New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-06
THE SANITATION OF HAVANA.


American capital and American business men
are not going To Havana TO any great extent
until there is a prospect Of improved sanitary
conditions in that city. Havana is hleSt with
n delightful climate The temperature changes
there are slight. II Is 80 mild most OF the
wear that the houses stand open TO the passing
breeze The rainfall is but little larger than
that Of Ncw-York City The water supply is
abundant and of good quality NevertheicSN'
the death rate is n high one Tuberculosis y'i-
low fever malaria and rheumatism abound. "s-
peclaIy among the poorer classes OF people
who. rs in many other cities. are crowded 10
gcther closely in the part Of the town when
they inhabit
The difficulties Of the situation in Havana
are discussed ntelgcntly in the last number
Of The Engineering News by +. sherman
Gould As many Of The Trbuncs readers are
already aware the Cuban capital is almost en-
tlrely without sewers. The greater part Of the
city drains It's house filth into ccsspoolN. The
Inter are rarely walled. and their contents
consequently soak out into IN" surrounding
soil which in the course Of years, has become
horribly contaminated. Moreover In the more
densely populated districts, the houses are
without cellars and the cesspools are actually
within the limits ~ the dwellings. However
the mildness Of the climate renders feasible
pretty fair ventilation III the sanitary condl-
tons which prevail in Havana wer" FOUND IN
connection with the tightly closed hahitatohs
made necessary by n Northern climate, III"
death rate would be appalling says Mr.
Gould. and II is easy 10 believe him.
Obviously. the FIST step toward reform Is
the construction of a proper system OF sewers.
But before these are provided IN" question
must be settled rs 10 the disposal Of their con
tents. Havana Bay Is large. but II has
narrow entrance The tide rises ana iaHS
there only about n foot and half on The aver
age Hence the discharge Of the sewage INTO
the harbor is not 10 be- thought Of The min
would merely accumulate there and max" the
bay one immense cessp0ol. The water IS BAD
enough now. although little drainage from
dwellings gets into H. The situation would be
lntoleroble # the sewage Of 10000 persons
were discharged into n reservoir from which
there is practically no escape.
n the problem 10 he solved related 10 solid
material like garbage. cremation would s"rv"
the purpose admirably. In England double
benefit Is secured by this procedure. Refuse is
gotten rid Of and power in the form Of cleo
tricty Is generated at the same time But IN"
lInuid filth of sewers cannot he treated in that
manner. The possibility Of purifying the stuff
before Il is discharged into the bay Is consid-
cred bv Mr. Gould. on this point he observes:
..Dleposal areas OF considerable extent and
"of the right character OF soil would be re-
"nuired and would be difficult TO find. Fur
"thermore they would bc exposed alternately
"to the fostering heat and tOrrcntlal rains Of
"a tropcal climate, both Of which are dctri-
"mcntal to successful operation Whether the
same objection would apply TO nm attempt to
utilize the sewage for fertillzng purposes in
"the adjacent farming region does not clearly
"appear Successful experiments OF this kind
have been undertaken In Europe during the
last few years. and II the idea Is available In
'the vicinity of Havana II might furnish the
"most economical method Of dealing with
troublesome question
Mr. Goulds own notion Is that tunnel
should be cut through the hills which separate
the city from the ocean. on the east side Of
tbe bav and that through this tunnel the sew
ora should be forced out TO Currents
sweeping along the const would carry II off to
n sufficient distance to render II no longer a
subject Of anxiety. This plan while the best
in Mr. Goulds Judgment, would also be the
| most extensive Still. If the enterprise were
undertaken under ausrices which precludcd cx-
trayagance and dishonesty. II might prove the
wisest after all