The Portland daily press., 1892-03-05

than last year for two causes; because
conditions apparently satisfactory few
years ago are not tolerated now; and be-
cause in many cases of undoubted nui-
sances to which the attention of the in
spector is called, the law gives no sane
ton for their suppression. In this con-
ncction attention is called to the laws of
Ohio on this point, where much greater
authority is gwen health boards.
The inspector has, however, attended
to a large number of complaints. TIL ere
have been made 292 complaints; and $3.50
vaults, 1877 cellars and LA water closets
have been found in bad condition. One
hundred and forty-three water closets
have been ordered rebuilt, and 576 bad
sink drains, rubbish heaps, etc., ordered
removed. Two hundred and asixty-eight
visits have been made on account OF con-
tagious diseases, and in all 1881 visits
have been made in the prosecution of the
work.
House to House Inspection.
A house to house inspection has been
made of that section of the city lying be-
tween Congress (south side) Centre and
High streets and the wharyes. This sec
ton contains $50 houses, 81 stores, 20
shops, Is offices and stables. Here
were found lis aceumulative priyy vaults
qouses without sinks, IA without drain
age, II without water and Is without
closets OF privies. Bad as these condi-
tions are, unless we can directly connect
them with loss of life and health, this
board can only deal with them indirect
ly. Under the law as it now stands the
board is powerless to supply unfeeling or
constituencies landlords with hearts, or
even ''bowels of comparisons. There
should be some change in the law by
which such absolutely needed changes in
sanitary arrangements, could be made
and owners compelled to pay for them.
An inspection is now being made in that
section of the city lying between Con-
gress north side) and including all be-
tween the centre line of Green street and
the centre line of State street. This sec
ton contains 245 houses, IA stores, 10
offices, shops and - stables. Thirty
lOuI uOuStS HAVE tCOulAulnClFO PlifiSD, K
without water closets or privieS, 2 with
no drains and one with no sink.
Mill Pond and Isolation Ward.
The report describes the condition of
the Mill pond at the Oaks and the meas
ures that have been taken, by means of
contract with the P. & r. r. R., to fill
in and make a sewer. The isolation
ward just completed is also described.
Both these matters are of recent date and
have been explained in the papers.
Drains and Sewers.
There are in the city 3S,664 miles of
public sewers, of which 900 miles were
constructed during the past year. There
are some areas of the city, which, owing
to their situation, can never be supplied
with public sewers, and it becomes an
interesting question, how shall premises
situated in these areas be made, even
passably respectable. Only constant Wis
itation and persistent urging keeps them
in habitable condition. 1t is sad COM
mentary upon human nature, that in UNI
favorable surroundings, men and wom-
en-, not only get reconciled to dirt, but
it requires so much more effort to keep
clean than filthy. The house to house
and shop to shop inspection reveals the
fact that many persons from sheer force
of habit allow their premises to get into
a state, which to person seeing them
for the first time, appear little less than
disgraceful.
Quarantine.
| Under the law authorizing the board
Of health to cause all vessels arriving in
port to perform quarantine, whenever
in its opinion the safety of citizens re-
qrire it. the board on the 18th of Novem-
Der last, adopted the following rules and
regulations pertaining to the subject,
which on the 18th of December were APP
proved by Thomas II. Haskell, justice of
the Supreme Judicial Court:
Under these rules the health officers of
the board have inspected Is steamers
bringing passengers. principally immi-
grants. The first steamers arriving
stopped at no intermediate port, but
later, by change of plans of the managers
of the steamer lines, the vessels touched
at Halifax, N. S., before arriving here,
| leaving at that port the larger part of
their passengers. The fact that passen-
ger steamers have brought into other
ports cases of typhus fever and smallpox
have led this board to take every needed
precaution to prevent their ineursion in
to this community.
School Houses.
During the summer vacation of the
public schools the dilapidated buildings
which covered the foul smelling privies
and urinals connected with the North
school were removed, and in their place
was erected a neat and commodious
building fitted with a sufficient number
of tank closets, which although of more
complicated mechanism than COMFORTS
with stability, are nevertheless a vast i'm
provement over anything which that
school has ever had in the way of SANTA
ry arrangement. With one exception the
public schools are now provided with
water closets of various degrees of ex-
cellence. The exception is the West
school, where the old privy vaults are
retained The buildings covering these
are connected with the school house by
open wooden sheds, and the conditions
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