The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-08
A CAMPAIGN AGAINST FILTH.
FACTORS, WALK IN A DIsGRACEFCL
CONDITION.


tors Now at Work on the North
Side of Bay street-POrOus Drains
Needed TO Take the Water From
the Bluff The Health Officer
Spends Almost the Entire Morning
Visiting Sick POIicemen-This Di-
verts His Attention From More
Important Work, He Says.
Health officer LeHardy has settled down
| to his work with a vim. He undoubtedly
means business and has begun systemau-
| cally on the lines which he mapped out
In his interview in yesterdays Morning
News. He has begun with the northern
| portion Of the city, which he believes to
be most in need Of attention, and viii
work gradually southwark.
When a Morning News reporter met Dr.
LeHardy yesterday at noon he was ioox-
ing not and worried Il have spent four
| hours" he said, visiting sick policemen.
Fortunately, there were no sick fremeh
When l called at the police barracks tnis
morning l found two sick men there. l
attended to them, and then asked for a
list of the sick members Of the force
There were six of them scattered In DIFF
ferent sections of the city. visited them
all. One man did not find at home. l
left word for him to meet me at the po-
lice barracks in the morning. and 1 would
prescribe for him there.
This" continued DR.. LeHardy, "has
taken up great deal of time that in
tended to devote to more impor tant
work, so far as the general public is con,
cerned. If the members of council con-
slider it proper that the health officer
should spend large part of his time in
attending to the sick members of the fire
and police departments l will attend them
and endeavor to do so with good grace,
but if they regard the sanitary condition
of the city as more important, then they
should make other provisions for the po-
lice and iremen. l have no objection TO
the work. except that it diverts me from
more important matters, which should
have my entire attention"
DR.. LeHardy was out at o'clock yes
terday morning making a tour of the out
skirts of the city. He found some things
which he did not like. One thing which
he especially noted was that water ana
slime were oozing from the edges of the
bluff around the city. This he says, is
undoubtedly due to insufficient drainage.
Porous drain pipes, he said should be PUT
down along the BLUM in order to perfectly
drain the soil.
This slime, oozing from the filthy soil"
said DR.. LeHardy, is responsible for ma
laria and miasma, which produc diphthe-
ria, rheumatism, neuralgia and other dis
eases as well as malarial fevers. These
diseases can be almost entirely prevented
II the unfaVorable conditions are rem
edied."
DR.. LeHardy has placed the entire force
Of sanitary inspectors at work upon the
buildings on the north side of Bay street,
including River street and Factors walk
Slow progress was made yesterday one
difficulty which the inspectors had to con-
tend with being that in many cases they
were given keys to closets and cellars
which would not unlock the doors. The
old and new numbers also added to the
trouble as the keys were in most instances
marked with the old numbers. DR.. Lee
Hardy requests that the occupants of
buildings, when called upon by the in
spectors, will take a little pains to fur
nish them with the right keys and to di-
rect them as to the means of securing en-
trance to the different portions of the
buildings.
The condition of Factors walk is espec-
tally unsanitary, DR.. LeHardy says. 1.-The
condition of all that space between the
| buildings on the north side of Bay street
and the bluff is disgraceful," he added.
| THE roadways and slips have been abus-
| ed and nuisances committed until there is
a most unpleasant odor. AS these slips
! are used daily by people passing to and
from the wharyes, by ladies and by
| visitors to the city, 1T is a reflection upon
the city that such a state of affairs should
| exist. 1t is not only necessary that these
localities Oe thoroughly cleaned, but that
conveniences be provided which would do
away with any excuse for the nuisances
which have been committed heretofore"
DR.. LeHardy had the inspectors meet
| him in his office in the afternoon and go
over their days work with him. He will
put them to work in practically the same
| district to-day and will visit them while
! at work and give instructions as to the
manner of performing the work and also
| see for himself the conditions which ex-
| list. The inspectors were little nervous
| when they met the doctor for the first time
and had the law laid down to them. They
! found, however, that he had no intention
of swapping their heads off, but that they
would be required to perform their work
| thoroughly, and 1t is safe to say every man
| is doing his best.
Alderman Krouskoff called on DIR. -4e-
Hardy in the afternoon and extended his
| congratulations.
while l did not vote for you" said Al
derman Krouskoff, II want to say thar
| you will have my hearty cooperation ana
assistance wherever and whenever l can
aid you In your work. ! regard the health
officer as perhaps our most important off,
GER"
That is exactly what l want to hear.
my dear sir" replied Dr. LeHardy. I'VE
won't fight over what has been. We have
had fighting enough now for awhile
What we want to do is for everybody 70
get to work in the city's behalf II
can get the cooperation OF the members
of the city government and the public as
we'll my efforts will be rewarded with sue.
cess and the people will get the benefit
of it,"
DR.. LeHardy also called upon Commis.
sioner Of Public Works Willinlx and re.
quested his cooperation in carrying for,
ward the work OF the health department.
Commissioner Willink readily promised TO
lend helping hand wherever possible.