The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-05-11
THE DUMPS AND THE WATER.

THE DUMPS AND THE WATER.
The city authorities are in a peck or
trouble about locating city dumping
grounds for garbage. This garbage is
! in largest part vegetable matter, Of
course. Such matter in decaying con-
dition is infinitely more threatening as
a disease breeder than is decaying ami
NAL matter. This is settled by all sani-
tarians. That fact would seem to con-
clude the subject of location of the
dumps, and prevent the fixing of any
! location at any point where any body
of the people would be exposed to their
pernicious influence.
| But the Trustees are besought to per-
nit this refuse to be used in filling up
| low lying lots on the southerly side of
the city between r and Y streets.
Wherever lands are so filled the soil
is poisoned, and homes built over such
lands or located in their vicinity will
be exposed for many years to extreme
danger from disease germs. This IS
so we'll agreed to among sanitarians
that it is amazing the subject should
be one of debate now in any intelligent
body. 1t is said in reply that GER
! tain amount of earthly matter is re-
quired to be mixed with the garbage,
and that such treatment deoderizes il.
4 ic Cd "a de-
oderized by earth cast upon it, 1t does
not follow that the rotting process is
stayed and the disease breeding stop
ped. Precisely the contrary is true Too
many people imagine that when they
kill a stencil they thereby destroy nox-
ious vapors and germs of pestilence.
There are just two things for the
1 Trustees to do in this matter at once.
First. prohibit the dumping of decaying
matter within the city limits; next, pro-
vide a crematory for disposal of the
garbage. or fix it's dumping at so re-
mote a point that no breezes will carry
the noxious germs into the homes OF
the city. The crematory plan is the
better. It will cost something in the
outset, but is by far the cheaper IN
the long run. 1t is the plan adopted
in all advanced communities.
In this connection it was stated in the
Board of Trustees the other evening
that typhoid fever, somewhat prevalent
at present might be due to the con-
dition of the sewers into which How
of water closets is directly conducted
1t would be possible for typhoid germs
conducted into sewers to poison food
if rightly exposed But such cases are
very rare. Typhoid fever is conveyed
bv what we eat or drink mainly by the
fluids taken into the body, and in nine
cases out of ten by water or milk.
Give the city pure, clear water from
natures subterranean channels ever
flowing beneath the gravelly soil east
of the city, and we will have no more
complaining of typhoid exposure. The
men who broke down the will of the
people after it had expressed itself al
the polls in favor of a pure, clear water
system from that source can take te
their soils what comfort there is IL
the reflection that they are RESPONSE
BILE for the conditions of the present
However, there is not nearly the
sickness here that the sensational, ex'
aggerated and unconscionable accounts
published in certain San Francisco pa
pers have set forth. What care these
Iinfammatory sheets for the fair fame
Of city, or the truth concerning It's
health conditions, as long as they car
turn greasy nickels into their tills'
This city has two great immediate anc
pressing wants-a clear, pure water
supply and completion Of the sewer sys
tenn. that the abominable cesspools may
be abandoned, and the storage of filtf
under the noses of every household b.
done away with.
Until this people rise to the level o.
these great needs and order them sup
Piled. we must expect to be subject t
such smirching as the sensational press
has given us. We must expect cleani.
people to speak i'll Of US; we must ex
pect seasons of abnormal sickness, ant
when pestilence comes into the Stat'
we must expect it to find congenia
home among us.
Alas for SIMPSONS luck! The Span
ish fleet, or most of it, has turned baci
and is safe at Cadiz. There remain
now only the taking of Porto Rico b.
the Admiral. That he will do; bu
there will be some hot fighting, for tn
, land batteries there are strong. Blu
what Sampson has been aching 70
since Dewey's victory is trial of hi
mettle with ships somewhere near tn
equals of those of his fleet. We yer.
much fear he will be disappointed. Evi
IDENTIFY the Spanish have resolved I
stay on their own side of the fence
and not risk a naval battle far from
defensible base.
Cottages Burned.