The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-07-28
TALKED OF At CITY HALL.
ImpOrtsnt Work Now Being Done by
The Health Department.
RESULTS so FAR SATISFACTORY.
Systematic Movement Against Vaults.
Nearly Five Thousand Notifications
Sent Out--About 90 Per Cent OF the
Orders Have J;een Complied With.

Aside from members OF the city gov
ernment and owners and occupiers OF the
property affected. it. is probably known
TO but few people thatshe board of health
department. is making n systematic
and, thus far. successful effort
e rid the city OF privy vaults.
This work was entered upon last fall
and Superintendent OF Health Chapin
Is now through. his inspectors going over
The ground to ascertain the results OF his
In conversation at the city hall this
morning the doctor said that last fall
after careful and eiDstaking examina-
zion u was found that In
thp city there were little
a6d that along this line were 497e vaults
which ought to be filled up and the prem
(tts drained into the sewers. Then the
work of Improvement began.
Notices were sent cby the owners of the
Spsrk ooas CD Tsr nsfn sssss 'Awss %ss
them TO connect thslr,premises with the
I sewer and they were requested to COM
ply with 1t at once. IL took some
time to prepare and send the nearly
ave thousand notices aud it was not ex-
pected that much would be accomplished
1 during the winter.
Since April, however, work has been
pkogrossinR rapidly, and the readiness
\ with which q large number OF property
kOEnsrs have comDlied with the = notice.
time 10 not far or where foul smelling and
disease hotedfng vaults and cesspools will
b found only in sections of the city
where no sewers have been built.
How the Work Is Done.
The systematic manner in which the
health department is doing its work will
- more readily understood by a few
words Of explanation. In the first place
ycopies OF the plats used by the assessors
,oR taxes were obtained. These plats are
now eiRhty-seven in number and they
ave the name Of the owner OF every
piece OF real estate in the city.
owner has complied with the law
BY connecting his premises with
the sewer . yellow cross is made
fthrouRh the red mark. Thus glance at
eny Of the plats will show, not only the
location OF the vaults but also those that
have been removed.
just now the inspectors or the health
department are going over the ground TO
sbe how the orders have teen compiled
with. The fifth ward has been inspected
and IL has been found -that-ever six7y
ceived notice have already complied.
This is encouraging and IL the ratio Is
maintained throughout the city 1t will
not be long before ths vault will have
taken its place with its twin health de-
stroyer, the cove basin.
what the Record shows.
As an indication of the amount of
work that has been and still is being done
the record in the public works do
sh. iss Of January last $40
permits to make sewer connections and
s04 ext+n ion permits have been granted.
while there are on nle "a applications
which have not yet been acted upon.
One result of this movement has been
TO create great activity in the drain lay
Log iusiness. there are In the city
about twenty five men engaged
ip this trade ard si.cs the pring they
they have more orders than they can fill,
and the result Is that some
persons who are willing to
10 do 70 have not yet been able to COM
ply with the health depar tment order be-
cause Of their inability to have the neces-
kRry work done.
- small percentage of those who have
received notice take on q defiant air and
refuse to comply with the law. These
cages are referred to the board OF
/: aldermen ami by that body they
arc pcremtorily ordered to abate
. the nutsences complained of.
\ They generously comply without fur
4 thor ado. Tor after the expiration of ten
days they are liable TO q fine of not less
than Is, nor more than $50 for each "a
hour5 thsy continne sucn refusal or neg
l6cts
d Notes About tho Hall.
The committee on city property will
meet tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock.
At 10 o'clock tomorrow the committee
rCp finance will hold a meeting IN the
trp9eury department. There are veral
& matters Of impor. ance to be considered.
The special committee to inquire into
- the matter OF taxation may give public
4 heeTtugs pefurs IT finishes It's labors.
4 During July and August there are no
vaccinations in the health department.