreed that DR.. LeHardy's
position was well taken, and Endorsed the
report.
The water works question was discussed
at length, particularly the need of better
water facilities for some portions of the city,
the need of larger water mains for a large
portion of tine system, and the waste of
water.
THE WATER QUESTION.
DIR. George H. Stone presented some
figures secured from Superintendent of
Water Works Manning as to the consump-
ton of water in Savannah, showing IN
doubted evidence OF an immense waste.
On June II. Superintendent Mana
ming, for the sake OF experiment,
guaged the amount of water flowing from
the reserve at $50 O'Clock in the after
noon, and found that 4, 225 gallons were be-
ing pumped into the city every minute
June IL was on Thursday. On the Sunday
following at $3.50 o'clock in the morning the
test was made again, and it was found that
3.49S gallons per minute were being pumped
into the city.
The first measure was taken during the
busy portion of the day. " hen, naturally,
the demand for water was the heaviest.
The second was taken before daybreRk
when it would naturally be supposed that
the use. of water would be very small, as
compared with the amount used in the busy
portion of the day.
AN IMMENSE wAsTAGE.
A comparison of the tests showed a diff
ference of only 1877 gallons per minute, or
that the city was using 3.49S gallons per
minute in the most quiet portion of the
night TO 4 ,225 gallons per minute in the busy
portion of the day. The question was what
became of those 3,49S gallons, as there
could have been very little actual use Of
water at that time OF night, aud the opin-
ion OF those present seemed to be that the
greater portion of it was wasted. Some of
the members went so far as to say that the
727 gallons difference represented the actual
amount of water used, and that the {, 49S
gallons represented a waste of that amount
for every minute in the day.
100000 GALLONS LOST A DAY.
This Iwould make a waste of 5,37S,12o
gallons per day. Allowing a waste of 1900
gallons per minute would amount to $780,
900 gallons.
In the above estimates were included,
however, the amount of water taken by the
traps" at the street corners, in which
certain amount of water is kept all the
time. IL was asserted that water is going
to waste all over the city, despite the efforts
of the city to reduce the amount used
The opinion of the association was that
the present water supply is empty sufficient
for the needs Of the city if properly econo-
mized, but that only the most stringent
measures on the part of the city council
viii accomplish this. The sanitary assocla-
ton is heartily infavor Of the new water
works, however.
DIR. LIE HARDY's REPORT.
Medical Director LIE Hardy's report,
showing that the existing sewers are con-
slant source Of danger to the people of Sa-
vannah was as follows:
For more than 100 years the only method
used by the city authorities for getting rid of
stagnant water, left on the streets after stor
was, by running burrows with O ploR or usin z
| the (''voter' and his) shovel
This method, of course, could drain but a
small fraction of the large Duddles about the
| city. Most of the water wss absorbed, satu-
| rating the soil and exposing q moist surface to
| the action of our tropical sun. This condition
| OF soil has always been prejudicial to heaich
and productive Of malarial diseases, here and
| elsewhere . ~ sag
| Before the inauguration of dry culture in 1918.
| the mortality in Savannah was something fear
| full one person dying annually IN every four
teen Qb inhabitants: and the city records show
| that the death rate continued to be large until
a system of deep drains had been established
| inside and outside Ehe city.
| About twenty five years ago one of our alder
| men, DIR. James ]. Warning who had resided in
| n an M al pad hn
| effect produced upon the healthfulness of that
| city by deep soil drainage, prevailed
| upon our council TO institute system of drains
| from which the existing sewer system Is the
| outgrowth.
GOOD FOB THEIR PURPOSE.
These drains are admirably adapted for the
| purpose of freeing the soil from water, being
large in size and built Of porous brick. Their
| effect has been to lower the permanent water
| level at least ten feet, exerting a remarkable
| influence upon the health of our people and
preventing malarial fevers. To physicians who
have practced here for the last thirty or forty
years it is well known that this deep drainage
has reduced the number OF cases of malarial
fevers TO one where there were formerly fifty or
more. Indeed, malarial fevers are now of rare
occurrence In Savannah.
| Through ignorance of the danger of such a
| course, or from false conception of public
| economy, our city fathers have allowed these
| storm water drains to be used to carry off
sewage, thus converting them into porous sew
erS and couateracting to a great extent their
| beneficial effects as drains.
| The fecal matter aud solid portions of house
| refuse contained in this sewage accumulate at
| different places on the rough bricks, sometimes
completely blocking up the sewer The fluid
| portions penetrate the brick wal and saturate
| the soil around 1t with offensive matter, giving
| out noisome gas.
| DISEASE CAUSED BY SEWERS.
| Typhoid and continued fevers formerly un
| known here are now steadily on the increase, as
I we'll as all that class of maladies called filth
| diseases. This is the result Of the misuse oil
1 Storm-water drains for sewers.
1 The existence of an immense cloacum, filled
| with putrafacatfon and branching everywhere
| underneath the city, Is far more dangerous tc
| life than the mere saturation Of the soil WIKI
| rain water.
| Wet soil may produce q large number of cases
| of malarial fevers- but these are not, as rule
| very fatal. while most of those diseases pro
| duced by fith-dfphtheria. for inStance-nre
| VIGOROUSLY dangerous to life.
| 1t is, however. in times of epidemic that fou
| and lily constructed sewers, as we'll as un-
| cleaned privy vaults, do most Of their deadly
| work
The poison which gives rise TO epidemic dis
| eases is produced by plants; the emanations
| arising from puttefyfng focal matter and house
| refuse, in sewers and privies, contain a large
| quantity of ammonia and carbonc acid ga
| and these are rale best nutriment for al
plants-including those producing disease.
| Sewers them under certain conditions, becom,
| nitus for the propagation of the germs o
| disease, and the gas which constantly arise
| from them serves toh;pread these germs even il
| parts Of the city remote from sewers, thu