The record-union., 1899-04-05
DOCTORS BEARD TRUSTEES.
BOARD OF HEALTH WANTS
CITY DUMPS IMPROVED.
Plumber w. J. Thompson Prefers
Charges Against City Plumb
ing Inspector Smith.

AT a regular monthly meeting VI tne
City Board of Health last night consld-
cradle routine business was dispatched,
after which there was an executive
session that did not give promise OF
Importance. The doctors began to dis
cuss the question of the dumps, how
ever, and they became very earnest.
Before they got through they adopted
ringing resolutions commanding the
City Trustees to build an impounding
levee to prevent the contamination CT
river water. They also appointed a
committee of doctors to wait ON the
Mayor to urge the enforcement Of their
demands.
A full account of what they did APP
pears in the following report of the
proceedings:
At the beginning of the meeting Dr..
Nichols reported an Improvement in the
general health conditions, the death rate
being 1910 per thousand, or Al deaths
for the month, against 46 for the pre-
vious four weeks, and as high as 60
the month before. There We're 10
births during the month.
Il think the general flushing of the
i sewers and the improvement of the
river water have greatly helped the
city's health" said DIR. Nichols, for
the sewers have had long needed and
thorough flushing"
Food and Market Inspector Meow
an reported that he had had to con-
denim several bad lots of crabs, game,
sheep, etc., but he found the gener al
condition of the markets very good,
having made 1870 inspections of foods
and 120 of milk.
The most sensational business of the
evening was the filing of charges
against Plumbing Inspector w. H.
Smith by w. ]. Thompson, the plumber
who was lately suspended for violating
the rules of the Board of Health
Smith says that Thompson simply
filed his charges as a matter of spite,
but Thompson alleges that his own
downfall was the result of discrimina-
tions against him because he is col
ored man, and he says he purposes to
make others suffer, if they have violated
the law.
The charges are that the Plumbing
Inspector among other things, has
permitted imperfect and illegal work
as follows: Cesspools and closets with
out ventilation at 513 and 515 o street,
the same at 1914 Seventh; bad drainage
at 1914 Ninth; bath tub with no
vents at 1924 Third; bad sewer pipes
at 900 NJ; imperfect pipes and detri-
mental sipage at 1913 Sixth street. The
complaint concluded with a prayer that
Inspector Smith be removed.
After an order that the charges be
filed the board referred the charges to
the Committee on Sewerage and Drain
age, with instructions to report at the
he
proceedings the board went into exec
Etive session. during which all but
members were excluded.
The proceedings Of the session were
made known to the Record Union at
appointed to take action in the matter
of the dumps. 1t appeared to the
board last night that the City Trustees,
having been directed by the Board of
Health to take steps to prevent the
pollution of river water by building an
inpounding levee," had simply been re-
ferred to the Street Committee to be
reported in one week. This action did
not suit the doctors, who were of the
unanimous opinion that the City Trus-
tees should have obeyed directions i'm
mediately.
The doctors held that action in the
matter of the dumps should be imme-
diate to be effective, and that the Trus-
tees were absolutely subject to the ord
ers of the Board Of Heolth.
So a resolution was passed whereby
it was set forth that the Board of
Health, recognizing the imperative
need of immediate action in the matter,
hereby requests the Mayor of the city
to at once take steps to enforce the
recommendations.
Drs. Fay, Ross and Henderson were
appointed a committee to wait on the
Mayor to-day and do all in their power
to have an impounding levee built
forthwith, of such character as to
prevent the flow of water into or out
of the dumping pit at any possible
stage of the river.