The Portland daily press., 1892-10-12
A SERIOUS QUESTION.
That Relating to the Preservation Of
Health.

sanitary Plumbing in the Large Cities.
Rapid Progress Made in This Matter in
the Last Half Dozen Years-It Behooves
the Masses to Wake Up.
Within the last ten or twelve years
this country has witnessed two distinct
pras in the method of plumbing. About
1876 the plumbing done in the United
States, and perhaps I might say especially
IN Chicago, had become SO bad, with
competition and other causes, that there
was a general movement all over the
country to effect something better. 1t
was our misfortune, however, to make
progress through mistakes. The pipes
then used were of such light weight as
not to be of service, the traps failed of
their purpose, and the old drop pan
closets were practically worthless. Chi
cago today has any amount of that sort
of work, done just about the time Of the
great fire and prior. As might have
been expected, tho correction of these
evils led to mistakes no less grave in re-
gard to sanitation and unnecessary ex-
pense.
As theiresult of lis call for improve
ment came the period Of complicated
structure. Complex traps and fixtures
were invented and sent over the country,
where they found ready sale. and work
manship became more involved. Scores
Of patents were taken out on this, that
and the other appliance, and in almost
every case the work failed of being eff
fective simply from its complicated
structure. That is the great fault with
much of the plumbing done in this city
for about six years prior to 1882, and
even with many Of the contrivances now
offered for sale in the market.
Theoretically there is no reason why
the reform instituted about 1876 should
have resulted in a, partial failure. The
principles on which inventors and engi-
neers went to work at the time were
doubtless right, barring only that the
lack of simplicity necessitated frequent
repairs and gave freer scope to defective
workmanship. The efforts toward Inn
provement were honest enough, though
the means were i'll advised.
A REAcIIoNARY MOVEMENT.
In 1889 reactionary movement was
instituted in the interest of simplicity Of
structure and workmanship, and that
year marks the beginning of what may
be termed the best era Of plumbing and
house drainage. Involved, complex
work, though in some degree still prac-
ticed, is practically out of date. The
main purpose now in view is to eliminate
every unnecessary angle, to simplify
every trap or combination Of traps, to
make all fixtures as little complicated as
possible, to use material on account of
its merits and not from traditional no.
lions as to it's fitness-in word, to put
the matter on scientific basis. This re-
action, think, was a step in the right
| direction, and the results will doubtless
| stand the test of actual use.
The sanitarian of to-day has more to
contend with than most people would
suppose. One of the greatest barriers to
progress is custom. Fallacies are daily
perpetuated. It is with house building,
sewerage, ventilation and the like as it IS
with most businesses. People follow in
| rllts from mere habit. A good sug-
gestion is made or device invented and
irrespective of actual merits it is too
often thrust aside in Difference to the old
time way Of doing things
| PUBLIC CONSERVATISM.
| People are naturally more or less
Z, conservative even in the matter of rem
edying evils which entail sickness, an
noyance and expense. Sewers Of deposit,
for instance, have no place in sanitary
work. Cities are growing inordinately
in comparison with rural districts. Thus
in every metropolitan city life becomes
more and more essentially artificial, and
no adequate provision is made to neu-
tralize this growing artifciality in re-
| spect to it's influence on health. Thou
sands live in cramped quarters-two or
three rooms-with absolutely no regard
| for light. ventilation, water supply,
house drainage or anything of the sort.
The one aim, apparently, is to be with
the crowd. In the business portions Of
this city, where land is very expensive,
buildings are run up excessively high,
and it is only in the newest and best
structures that adequate provision is
made for light. A smoke laden atmos-
phere is constant menace, an evil in
the manufacturing and business districts
no less great than the vitiated, oft
breathed air in many private dwellings.
| And still the masses seem oblivious to
| their needs.
In large measure the preservation
of sanitary conditions must remain .
matter of purely private interest and
precaution, and in country like ours,
where the citizens have such power in
| getting laws enacted and enforced, it
4 behooves> the masses to wake up to a
realization of the needs of sanitation
and post themselves as to the best means
of accomplishing their purpose Chi
cago News.
| Oillng the Waves.
| Almost every vessel that encounters
| laox1v rooc ropo,fc m, roacbsYo horhor