The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-01
in a day by the OdorIsss excavatOr used
-ARANTIrF QUESTION.

] AAASNklDn OF DON VESSELS dA4 C6IkOrS Ab b1t
/ quarantine station. under the superintend
| encs Of a physician expert in the manage
ment of Quarantine, !" the objeos being 70
| employ the best means Enow1 20 modern
/ science to protest the city from the intro
/ duction Of contagious and infectious diseases
through shipping, and at lhe same tine tos-
ter our commerce by reducing the time OF
oetention aud the expense TO minimum.
But this matter, go important 10 the
TO remain dormant. The last board how
ever, provided the station with new whsrVes
and improved machinery for discharging
ballast This Is O great improvement, no
doubt, and well appreciated by shipping
men, but the system is still lacking In the
most essential quality, that OF eHordlng
security to tbs city against imported dis
eases. Since the ONLY method employed is
that OF detention, which was relied on 300
years ago when people bad no knowledge
whatever OF scientific maritime sanitation.
and the burning Of sulphur in pans as used
TO be done 10 New York and Boston In the
middle part Of last century. The result is,
that the summer commerce with South
American and West Indian ports, which
shouts bring thousands of dollars here,
and 30 which we arc entitled by geograph-
ical position, remaias lost 70 Savannah,
and still hsr people are not protected.
fiL 1e HOUSE DRAINAGE.
The subject Of house drainage has been
repeatedly discussed before this association,
aud the use OF our large storm water drains,
buiH or porous b1cE. for the purpose Of
carrying OF human ordure and houss slops
you have always condemned. because such
use Is known to BE 4 source OF constant
danger 10 the pubitp health, aud you
have many times urged the adoption Of q
separate system Of sewers, consisting %
small, glazed, iInperDeehle pipes. kept con-
stentiy clean and free from sewer gas by
flushing.
THIS matter was considered OF such great
importance by the city. council that several
consecutive boards spent much time and
money in its investigation.
Phecpinion Of expert sanitary engineers
was sought, our city engineer was sent to
study the systems in actual operation at
Memphis and Norfolk. plans were drawn
aud adopted, and the last board appro-
priated money TO commence the work, but
the present board unhappily has relegated
the whole matter TO oblivion, or TO some
other board
oPail the sanitary he5ds Of city, a plen~
tifui supply Of god water is the greatest.
1t stpald be furnished 70 every house under
sufh9lsHt pressure tforce) TO thoroughly
cleaess water closets, soil pipes and sewers,
otherwise these modern appliances become
most dangerous nutssnces This subject
has cd elso engrossed7 "a good deal
OF your attention, and you have recon-
mended improvements in the system of
water works in this city.
NO NEED FOR NEW WAFER WORKS.
The report upon this subject, published
in 1888, says: Our reservoir water tank
is high enough TO force the water to the top
Of the highest house IN the city; and the en-
gines now in use csn furnish 100000 gal
Ions per day, about SIS gallons per head for
q population of IS 900 inhabitants, yet the
water is furnished 70 the houses lin a large
portion of the city with 80 little force as to
be utterly inefficient for washing out water
closets and waste pipes, because of the faot
that it is furnished through single twelve
inch main, which has to supply thousands
Of small pipes Of an aggregate capacity
many times greater thah its own. The
only practical remedy for this sanitary evil
is to increase the size and number OF dis
tributing mains and to limit the pipes sup
piled by each main to an aggregate capacity
less than that Of the main" Since that
time the city council has, at great expense
built new water works
The quality of the water has been greatly
improved by thu boring OF artesaE wells,
and the supply has been increased by the
addition OF new pumps so that every day
6.500,000 gallons are pumped into the city.
This, for a population of 5000, gives TO
every man, woman aud child IA gallons
instead of IS gallons in 1888; and yet, with
this great increase, the lack of water in
houses is even greater now than in
1888, because the distributing mains have
not been made larger. Perceiving the de-
tlcieacles of the water service, and
failing TO apprehend their true cause,
the city council Is now aaout
to divert from the proper sanitary
uses OF the present population an enormous
sum to again build new water works
which is not needed at present, but which
will, perhaps, benefit the next generation,
and for which this generation ought TO pay
I'D AN UNDECIDED POLICY.
Thus 1t appears thet the boards of alder
men have always pursued the same unde-
tary affairs, so that the means for the
preser vttion of the health of our people are
little better now than they were thirty-five
years ago But the causes of disease are
constant in their action, and cannot bs oon-
quered by any such policy. The problem
of rendering ,city healthy anywhere, but
especially in a%Southern climate, is one of
great difficulty. requiring special knowl-
| edge, constant thought aud action in one
direction, and 10 one end-the removal o!
the causes OF all pre3snttble diseases And
now comes uhe.questiou: Gould this problem
be bstter handled by permanent
and independent bodysA Does not the expe-
rieoce Of our association warrant the opin
| ion that II couads
The chairman of the association commit
tee on public schools, the late Gen. Gilmer
made number of Recommendations for thu
sanitary improvement Of our school build
ings, pointing out defects and deficiencies
These recomnne ndations were at once acted
upon BY the board Of school commissioners
defects were removed and deficiencies SUD
| piled as far as it was in the power of th,
board to do so, and the new building
which have been erected aad the additions
to old ones have been made with an eye t
sanitary requirements.
THE COUNTY DRAINAGE
BY tbs dra image of the low lands, undel
the direction of the commissioners of tn,
county, cur people have perhaps bsen NOR
| benefi ed in their general health than bl
any other sek1itary work. Shortly afte
the yellow fever epidemic Of 1876 this Ions
delayed workF was comrnenced by a drain
age commission appointed by the legisla
ture. They drained the lands contiguous Il
the city in various directions until the
| funds were expended. and then turned owe
the work TO tn county commissioners, VIII,
have continual 1t steadily ever since, usin(
convict labor for the purpose. The
have dug. bitches and canals
| in great numbers; the work ha
been done Thoroughly and carefully. and
| could the drains be kept clean and cattl,
be prevented from running at large, ma
larial fevers would have disappeared lont
ago from those sections. It is with pleasure
that / record the fact that the recommends
| tionS of Your~ association have ALWAYS hoe,