The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-07
REPEATED WARNINGS UNHEEDED

REPEATED WARNINGS UNHEEDED
The report relative 10 the condition q
the lowlands in the immediate vicinity
of this city which Health Officer
LeHardy made 10 the City Coun-
Gil on Wednesday night. calls
for calm and thoughtful consideration. II
! is one OF many warnings which have been
given TO the ely and county authorities
within the last few years. Large areas OF
| land on the western side of the city are
under water whenever there is a rain
storm of unusual magnitude, and the low
lands on the eastern side are under water
whenever there Is a tide in the river like
that of last Sunday. The health officer
points out, what every intelligent citizen
knows. that when the lowlands around the
city are saturated with water there is al
ways more or less fever in the city. ard
that If the weather Is hot when the low
lands are in that condition there Is
great deal of fever in the city, and that
much of IL is of a very serious type.
The season of 1876 will not soon be for
gotten. and yet it does not appear to have
impressed the city and county officials
as it should. There is no good reason for
doubling that the terrible epidemic of that
year was due 10 the fact that there was
an almost unprecedented rainfall in the
month of June, which was followed by
not weather. If that condition of affairs
had occurred this year-that is, If there
had been a very heavy rainfall in June
and the weather following It had been hot
we should have had great deal of sick
ness this fall. Fortunately, the heavy
rainfall came late this year, and thus far
we have escaped any serious sickness
Does 1t not seem strange that, in the TWEEN
ty-two years which have elapsed since the
last epidemic of fever here, the work of
putting the lowlands in the immediate vi
entity of the city In a sanitary condition
has not been completed? Immediately
after that epidemic the sentiment was that
no time should be LOST in thoroughly drain
ing all the wet lands and swamps which
could possibly affect the health of the city
The drainage work was begun and pushed
forward earnestly and vigorously. But the
pace set in beginning the work has not
been kept up. Public interest in the mat
ter seems TO have languished. There is
no public sentiment to force the quick
completion of the work. Why is this
Why is 1t that although the health officer
presents report after report showing the
imperative necessity for better drainage
around tie city little or no attention is
paid 10 his warnings? Is 1t believed that
there is absolutely no danger of another
epidemic? Let the conditions occur which
produced the last one and those who are
so confident that but little more drainage
is needed may be forced to admit that
they were mistaken.
Surely in the twenty-five years which
have elapsed since the last epidemic, and
with the tens of thousands of dollars
which have been spent by the authorities
In drainage work, much more ought TO
have been accomplished towards protect
ing the city against sickness than
there has been, Before another
summer comes the occasion for
such a warning as that sent to the
City Council by the health officer should
cease TO exist. Indeed, if the people had
been as earnest and determined in the mat
ter Of drainage during recent years as they
were Immediately following the trouble of
1876, there would not now be any ground
for warnings from the health officer re-
spectlng drainage.