The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-03-11
A STANDING PEST.
The City Has Been Derelict
in SURPRISING 1t.
BREATHING SEWER FUMES.
Mayor Ebert and the Board of Super
visOrs VIII Be Cited for Con-
tempt of Court.

The tanners are up in arms; blood is In
Their eyes, and they mean business.
Ihey say they are going 10 allow the
Board of Supervisors just a few more days
TO act, and then, il they do not come to
time, the whole august body. Mayor Ebert
included, are TO be brought up for contempt
Of court.
The tanners complain Of a stencil.
Some people say it is poetical justice that
has Oyertaken them, whatever the character
Of this remarkable odor may be.
But the tanning gentlemen retort that the
efduyium arising from their yards, I'M
pleasant though it may be to the initiated,
Is nevertheless perfectly harmless, if not
actually beneficial; while this inconceivable
thing of which they complain has caused
sickness and death in their midst, and in
view Of the possibility Of the cholera visit
ing US next summer remains fTightful
menace TO the community.
At POtreso avenue and Twenty-fifth
street a large sewer. which receives the
entire drainage of the City and County Hos
pital, empties out upon the open land, and
flows In several filthy streams across lots
aud under fences 10 Army street and down
ITeclla avenue TO Nebraska street. What
little of the flow reaches this point is then
taken by a wooden box and finally emptied
in the bay.
From the point where the sewer belches
forth It's disgusting contents TO Precta
avenue IS distance of several blocks and
acres OF land are contaminated by the flow.
Here and there the sewage forms nUXiouS
pools, poisoning the air for half a mile
around.
In the early morning and late In the after
noon the Stench is said to be utterly IGtOl-
cradle; SO that even the tanners, who com
pose The larger part of the Inhabitants of
this vicinity, are sick with disgust
Now comes the remarkable part of the
story. Tie situation has remained prac-
tIcaliy unchanged for over fifteen years.
The principal kicker in the early DAYS was
Samuel Bloom, who operates extensive tan
ming works IN the vicinity of Precjta avenue
ana Nebraska street. Across his lot on
Precita avenue was laid an old wooden box,
conveying the sewage from the City and
County Hospital to the tidewater mark of
the Mission Bay. The box used 10 break
and flood the land, and at last it became
such nuisance that he sued the city for
damages, collected several thousand dollars
from the City Treasurer, and obtained
perpetual injunction enJOlniDE the city from
causing CT allowing the sewer 10 flow over
rl0dge upon his premises.
This was in April, 1881.
The sewer went on breaking and its con-
ienIs continued TO iaerrly flow forth and
wander, lissOme as 1t listed. over the mead
OWs and INTO peoples back wards
During all This time, however, tide water
used to flow up nearly to Nebraska street,
and partially cleanSed the land by removiDr
the surplus sewage, but when Amy street
was cut through in accordance with an act of
the Legislature certain embaukments were
thrown up and the salt waters of the bav
could no longer run up and perform their
purifying function. Since this time the
condition OF things has not improved. Pc
titiOn after petition has been sent to the
SUPERVISORS and Health Office authorities,
promises have been made to properly con-
meet the hospital sewer with the Army
street sewer, but nothing has ever been
done.
1t Is asserted that in all nearly S25. 900
has at various times been paid in damages
by the city on judgments in suits growing
out Of the nuisance. Several people have
died, 1t is believed, from diseases contracted
from the poisoned atmosphere.
Present illness in the district and the
prevailing fear of cholera this sum-
meT nave combined to render tie inhabi-
tants IN this locality rather desperate, and
they have resolved to make a determined
fight.
About two weeks ago Samuel Bloom. for
himself and on behalf of his suffering
neIghbOrs, sent petition TO the Board Of
Supervisors, reviewing the case and pray
lpg that tie nuisance may be speedily
a0ated
The closing clause of the petition is as
follows:
In event of the further iuaction On the
part OF the authorities the undersigned VIII
be obliged TO enforce his decree and will be-
compelled 10 cause your honorable body
and each Of you to be cited to appear
before the Superior Court and show cause
why you and each of you should not be
punished for contempt OF court 10 failing to
obey and in dsregardiug the decree Of said
Superior Court"
Ia an Interview with the attorney for
petitioner, Mayor Ebert freely confessed
that the last board had grossly neglected
the matter, and that the present board Will
also be in contempt should it continue to
disregard the Injunction.