The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-09-23
WATCHING THE PLUMBERS.
How Inspector Mahoney Looks After
the City's Health.
Everything According to Law-Some-
thing About Vents and Traps,
CesspoolS and Sinks.

The sanitary condition of city proba-
bly, depends more upon the manner in
which the plumbing in dwellings and
other buildings is done than on any other
one thing.
Sacramento has cause to congratulate
herself, however, on the way plumbing
is being attended to at present, and II
cholera ever gets a foothold here it will
not be traced to this source. The care be-
ing taken in this direction is due to the
citizens themselves altogether; bat more
so to the vigilance of the city's Plumbing
Inspector, Lawrence w. Mahoney. Al
though this officials work is only heard
of by the general public when he makes
his monthly report tot the Boardof Health,
yet he Is one of the busiest of the city's
officials. The Federated Trades recon-
mended Mr.. NIahoney's appointment
something over a year and half ago, and
guaranteed then that he would more than
fill the bill.
TOUR OF INSPECTION.
A RECORD UNION reporter accompanied
Mr. Mahoney the other day on one of his
regular tours Of inspection. and was sur
prised at the thoroughness Of the system.
There are on an average twenty
new buildings constantly in course OF
construction within the city limits, ac-
Cording to the Inspectors books. His du-
ties require him to visit each one of these
daily, to say nothing Of the inspections
he is required to make of all repairs, and
assistance he renders the Sanitary In
spector.
No new building can be erected with
out first submitting the plans of its pro-
posed plumbing system to Inspector Ma
honey for his approval or rejection. To
be approved they must conform with the
city ordinances, which specify how every
cesspool and vault must be built and
vented, how every sink, bathtub, basin
or closet must be vented and trapped,
and just what kind of material must be
used. "a more
PERFECT SYSTEM
Of house-plumbing could not have been
devised by the authorities, and | speak
in the capacity of a practical plumber"
said Mr.. Mahoney. This system was
gotten up under the direction of ex-
Health Officer G. b. Nichols. ''The
drains have to be made of six-inch cast
iron pipe,' continued Mr.. Mahoney,
land that is something that will almost
last forever. The joints have to be her.
medically sealed and tested. Before any
plumbing can be covered over or boarded
up I visit the building and test
the pipes by water pressure Should
without my testing it, invariably
order it uncovered so that / can inspect.
But don't have to do this often. Y gu see
all the contractors and builders are IA
miliar with the requirements of the law
now, and know that to violate it would
only put them to great deal of extra
trouble. They always send for me when
a MIR nh is nj oil al
what day to call. The law is equally
stringent as regards the venting of cess
pools and drains, and we permit no non
sense about it. The vents must be car
ried up to point three feet above the
roof Of the house in all cases."
NEIGHBoRs PROTECTED.
Suppose, though, that the new build
ing is one story affair, and that the
point three feet above its roof brings a
vent pipe just beneath bedroom win
dow of the two-story house next door,"
asked the reporter.
"Then / have the authority to order
that pipe raised above the roof of the
taller house, and l invariably compel
this course to be pursued. Even where
the houses are twenty or thirty feet apart
this is done. Scarcely day passes in the
course of my trips about town, in my
cart but what discover something like
these are invariably cases where the
houses have been built long time
where the nuisance has been tolerated a
long time without complaint-and had
not been noticed before"
do builders take kindly to the plumb
ing regulations?'
''Well, they often growl about the ex-
pense the city puts them to, but when
the work is once done they become great
sticklers for thoroughness in sanitary
matters, and you can bet that no neigh
Dor of theirs will dodge the law"
OLD LANDMARKS.
"What about old buildings with ancient
and defective systems of plumbing ?''
was the next question.
I'm those cases we are practically help
less unless they develop into nuisance.
If not all we can do is to wait until they
attempt 10 make some repairs, and then
we pull the law upon them. It's good
deal like wooden buildings within the
fire limits. Those that are there cannot
be touched, but the moment new one is
projected. or an old one repaired, the
authorities compel the use of non-com-
bustible materials. Sacramento is get
ting some splendid plumbing done
throughout the city-permanent work
and it will only be a matter of time until
the old buildings will disappear or be
fixed up. The regulations are much
more stringent than those of many other