The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-31
VIOLATING ITS OWN LAWS.
The Sweepings of the Asphalt Pave
ments Dumped in the Squares.

The Sweepings of the Asphalt Pave
ments Dumped in the Squares.
The city is violating its own ordinances
by dumping the sweepings Of the asphalt
pavements and from the Jefferson street
pavement into the squares The ordinances
prohibit the dumping Of such stuff within
one mile Of the city limits.
The sweepings from the asphalt pavement,
from a sanitary standpoint, are a dan
gerous thing, likely to be filed with
/ germs productive Of the most
serious diseases Chatham square, in
| which the sweepiugs and screpings have
been dumped for fertillzing purposes, ad-
! Joins the Barnard Street school, 1t is a
playground TO- the school children, who
are thus exposed to the dangers Of infec-
| ton.
The condition Of affairs has been reported
to Mayor MoDonough and to the chairman
OF the health and cemetery committee Of
council, but no steps have been taken by
| the city. The matter was also reported to
| the CItizens' Sanitary Association, ana the
pubic health committee, at its meeting yes
terday, passed the following resolutions:
ResolUed, That the inspector be directed to
write 20 the health authorities and notify them
shat the city carts have been dumping the
scrapings from the asphalt pRvements and from
JEFFERSON street in Chatham square and in other
0dHs-i VI the CilJt ku6b buCu jumping ID ID
violation OF a city ordinance; that such material
Is peculiarly dangerous, as il is liable to contain
the germs OF infectious disease, as, for example,
the scales OF epidermiS from persons desquR-
mating after scarlet fever, the sputum of
consumptives, etc, and that the dumping of
SUCH material on Chatham square is particularly
dangerous, as that square is the play ground
for the children of the Barnard street school,
hesOlUed, That the inspector ask the health
authorities to cause a discontinuance Of the
dumping referred to.
heSOtUed, That the inspector suggest to the
health authorities the expediency of permitting
only chemical fertilizers to be used on the grass
plats in the city
The action Of the committee has been re-
ported to the city authorities.
Another complaint which was brought to
the attention of the committee was that the
premises OF the East Broad street school are
in a shockingly Uusanitary condition.
The cleaning of street pavements ia
very important question. No one who has
ever seen properly cleaned and cared for
asphalt pavement can have failed TO be Inn
pressed with its beauty and the comfort It
affords those who useit. Travellers univer-
sally notice and praise the admirably kept
asphalt pavements Of London and Paris,
and speak Of them as luxuries thai we can
not hope to enjoy in America. Nothing
could be farther from the truth.
The asphalt pavements in this country
are fully equal TO the foreign pavements,
except In the one essential of cleanliness,
and there is no good reason why they
should not be equally we'll cared
for in that respect. The dirt.
however, in many instances, is allowed
to accumulate upon the surface; in
rainy weather this dirt becomes mud, and
in dry weather it becomes dust, which is
carried by the wind upon the faces ard
CLOTHES Of those using the street, or into the
business houses or homes of the residents.
70 remedy the latter evil, the eprinkling
cart-of which it may be said that lit
never rains but it Dours"-ts called in, the
street is deluged with water, and what be-
fore was dust becomes a mass Of slush,
which no lady can cross without imminent
peril to her shoes and her skirts, and which
under the hos sun gives of varied assort~
ment OF bad SMELLS and worst Of all, forms
fertile hot-bed for the propagation
and dissemination of disease producing
germs, and it is this mat
ter which is being put into
the squares OF Savannah. only the asphalt
pavement sweepings are not mud, being
rather scrapings accumulated by means of
scrapers and containing offal and all sorts
of stuff that is likely to produce disease.