The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-09


delay will make them more costly and more
imperative. We can set about these reforms
now calmly and judiciousy. Later, under
the impulse Of panic we should work at far
greater disadvantage"
Colonel Waring suggests the following
improvements as absolutely essential to
make Havana a healthy city:
First-Organize Immediately a department
of public cleaning. under the full control of
single commissioner experienced in the
conduct of such work and with authority to
do all that the occasion may require. This
department, Colonel Warlng urges, should
have for it's chief function the maintaining
of constant state Of cleanliness in all
streets and public places in all public build
ings and places of public resort and in all
public markets and abattors. 1t should also
control the disposal of all wastes, except
sewage, by cremation and otherwise.
Second-Construct a system of sewers to
receive the liquid wastes Of all houses of the
main city as far as Balascoain. These sew
ers should serve separately the different dis
tTicts into which the various slopes divide
them and each should discharge directly
either into the gulf or harbor, as the case
may be Before such is discharged the eff1u-
ent should be clarified by one of the we'll
known methods, so it would carry only it's
dissolved impurities. The amount of sea
water flowing into and out of the harbor at
each tide is about three thousand times that
of a days discharge of the clarified sew
age of the harbor slope of the city, so that
the dilution will be immediate and more than
complete.
Third-Fill up all the private and kitchen
waste vaults and supply every house with an
OLE c1o nfa1 xuitb
public sewerage system. The closets so fur
nished should be only what is adequate and
necessary for the purposes now served by
the vaults, anything beyond this to be put in
by the householder, under proper supervi-
sion, at his own cost.
Fourth-Pave or repave all the streets in
the best manner with asphaltum.
Fifth = Provide a completely appointed
abattoir for large and small animals, ade-
quate for all the needs of the population.
Sixth-Provide a suitable and sufficient in
cinerating furnace for the complete and inof-
fensive destruction of garbage and other
refuse, including street sweepings; also of
all dead animals including horses and oxen
RECLAIM ALL THE MARSHES.
Seventh-Reclaim all the marshes, at least
those between Calzada de Viver and Regla
(about 500 acres), which will involve the
care of the drainage from about $50 acres
This reclamation to be made after the
"Polder'' method of Holland, by diking out
the harbor and the water courses and NOV
ing the water by pumping
Eighth-Establish an electric power plant
sufficient for this pumping, for pumping
sewage where necessary and for propeling
the machinery of the abattoir; say, three
hundred horsepower in all.
Colonel Waring states that it is not pos
sible from the data now available, to es-
innate the cost of all the work indicated
above more nearly than to say that 1t will
not exceed $10,O00O00. 1t has been estimated,
continues Colonel Waring, that single cpl
denies introduced into the United States
from Havana have cost, in the Mississippi
valley alone, $100,O00,000 in loss to industries
and to commerce, aside from the loss of
life, amounting in 1873 and 1879 to 1881, in
addition to the enormous cost of the sick
ness of those who recovered. Colonel War
ing further states that in his judgment the
complete execution of the work above indi-
Gated would completely eradicate yellow fe-
yer from Havana for all time; would relieve
it from the malaria which is now fatal,
and would reduce its normal death rate from
it's present high figure mot far from fifty
per thousand) to about twenty per thou
sand. He says if these improvements are
to be made there must be no delay and no
halfway measures. All that is indicated
must be done in the best and most complete
manner, and it must all be done before
June 1, 1882
If it is not all done, there is every reason
to fear that yellow fever will be rife in Ha-
vana next season, because of the large
number of unprotected persons, who would
so there trusting to the efficiency of the
partial carrying out of the work. The NOR
tality of the city of Havana for the week
ending Oct 6. 1898, was $50, an annual rate
of 1895 per thousand.