The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-13
Again Warned,


II the city should be afflicted next sum-
mer with sickness of a serious character
due to the lack OF drainage of the near
by swamps and Iowlands the county COM
missioners could not excuse themselves by
saying they did not know that these
swamps and lands needed draining. They
have been warned a hundred times that
the health of the city is menaced by the
unsanitary condition of the Musgrove
swamp and watershed and they have been
begged and besought to remove that
source of danger to the city's health be-
fore the coming of another season of hot
weather. Why they have turned a deaf
ear to all these warnings and appeals
they alone can answer. And they will
have TO answer if serious consequences
should follow their refusal to heed the
appeals Of the people. The responsibility
for refusing to do this drainage work
upon which the health of the city 50 large
ly depends, rests upon them, and if the
city suffers they will be made to feel how
great that responsibility is. The people
are not saying much now, particularly
are doing a great deal of thinking. Indi-
cations of sickness due to a hot sun upon
wet lands and fever breeding swamp
will waken them into activity, and then
they will call the officials to whom they
owe their misfortune to account.
According to report published in yes
terday's Morning News, Mai G. NJ. Ry
ais appeared before the county commits
sioners on Thursday. and called their at
tention to the condition of the lands in
the Springfield plantation section, south
west of the city, and adjoining the Laurel
Grove cemetery on the west. That sec
ton is a part of the Musgrove watershed.
If we are not mistaken, DR.. Waring, In
his report on the epidemic of 1876 stated
that every epidemic of fever in this city
started in that neghborhood. The Cen
trail railroad shops are in that locality and
the thickly settled part of the city west
of Montgomery street is within the infiu-
ence of it's wet lands.
Maj. Ryals is, personally interested in
having that section drained because his
farm-which is one Of the finest in the
county-is there. it having been a part of
the Springfield plantation. He knows
what the condition of the lands in the
vicinity of his farm is, because he has
daily opportunities of seeing the lands and
swamps.
In his appeal to the board Maj. Ryals
explained where the trouble is, showing
that new bitches are needed and that
old OH Cd
that they render but little service. He
said he was willing to drain his own lands,
provided the county would furnish him
something to drain them into. He pointed
out that there is no sufficient outlet for
the water.
The drainage committee was authorized
to give the complaint Of Maj. Ryals its
attention. That Is all well enough, but it
doesn't meet the demands of the case.
What is required is the drainage of the
Musgrove watershed, so that all the lands
and swamps in that watershed will be as
free from the poison which produces few
ers as the healthiest part of this city is. If
the commissioners don't know what ought
to be done they can easily find out, and
no stiff-necked idea of not doing anything
because they are criticised will excuse
them for not doing what, they can't help
knowing, it is their duty to do.
We do not return to this subject again
and again simply to criticise the commits
sioners. We would much rather praise
than criticise them. We keep calling at
tention to the unsanitary condition of the
lands around the city because of a pro-
found conviction that the welfare of the
city depends largely upon draining them.
We know, and every well informed citizen
knows, that the convict force, instead OF
being at work building roads and drain
ing lands a long distance from the city
should be employed in drainage work near
the city and imperatively demanded for
the protection of the citys health.