The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-18
Health and Drainage.

The grand Jury in its report published IN
the MORNING NEWS yesterday, calls partic-
ular attention to the drainage Of the county
and especially to the drainage OF that por-
/ ton of il which is close to the city. The
grand Jury says that the drainage work that
has been done has benefited the health of
the city greatly, and the value OF the land
| in the localities which have been drained
has increased in price. 1--WE Cannot" says
the grand jury" too persistently urge
| upon the county commissioners and the city
authorities the necessity of cooperating to
at once place MusErove creek, aud lands
| dependent upon that creek, IN a thorough
sanitary condition.
! High tides and heavy rains now cause the
banks to leak and overflow, and the lands
adjacent are flooded aud remain In a sadly
unhealthy condition. The creek has always
been menace to the health of the city and
a subject of continuous anxiety and just
complaint, and we are informed by high
medical authority that a greater portion Of
! the sickness Of the city prevails in the west
ern and southern portion Of the city and is
attributable to the condition of this creek and
lands that need to have an outlet for drain
age into it. We earnestly recommend that
this creek be widened, its banks raised and
flood gates constructed at its mouth to give
it capacity to carry off all the water that
may be required Of it, in thoroughly drain
ing all the lands dependent upon it, thereby
abating this misunderstanding nuisance
| forever We call attention to the low lands
at Southover Junction and adjacent terri
tory and to the condition of the Casey canal,
all OF which need attention and prompt
action, that the resident population may be
assured of the benefits Of proper drainage"
Recently the MORNING NEWS has been
urging the county commissioners to do just
what the grand jury, in the foregoing ex-
tract from its report, urges them to 40.
| The continued good health of the city is of
/ far more Importance than any other thing
/ which comes either directly or indirectly
under their jurisdiction. An immense
amount of good has been done by the drain
I age work Of the last few years, but much
more remains to be done. The whole con-
vic. force should be employed in perfeotiug
the drainage system of the territory in the
immediate vicinity of the city.
ms MOhNING NEWS mas pOlubeu Oup, duu
the grand jury empashizes what the MORN
ING NEWS has said, that there should be no
delay in so improving Musgrove creek and
Casey canal that they will do the work
which it is intended they shall do. Both Of
these drains, according to reports, must be
greatly improved before the territory which
they drain will be in satisfactory condition.
The county commissioners know what
should be done. Their engineers have
made the necessary surveys and inspections,
and have made their reports, which have
been approved. 1t only remains for the
commissioners to order the work to be
begun and continued until completed.
So much good has resulted from the
drainage which has been done In the vicin-
ity Of the city that there is naturally very
strong desire that the good work shall he
carried on until nothing more remains to be
done. The steady and very marked i'm
provemcnt in the health Of the oity in
recent years is the strongest kind Of argu-
ment in favor pushing forward the drain
age work with all possible dispatch.