The herald., 1897-07-22
An Offense to the NOstrils
OF Everyone
IT IS A BREEDER OF DISEASE
OVERWHELMING TESTIMONY AS
TO THE VILE CONDITION
Nineteen Deputies in One Office Sick
After Four Months in the
Building

~ tioNA 10 sums UP Ii SHI Liz city OlllC-
ials on account of the disagreeable odors
that affront their olfactory nerves dur
ing the business hours of the day, while
they are compelled to remain at their
posts of duty
And the officials are rot wholly unsup-
ported in their views concerning the
lack of proper sanitary arrangement
of the city's municipal building. Citi-
zens, whose business calls them to the
hall, find cause to elevate their nostrils
almost Immediately they enter the place,
ard then hurry away from it's precincts
as if to avoid a pestilence. Spasmodic
attempts to remedy the evil have been
made frequently, but it seems that all
efforts have proved abortive, for tho
stencil remains to sicken and distress
Captain Hance, city clerk, who is the
custodian of the building, is doing ali
that lies within his power and his juris-
diction to abate the nuisance, but he
cannot overcome the evil without the
cooperation of the council and the mon
ey of the people. Captain Hance talked
freely concerning the matter yesterday. |
He said: "These closets and. urinals arc
used constantly by the people who pass
the building. The public has a right to
do so, because the building is theirs |
While cannot say that there is de-
feet in the plumbing in use here, there
are certainly unmistakable odors, but
not to a greater extent than from other
closets which are used as generally. |
I will say, howeer, that defective plumb |
ing or traps may be the cause of the I'M
pleasant smells. AS custodian of this
building, 1 shall see that the janitors
exercise greater diligence in the work
of cleansing the closets and urinaS
shall begin this afternoon to use muri
attic acid and will have every place
washed out thoroughly"
THE PLUMBING INSPECTOR
Plumbing Inspector Bennett freely
discussed the matter, saying: The
plumbing is all right, but all stalls made
of marble or slate will absorb more or
less water. The best material used in
the construction of urinals is enameled
iron. No other ought to be used. A
number of the basins are without vents,
and there are no automatic flushing
tanks Then, also, the present force of
janitors is either too small or they do
not use enough elbow grease. SOAP
and water are good factors to cleanse
with, but acids are better. The closets
on the first story are filthy at times
because it is impossible to keep them
clean, considering the great number
who daily use them. AT the last meeting
of the council the superintendent of
buildings, Mr.. Stratton, was ordered, to
place two windows in the closets on the
north side of the building, one for each
of the first and second floors. This work
will be done at once, and the ventilation
will improve matters"
THE BUILDING INSPECTOR
Superintendent Of Buildings Stratton
expressed himself as satisfied that there
is nothing wrong with the plumbing, but
thought that the closets were not kept
as clean as they should be. at Isl next
to impossible to keep them clean" said
he. Everybody comes in here, and con-
slant use does not conduce to cleanli-
ness unless come one is always present to
attend to the basins and urinals.''
MAYOR -SNYDER'S ROOMS
Mayor Snyder's apartments are con-
nected with miserably poor apology for
closet. 1t is dingy, small poorly ven
tilated, and the water does not flush the
poSAiN win 4iluN4l IOl &c. HtI, 100, there
is an odor that is naueeating at times. |
Clerk Todd said Of it: 1.-The place smells |
horribly sometimes, and It is 80 crampel
and narrow that the wonder is that
water can be gotten into the pipes in
sufficient quantities to cleanse it after
use
AUDITOR NICHOLS
If the doors to the closets are kept
closed but little odor can be detected |
My office, from its location, is not a suf- |
ferer to any extent, and we scarcely no.
tice the disagreeable smells complained |
Of" said Mr.. Nichols But so many |
people use these closets on account of the |
central location and such a number drop |
matches and fruit parings and other
refuse into the basins it is a wonder the |
water can be forced through them in |
quantities strong enough to wash them |
thoroughly. There is more or less odor |
of course, in consequence, but I cannot |
tell if the plumbing is bad
TAX COLLECTOR GISH
Mr.. Gish was emphatic in pronouncing
the plumbing defective. Said he: "Of
course l believe the plumbing is bad. |
The awful doors are a direct result of
that condition, and some remedy should
be applied forthwith. This thing of clos
ing the closets every little while and
spending money for repairs is wasteful,
because i. does not answer the purpose
The whole thing ought to be taken out
and repaired right, or replaced with en-
tirely new pipes and other equipment"
TREASURER HARTWELL
The city treasurer was brief but point
ed in his statement: 81 think the closet Is
need a permanent Improvement"
ASSESSOR SEAMANS
The assessor seems to be getting the
worst of it all along the line. Mr. Sea-
mans said: II think we have the poorest
offices in the building. The engines are
located right under this room and we are
annoyed by the intense heat as we'll as
by the closets. The closets and urinals
are not Kept very clean. There is some
thing radically wrong with this building
We had nineteen deputies here for a
period of four months, every one Of
whom went away sick and alling.'
SECRETARY REED
NJ. S. Reed. secretary of the health de-
partment. said: THE plumbing is very