The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-30
MENACE TO THE CITY
The Pond at HoIman's Mil!
a Nuisance.
IT MUST BE DRAINED
AND THE CANAL TO IT MUST BE
FILLED UP.
CERTAIN SEWERS MUST Be CHANGED
The Authorities Ag.ee That THIS Pond an
the Sewers emptying into Rocky Branch
Are The Principal Cause Of the
Feyers in the CITY.
Feyers in the City.

After two years of discussion the Git!
Board of Health has at hast taken some
action looking to the protection of the
southern section of the city from mala
rial and typhoid fevers.
The pond at Holman's Mill must b.
drained and the canal leading to it mus
ba filled up. done the insane
asylum, the nenitentiary and the A. anC
VI. College must change their sewerage
system so as to discharge it into this
stream
DIR. Mckee yesterday said this would
be necessary for the protection of the
health of the people of Raleigh, espe
cialy those living in the third and
fourth wards. The other members OF the
hoard agreed with him and Il committee
was appointed 10 thoroughly investigate
The matter and report back to the
board, and then such action will be
taken as the committee deems necessary
for the abatement of the nuisance.
This branch runs through the south
western part of the city, and was yes
ierday brought to the attention of the
board by Mayor Russ, who declared ii
10 be a great menace to the city 5
health. This stream. he said. carries
off the sewerage of the A. and NJ. Col
lege. the penftentiary and the insane
. asylum. In doing so, it brings it right
through the city and the result is that
the people living along it have feyers
every summer. Then there is a pond
ut Hoiman's mill THE old Tucker mill
that collects this refuse filth and holds
it as a perpetual distributor of miasma,
disease and death.
During the past year in the fourth
!, ward, through which this stream runs,
, there were la deaths. while in the first
!. ward in the northern Part of the city,
!. with the same population. there were
only u deaths. In the third ward, also
near the stream, there were 90 deaths.
while in the second ward there were
only 81. This Is just IA per cent more
deaths in the third and fourth wards
than in the other two. Another notable
fact is that so per cent of the mahrial
fever and nearly all the typhoid fever
in the city for the past several years
hes been south of Hargett street.
DR. Mckee corrobOrated the Mayor
in the statement that this stream is a
great menace TO the city's health. The
feyers and malaTial diseases that visited
this city last summer. he thought, orr.
ginated principally from this stream and
the pond at Holman's mill. He recon-
mended that the city have the pond
drained, the canal filled up, and that
the stream be allowed to go on its ma
flIral course 10 Walnut creeks. The
ordinances. he thought. gave the city
authority 10 remove the pond. Then the
city has police regulation of the insane
asylum grounds and can regulate that
A slight change in the sewer systems
of fhe A. and NJ. College and the peni.
tentiary will turn away their sewer
age.
The typhoid and malarial fever dis
trict CT the city is the southwestern Sec
ton of the city, between Fayetteville
and Dayie streets. If the pond is TO
removed, now is the time 10 do it. To
drain in the summer would do more
. harm than good. Mr. Shaffer, the en-
gineer to the State Board OF Health,
says that the stream and pond are Sc
rious menace to the city's health.
On motion of Mayor Russ. commit
tee composed of DIR. James Mckee, DIR.
III. Il. Battle and DIR. III. A. Roystef
was appointed TO confer with the State
Board of Health with reference to abat
ing the nuisance of the mill pond and
the sewers emptying into Rocky Branch
This committee will report mt a meet
ing TO be couna by the superintendent
when the investigation has been com
pleted.