The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-17
PUTTING TuE DRAINS IN ORDER.
a Good Deal of Work to BE Done De-
fore Summer Beetna.


At the last meeting of the Sanitary
Board DR., LeHardy was instructed to ad-
dress a Communication to the County Com
missloners. calling their attention to the
condition Of the drainage around the city
and the urgent need of placing it in proper
condition before, summer.
The communication was referred, at the
last meeting of the board. to the drainage
committee. Chairman Lathrop of this
committee replied to DR.. LeHardy. His
letter contains the following statement:
I'VE state for the benefit of the BOARD of
Sanitary Commissioners, that we are now
engaged in the work of cleaning out the
county drains, and that il is our purpose
to have all such drains in first-class order
condition before the opening of the sum
mer season."
This Is very reassuHng to those who
have urged that It Is the first duty of the
County Commissioners to place the lands
around the city In thorough sanitary con-
dition. Health Officer LeHardy, however,
dlsagrees with the position assumed by
the commissioners towards the drainage
around the city as stated in a recent ar
ticle in the Morning News.
From a statement made in Tuesdays
ISSUE" said DR.. LeHafdy to a Morning
News reporter yesterday, "it would Meem
that the majority OF our County Commis-
sioners live under the impression that the
environs of our city are well drained and
that but little work is needed to place ey-
erything in applepie order ! doubt IL
these gentlemen have ever been over the
ground during the winter when the bare
reality would stare them In the face Their
judgment is probably based upon observa-
tons made late last summer when they
could not find 'cupful of stagnant wa
ter in the county a petition sent me on
Feb. 26 last from people Icing west of the
city, and signed by a number of persons
residing there, shows that even in that
section where part of the chain-gang was
working last fall, there Is yet a great
deal TO be done. This does not refer to
the Central Railroad property which the
county force did not attempt to drain"
The petition is worded as follows: 1--WE
would most earnestly request your kind
attention to the drainage of the lowlands
west of the city and especially the Ogec-
chez canal and the lands adjacent there
TO before the advent OF the rainy season
and hot weather. Much has already been
done, it Is true, but much more remains
to be done before this section will be
in good sanitary condition.
The petition is signed by residents west
of the city.
,"Other complaints are made to me al
most daily" said DIR. LeHardy. zone of
these was forwarded few days ago to
the chairman of the drainage committee
of the county. 1 quote from it as fol-
lows: i beg to call your attention to the
Anderson swamp about three-quarters of
mile from Twelfth street on the White
Bluff road, between seventy-ive and 100
yards from the road going east TO the
DeRenne ditch Here will be found about
twenty-five acres of swamp with standing
water all the year, no matter how dry
the season may be- Immediately south
of this on DeRenne's land there are about
ten acres in a worse condition stu. This
Is situated about 100 yards from the road
and less than mile from theAcity limits.
Just opposite this tract on the DeRenne
place, near the Waters road and adioin-
Ing the village of Kensington. is a tract
of twenty-five or thirty acres that is at
times entirely covered with water; at
others some portions are not under water
but some of the ponds are never dry,
These places are within a short distance
of county drains, but have never been
drained. The DeRenne swamp will bog a
mosquito at any season of the year and
yet 1t Is within a short distance of
county drain
After a rain at this season of the year"
said DR.. LeHardy, anyone who will walk
through fields and swamps in search of
quail, snipe or woodcock will tell you that
thousands of acres are wet and Doggy.
During the summer the same condition
exists, but the lands being then covered.
with rank vegetation 1t is Impossible to
Judge of their condition"