The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-16
ClTYS SANITARY CENSUS.
HEALTH OFFICER LIE HARDY HAS
JUST COMPLETED ONE.

Results Not Compiled Yet-WiH show
Population and Conditions Under
Which the People Live by Blocks,
Streets, and SectiOns-Number of
People Living in Each House and
Sanitary Conditions and Surround
ings of Houses to BE shown.
Health officer LeHardy has just COM
pleted census of the city upon which he
has been engaged for the last several
months. The returns have not been sum-
married. as yet, but DR.. LeHardy is conf
dent that when the totals are footed up he
taken Of Savannah.
The census does not include the names of
residents, but it will show the number of
inhabitants, white, black and mongol not
only for the whole city, but for each sec
ton of it. With this census the number
of inhabitants for each block, white and
black and the number Of occupants of
each house can be ascertained. The cen
sus does not relate simply to the popula-
ton, but includes a great deal of other in
formation. In fact it is a sanitary cen
sus made for the purposes of the health
officer and not only shows the number of
Inhabitants, but the sanitary conditions
existing in each quarter of the city.
The census was begun last July and the
inspectors when not engaged in other work
have been at work upon it. DR.. LeHardy
has felt the need ever since he has been
in office Of some reliable statistics upon
which to base his calculations of mortuary
and birth records, as well as fuller and
more reliable information concerning the
sanitary conditions of the various sections
of the city. The census is intended to fill
this want. 1t is now practically complete.
The inspectors were required to visit ev-
cry house in both streets and lanes, In the
districts assigned them, and to obtain the
number of inhabitants, white, black and
yellow of each building. Sex and age were
not taken, the only other distinction made
besides that of color being adults and
minors.
Where there was a vacant house a note
was made of the fact. The inspectors are
now looking up the vacant houses. Where
the houses which We're vacant when the
inspection was made are now occupied,
the locality from which the present occu-
pants moved will be visited, and il that is
occupied the house from which the occu-
pants there moved will also he visited in
order that there may be no duplication in
the count and the vacant houses checked
off against each other.
The information gathered includes kind
of building, whether frame or brick size
of building number of rooms, basement or
cellar, if any, condition of walls number
of washtubs, sinks, faucets closets, sewer
traps, MIGRANTS, privy vaults and condition
of same, storm, supply and waste pipes,
dry wells, open spaces, thOrOushfares,
fences, washouts Wharves. wet places, OK
cavations and bitches. As the health Off
Ger has considerable other work on hand
just now it will be some time before the
reports of the inspectors can be compiled
and the totals obtained.
The figures of the census win be of in
terest as showing to what extent Savan-
nah's population has increased since the
government census of 1890, and in compari-
son with the directory census.