Morning journal and courier., 1891-01-02

 uddenly put upon them in the rush for a ire. .Asa a temporary means of safety and full lse new main floor should be put in, to ,e composed of strong timbers covered with thick plank ,and the second story floor mould have sufficiently strong timbers to How the removal of the posts that sup port it and that are in the way of rapid work.
 As means of preventing the destruc- ion of property by fire, and of preventing he necessity of very large use of water to put out large fires, owners of factories, arge storehouses, hotels and tenement houses should be encouraged, or required, to connect their premises with the street water mains, and to have the necessary ar and appliances to quench fire in it's incipient or early stage. These may be properly restricted to using water only in case of fire.
 A loss of property by fire is loss to the | whole community, not only in the loss of | 3 portion of the available working capital | of the city, but it is shock to enterprise | and often suspension of business that | throws much labor out of employment. l Nature has so tied humanity together that 8 loss to one is losD to the whole.
 POLICE DEPARTMENT.
 This department appears to be fully up to the proper standard, and at the front in of such prompt arrests and quick as to hold criminals and law breakers in proper fear of the law, while obviating the necessity of any con- siderable increase in the number of men on the force. All householders and busi- ness men should understand that the hay ing of police force in the city does not relieve them from the duty and responsi bility of properly caring for, securing and guarding their own premises. Policemen cannot be everywhere at all times.
 HEALTH OF THE CITY.
 The general health of the city is in it's usual good condition. While the city or dinances and the rules and regulations of the board of health continue to be rigidly enforced, there is not likely to be any very serious epidemic of disease. However, there is always danger of sickness from contagious diseases.
 Within my own personal knowledge, and within the past six months, the chill dren of a citizen of humble condition as to wealth were attacked with diphtheria, and more than one died of the disease. Chil- dren in the next house were soon after wards attacked with the same disease. There appeared to be no local causes for the disease. Those who were sick and did not die recovered The houses were fumigated and cleaned, and probably some of the clothing most soiled by the sick was destroyed, perhaps only washed.
 In few weeks the disease appeared again in the family first sick, probably caused by the germs of the disease that re- mained in some of the clothing or bedding of the family.
 If all the clothing, bedding and carpets of both families had been burned, the dis ease would probably have disappeared with the burial of those who died, but the families were too poor to admit of the to- tai loss of nearly all their worldly goods, and there is no legal provision to compel such course, nor to reimburse for such 8 loss.
 Another case has happened within the past ten days which shows the importance of g hospital for the care of persons sick with contagious diseases. This case was brought to my attention by prominent physician of the city who takes great in terest in matters concerning the public health. It is in the family of 8 man in sufficiently comfortable circumstances to keep one servant girl to assist his wife in the work of housekeeping and in the care of several young children. The servant girl is down with diphtheria in the house. All the work she has formerly done, and the added labor of taking care of her, is thrown upon the previously well burdened shoulders of the wife and mother. The house is small, with few rooms, and the disease is likely to spread to the children, at least.
 In regard to contagious diseases, the city is deficient in two particulars, viz.: First, in proper place or hospital to which to | remove all cases for isolation, or at least | all cases that cannot be isolated and properly cared for at home; all those casei | where the subject of the disease has nc | home, and those cases in crowded houses | where isolation is impossible. The authori | ties of the town now have a pest house, | but it is situated where it would be likely to spread to the neighborhood the con. tagious disease of any inmate confined within it, and, although it may be a safe place to die in, it has no attractions ano but little comfort for the sick. We need { contagious disease hospital, having some o1 | the proper comforts of well ordered sick room, to which those sick with contagious diseases cannot reasonably object to being sent for medical care and careful nursing and, second, we need modern purifier for the purifcation of all the clothing bedding and movable personal effects that have been exposed to contami purifier or disinfecting station should be under the control of the board o. health and always be kept ready for service at few hours notice. It might be or the premises of, or near, the contagious low, might cylinder of sufficient ca pacity to hold quantity of bedding ol clothing put into it through a manhole and attached to steam boiler of sufficient capacity of furnace to fill it with stean i at high pressure, and sufficiently ho to disinfect the contents. The whole pro cess is very much like sending soiled cloth | ing to a steam laundry and receiving bacl clean clothes. People of all grades ot wealth or poverty object to the burning o1 much of their clothing and bedding ane other familiar household objects, anc sometimes harbor lurking disease; while ii the effects could be removed and disinfect cd at the public expense, and restored as good as new, with the last remains of the disease exterminated, there would be nc 1 objection nor concealment.
 l I trust that the board of health will make proper erinvestigations and recommendations concerning these two subjects, viz. a proper contagious diseases hospital and proper steam disinfecting station.
 1 THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
 During the latter part of December tht books and other property of the library were removed to their new and permanen place of abode. The building that is to bt the permanent home is exceedingly vel adapted for the purposes of library, an6 much credit is due to all concerned in the work of adaptation.
 A very large number of our fellow-citi zens have done much urging for some years past to have free public library | founded. Whether part of this urging grew out of desire to demolish the ol6 state house or to preserve the old relic, ol from a desire of each side of that question to improve the intellectual condition of the other, is more than I know, having beer absent from the city for considerable period of time. But trust that l,Cth sides 1 be much benefited by it's founding and growth and that those who urged itf founding will not neglect to urge it's use. | I trust that free school of design, with free-hand, architectural. furniture and me chanical drawing, may be connected with the library and made part of it.
 ELECTION OF JAN1roR TO THE CITY HALL. There are no personal reasons why should ask for any change in the city char ter, except that part relating to the elec- tion of janitor.
 The mayor is presumed to be responsi- ble for keeping the interior of the city hall building sufficiently clean for decent re- spectability. In domestic, professional and business life in New Haven the head of the family, office or business, is allowed to hire such caretaker as she or he may select or