The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-28
DANGER SPOTS POINTEDOUT
UnSanitary Conditions That Threaten
the City.

A Lack Of Drainage Along the Rail-
way Rights of Way on Both Sides of
the City-The Damage Cattle Do to
the Drains-Dairy Cows That Drink
the Sewerage of the Bilbo Canal and
Bring the Dried Filth Into the City.
Dangers of the MilL Pail.
Inspector Desvergers, in his report of
| inspections for last week to the COM
mitCee on public health of the Citizens
Sanitary Association, makes serious com
plant against some of the railroad com
panies for neglect in the matter of drain
age.
The benefit resulting to public sani-
tation from the drainage work now
being done by both the city and county
authorities, he says, is being Offset by
neglect on the part of the railroads to
maintain proper drainage conditions on
their rights of way, and the lands which
they own in and about the city. He says
that the burrow of all the railroads are
holding stagnant water in too close proxi-
nifty to the city for the safety of its in
habitants, and as to those beyond the
immediate limits of the city, they are
| to the unfortunate people who live in their
vicinity, and who are crying out, IN their
affection, for light as 10 whether there is
any law to prevent railways from Great
ing these pest hUres alongside of their
tracks and leaving them to do their
deadly work in the homes of the people
about them and if so, why the law is not
enforced,
ACRES OF sTAGNANT WATER.
The inspector reports that there is an
area of several acres of ground, almost
! within the city, on the lands of the Cen
! trial railroad, covered with Stagnating
water. 1t is located behind the rosin
sheds of the company, and the inspector
says that upon calling the attention Of the
! city authorities to the matter, he learned
! that they had been getting after the rail
road about it without avail, and
| had therefore determined to drain
the ground with the city's force at the
| expense of the company.
The inspector also reports that the
! basin of the Ogeechee canal, between the
two brick bridges which span it, is in an
| unsanitary condition, and that the canal
farther up, and especially about Guys
! lock, is in similar condition. The health
of the inhabitants on the western slope of
the city, he says, is seriously imperiled
| by the existence of these nuisanCes on the
| the railroads property, and that steps
should be taken to enforce their abate-
ment before the summer heat becomes
| more intensified
ALONG THE BILBO CANAL.
The inspector also reports unsanitary
| conditions on the grounds of the Savan-
nah, Florida and Western railway
within the city. There are a num-
Der of places between the depot
yards of the company and the
] h. s,h h,r- Ill
and unsanitary, owing to neglect on the
part of the company to keep the drains in
that locality properly opened.
Fair progress is being made in the drain
age work of both the city and county au-
thorities, but the inspector says as fast
as auxiliary drains to the main outlets
are opened they are filed up by cattle
treading the earth back into them. With
the same thing occurring to the open
drains on the lands owned or controlled
by the city, as well as on those owned by
the Central Railroad Company, he re
CARDS the letting of these lands
for cattle pasturage as stupid.
1t is not only inexpedient because
OF its failure as matter of econ
omy, owing TO the continuous expense of
! having to keep the work of reOpening the
drains up, but because of the detriment
which results to public sanitation from
such constant impairment of the efficiency
of the drains.
COWS THAT DRINK SEWAGE.
The inspector says there are other evils
besides detrment to drainage which re-
suits from allowing cattle to be pastured
in fields or on grounds where sewers and
open drains exist. 1t is a well esta blished
fact that the milk of cows who drink
sewage or other filthy water becomes I'M
pregnated with the disease germs i'm
blbed from the water. He
says that dairy COWS may
be seen any afternoon stop
ing at the Bilbo canal on the way from
pasture to the milk pens, standing up to
their TANKS in its slime and swilling
themselves with the filthy water of the
canal. He has seen them drinking in the
canal while it was being slushed out and
the water which flowed down from where
the ooze was being stirred up, was thick
with the ooze and as black as ink and
emitting gas so intensely foul that its
effiuvia was offensive for hundreds of
yards distant from the canal
SLIME IN THE MILK PALS.
He has also observed that the slime
taken up by the hair on the cows dries
very rapidly after the animals come out
of the canal, and that this dried slime
impregnated with the disease germs
which abound in sewage matter
must, therefore, be carried into
the milk pens and shaken
of and blow about the premises if not
busted from the tanks of the COW into
the milk pals while they are being
handled in the milking
The inspector says that he is firmly
impressed that much sickness in the city,
especially of children would be obviated
if the dairy cows, from whom the milk
used in the family is taken, were pastured
on grounds upon which there was no stag
nant or sewage water, and if kept away
from open drains and sewers. while being
driven TO and from the pastures