Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-12
DANGER OF DISEASE.
Secretary Benjamin Lee, of the State
Board of Health, Cries Out
Against Polluted Waters.
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS TO BLAME.
The Legislature to be Asked to Compel
Disinfection of Sewage Before it
Leaves the Building.
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS TO BLAME.
HEALTHIS MENACED By THE OPEN RUNS
Pittsbug's Peculiar Topography Makes Change
Almost Impossible.

be introduced into the Legislature this
winter compelling all hospitals, public in
stitutionS and public buildings to GiSinfect
all the sewage of such places before it leaves
the building. 1t is understood the bill will
be prepared by the State Board of Health,
and will be introduced as early as possible
at the next session.
This is largely the outgrowth of a circular
which has just been sent out by Secretary
Lee, of the State Board of Health, in re-
gard to the disposal of the sewage of public
edifces so that water courses will not be
polluted. The circular SAYS:
The whole theory of modern sanitation is
founded on the belief that man is his brothers
keeper; and the whole theory of American free
dom is based on the idea that the inherent
rights of one man or community to the enjoy
ment of life liberty and the pursuit Of happi-
ness are to be so exercised that they shall inter-
fere with the enjoyment of the same inalienable
rights by no other man or community. 1t needs
no argument to prove that the wholesale poison
ing of a stream in populous region does so IN
Tertere with the enjoyment of those rights by
all who live on its banks, or through whose
property it passes below the point of cOntaml-
nation. Hence the pollution of streams has be-
come one of the most urgent problems with
which the sanitarian has TO deal. In Great
Britain II has led TO the establishments of the
Rivers Pollution Commission" 1" which has now
been IN existence for many years. and has spent
thousands of pounds in its investigations.
AN EXAMPLE TO BE SET.
The State Board of Health is especially de-
sirous that all State establishments, such as
asylums. hospitals colleges and schools, and all
county institutions, such Jails, and aims
houses, which derive a portion, if not all oil
their support from the public funds and which
are generally looked upon models by the
communities in the midst of which they are
placed, should set the example to municipal
ties and private individuals of making proper
provisions for the publication of their sewage
before il is permitted to enter any stream. The
board, therefore, earnestly represents to the
Trustees or other responsible heads of all such
institutions the seriousness of this growing
evil, urging that no time be lost in remedying
any offensive and dangerous conditions which
may be found to exist.
a number OF remedies were suggested for
the disposal of the general sewage, such as
irrigation, both on and under the surface,
filtration, precipitation, oxidation and dis
infection. OF course, one system may be
better suited for one locality than another.
Chief j. o. Brown was interviewed. but
beyond the statement that there should be
city be had nothing to say aud no remedy TO
offer. He did not believe it was right to
empty the sewers of the city into the rivers.
A HARD THING TO AVOID.
Said Crosby Gray, Chief Clerk in the De-
partment of Public Safety and member of
the National Health Association: "While
do not believe it is safe to empty the sewage
of the city into the river. do not see how it
can be helped. The topography of Pittsburg
is such as to render any other disposal of it al
most impossible without an enormous expen-
dituEe. There seems no other course for US
than the present one unless we could carry the
sewage down the Ohio river, and use it for lrri-
eating one of the islands down there. This
would take an enormous expenditure of money,
and it is doubtful whether the owners of those
islands would permit it At Atlantic City they
run their sewage away back into the country
and filter 1t. The water comes off apparently
pure and the resIduum is perfectly odorless.
This is sold as fertilizer, and the town derives
quite a revenue from it To do that here
would have to extend the sewer system empty
all the sewage INTO well, and then. by means
of pumps, force it back into the country. The
expenditure this would entail will make it i'm
possible for years to come.
"Our greatest trouble is from the sewers that
empty into open runs. They cause more dis
ease than anything else. This is being slowly
runs. had to be built first because of the neces-
sity and because II cost too much to build the
main sewers. We have simply begun at the
wrong end, and built the feeders before we had
anything for them to empty into. Now the
main sewers are being built, and this trouble
WILL in a few years, be over"
WORDS SPOKEN IN SEASON.
Secretary Lees circular was considered very
timely by Chief Clerk W. f. McKelvy, of the
Bureau of Health. Said that gentleman yes
rerdav: whether water purifies itself within
certain dIstance-whlle 1t may appear as pure
as crystal there may yet be in 1t germs Of disease
and YOU can hardly find two experts who will
give the same analysis. it is not right to pol
lutte the public waterways, but
situated We are, it is simost i'm
possible to help it The greatest
from public buildings hospitals, ETC. Lately
diphtheria and typhoid fever have increased to
an alarming extent, and L believe it is due to
arising from sewers. Especially dangerous is
the sewage from hospitals. where the Sc wage
from patients suffering with contagious and in
fecIious diseases flows into the streams
In some cases these sewers open into
runs and all the filth is exposed
even before in enters the river. This could
he abatcd by the disinfection of all such sewage
before it leaves the building. We are powerless
to compel it to be done at present, but we hope
TO have law passed by the Legislature which
will compel the authorities OF such institutions
10 see that all the sewage from their buildings
is perfectly disinfected.
A BURIAL LAW TO BE REVIVED.
I'VE also intend again to bring up the law
regulating the burial of all persons who die Of
infectious or contagious diseases 1t was de-
feated last year by the undertakers, but when
the people are brought to recognize the neces-
slty of immediate burial We think there will be
but few objections. The undertakers object be-
cause it limits the attendance at the funeral to
only the immediate family, thus cutting of a
rich revenue in carriages.
las for a change In the sewer system of the
city, do not expect it for years. In places
where cities derive revenue from sewage the
garbage is also included. and then they are sit
mated differently from Pittsburg The revenue
here would not be enough to justify the ex-
pense."
An attempt was made to see Chief Bigelow,
but only vacant chair could be found in his
Office
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