The record-union., 1897-02-20

and advantages to accrue therefrom. -
In pursuance of this authority and
TO present to the Senate and the people
Of this State the reasans for their ac-
ton. your committee has held several
meetings, at which they have invited
the attendance of the City Engineer of
Sacramento, the Secretary of State.
and those familiar with the conditions
of the Capitol. and have investigated the
subject of the sanitation, heating and
ventilating of the Senate Chamber and
the Capitol building in order that they
might intelligently report TO this body
the conditions that exist and suggest
remedies for their alleviation.
We found that the Capitol was built
at a time when little regard was paid
to the sanitary condition of public
structures or the comfort or health of
the occupants. We found that there
was no system of drainage provided for
the building or grounds of the Cap
itol; that the sewage resulting from the
daily use of the building was conduct
ed by drains into a cesspool outside up
on the grounds, where the sewage gath
cred for long period of time, until ar
tificially removed by pumps and trans
ported away in tanks in a manner to
endanger the health and welfare of the
residents of the neighborhood 1t was
reported to us that this condition re-
suited in an annual threat 10 the health
of the residents of the vicinity. and
that the whole situation was such as TO
be a sad comment upon the manner of
conducting public affairs.
Va
Engineers office of a proposed system
of public sewers which would afford an
outlet to the drainage of the Capitol,
and there is now proposed by the city
of Sacramento the construction of a
main sewer leading to the Capitol
grounds, which will afford an outlet
to the sewage of the Capitol when the
improvements suggested in
this report are brought about
Senate bill No. 81, introduced by
Senator Doty of Sacramento, is now
before the Senate for action, and re-
quires the expenditure of 1900 for the
drainage Of the Capitol and the connec-
ton of the drainage system upon the
Capitol grounds with the city system
of sewers. This bill should be passed
as essential to the carrying out of the
plan proposed in this report. 1t is only
by beginning at the foundation that a
proper remedy can be afforded to the
existing conditions that now surround
us. The mortality roll and the amount
of sickness suffered by members of the
Legislature and officials of the State
whose duties compel them to occupy
the Capitol building, is so appalling
that we deem it unwise to enter into
details regarding the same The odors
and gases which exist in the basement
and toilet rooms of the building. and
thence permeate throughout all the
offices and other portions of the build
ing, are a constant menace to the
health and life of the occupants.
The manner of heating the chambers
occupied by the legislators results in a
superheated condition of the atmos-
phere, which subjects everyone to con-
ditions found in a Turkish bath, and as
the temperature of the corridors and
other portions of the building. not thus
heated, is many degrees lower than
that of the chambers in question, the
result is that the shocks produced from
meeting these opposing conditions act
endanger the health and lives of all.
The subject of the ventilation of this
building has been agitated periodically
at each session of the Legislature. and
almost constantly by the resident Off
Clals since it's erection because of the
discomfort and ill-health it's sanitary
condition produces.
Respiratory diseases caused by foul
and disease laden air taken into the
lungs, and influenza and la grippe
brought on by exposure to sudden
changes of temperature ON going from
overheated rooms into cold corridors. or
drafts from open windows-also typhus
and other fevers from improper drain
age and sewerage, are so prevalent, that
the Capitol buildings which. artistical-
ly and arcGiteoturally are the pride Of
the State, are visited with dread appre-
henS4orAS by those whose duty calls
them to business within it's walls
Your committee, after the investiga-
tions above set forth, have ascertained
that the drainage and sewerage from
the building should be connected with
the city sewer system.
Consulting With the city authorities,
they propose to extend the city sewage
system along Thirteenth to L street next
adjoining the Capitol grounds. and will
inset all the expenses thereto except
that they ask the State to furnish the
by lateral sewers from the
building to the street main. and to pay
it's proportion of THE expenses for the
street twenty -four-inch main. which
passes the Capitol grounds on the east
side of N street a distance of S12 lin
cal feet.
Estimated cost by City Engineer:
Main sewer S12 linear feet of
24-inch pipe at 50 40. ISL, ,9S9 40
linear feet of S-inch pipe at
80 cents :....... : 81
2 manholes at $50 50. .. 73 90
Total .S2,O65 20
Lateral connections:
$40 lineal feet of 10-inch pipe
at 60 cents. ...... S522 90
SO ltTleal feet OF trench to be
refilled at so cents .... COG 90
800 square feet bitumen pave
ment to be replaced at %
cents 125 90
3 manholes of brick at $50. $50 90
Total ai...................$1,4 81, ,493 90
Add 10 per cent. for the Incl
dental expenses .... S149 so
Total ............. 81, ,642 80
With respect to the building
itself we are convinced that most thor
ough and radical measures should be
the plumbing connected
with the closets and the sanitary ap-
paratus should be reconstructed from
the ground up-and appliances used
which will be of the best and most
modern construction, and that the