The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-27

since 1880.
Southwest of Tatemville, extending to the
line OF the savannah. Florida and Western
railway, are number of bcggy bays, sobby
land, and large body Of undrained swamp.
All the low grounds around SouthOver
junction are more or less wet. bOggy, or
hlled with Stagnant water and slime as are
also the borrow pits OF the Savannah. Flor
lda and Western railway in that vicinity.
The abandoned rice fields on the northwest
err part OF the old Gordtn Guerard plantation
tract, lying Immediately south Of the city, are
IN a most peThicioUs conditiOu-the old ca
nails and bitches filed up and large area
now covered with s,asnGnt water.
Inc grounds, in a numb mum GER Of places,
on the lands letween the southern slope OF
the city and Ogechee avenue are in a sObby
and unsanitary condition. An arm of the
3llnlS swamp running up through the cltys
domain toward COoDersVlle EetWeen the
Ogeechee road and the colOred cemetery,
winch has been subject Of long complaint
from the inhabitants OF the southwest tern eX-
tended limits Of the city, remains in Its print
tive condition OF undraineG swamp and forest.
The land forming the western slope Of the
city extending from the old cotton factory
site to he colored cemetery, and thence to
the Ugeechee road is always wet and sOboy
and must ecess3rily remain in that condition
until properly underdrained-Open drains can
not answer the purpose where hundreds Of
cattle struct the water flow by tramplng
over them.
The condition of the Springfield plantation
tract IS far fgOm satisfactory. ana un less sur
face drains are made to carry OF the water
from depressiOns where water Stagnatss after
every rain or high tide, it will become a
source OF danger during hot weal her. A con
siderable portion of the Vale Royal planta-
ton tract, the property Of the Central rail
road, is all the time in an exactly similar con
dition. The harves and some OF the ware
houses OF that corporation are very GuSanl-
tary and constant source Of DANGER to
health On the north side Of the Ogeechee
canal, as far as the river. great part Of the
lands are cultivated by intelligent truck
drained and they are dry and healthy,
he 20 MY engineer has demonstrated by
careful scientific surveys, that every foot OF
these low lands can be thoroughly drained,
and il Is to be hoped that all the commission
ers will unite TO order the entire convict force
TO do this work at once.
The condition of our brick sewers is neces-
sarIly worse than in 1876 because Of the fact
that the number of closets emptying into
them has increased and continues to in
crease and they cannot be properly flushed
nor IS there any other way provided to clean
them
The privy vaults are in exactly the same
condition as when the sta commissioners
made their examination AMI the number has
more than DOUBLED. In 1915 the late James j.
War1ng NJ. ID, then an alderman, proposed TO
get rid ofthis most dangerous nuisance ny
filling the vaults with earth and removing all
tecal matter twice week in pal made Tor
the purpose. This system has given the best
OF results in these cities where it has been
adopted. but it has nevec@een given trial
mere. Inc same SLOW anu Costly way OF
emptying vaults and disposing of their con
tents still prevails.
Great improvements have been made in the
disposal of garbage since 1876, hut there is
room for many more The Offal IS removed
with a promplness ami regularity, but large
portion is still al owed to remain in our yards
over night where ii ferments and putrlleS
during hot weather. The garbage wagons are
the same open wa IONS still, and the ehuvia
they emit as they pass of mornings has no
been improved at all. The ashes and sl)ps,
as of yore. are thrown upon the Surfac e Of the
lanes to e washed into the adjoining yards
during rainy spells.
one crenator has teen put up. which, under
Its present mana ement. is doing remark
a lie amount OF work for its size. The lest
part Of ths'g1rU9ge frOmS the city is Nurnt
reg Ilarly there but the wort part stable ma
nure ami night soil is dumped in dangerous
prOXIuIty to tie city. am sure that another
cremaor located at point more easily ac-
cessible from the central portion Of the city,
would prove a great saving of life to the III
haDitants of our city II made large enough
and adapted to the incarceration Of manure,
niGht soil and dead animals so dangerous in
hot weather u less destroyed quickly.
The most important work accomplished
since our last epidemic is the building OF the
new water works. The administration is
our people with one OF the most important
sanitary needS-an abundance Of good water,
as clear as crystal and not likely to become
Contaminated wi h the germs OF cholera or
typhoid fever. The present supply is SUM-
Gent to provide all the water necessary for
d complete system of sewers, capable of car
rying Of from he city the most prolific cause
of nth diseaSes-Jhe sewerage, before it has
time to become dangerous.
If our city CoIncil were able to give Us the
Waring system Of separate sewers, and drain
all the lands within a certain distance from
the city, we would not be likely to suffer as
Brunswick did last year.
AS but few can realize the magnitude Of the
losses we would sustain should Savannah be
again visited by a yellow fever epidemic, l
expected to place before you official docu-
ments and statistics giving the actual figures
as TO the losses Of Brunswick. 1 requested
the present mayor Of Brunswick and several
prominent business men Of that place to fur
nish me the desired information but my
questions have renamed unanswered. Why
those gentlemen are so reticent upon the
subject / cannot say. At any rate l shall en-
deayor 10 give you figures not far out Of the
way. In a report made Y Surgeon +. Nc
LELAND United States Army, to the state
board OF health of Georgia, he gives IA table
showing what the epidemic of 1876 cost Sa-
vannah, as follows:
I. Loss by the expenditures Of over
: raft