The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-06-28
MUST AWAIT
The SEWER
No Buildings on Plague
Spots.
| TAbU SAYS HEALTH BOARD
So Replies to Owner of the Pantheon
SIte--FinaI Decision
Reserved.

The new Pantheon building has had
setback on the very first day of it's
beginning. The Board of Health may
refuse to grant the privilege to the
builders of allowing it to be occupied.
Until the sewer system is entirely in
and in use the Pantheon block if erect
ed, will have to remain empty.
a permit for the construction of the
building has already been obtained by
l.. c. Ables and others and the eXcava-
ton was commenced yesterday. There
Will be no cellar, but sufficient space
must be excavated so there will be fully
twenty inches of space between the
floor and the ground to conform with
the rules and regulations of the Board
of Health recently promulgated.
Just as Mr.. Ables began to see visions
lof a handsome structure going up on
the valuable corner lot and possible
income in the next few months, it came
to his ears that there was regulation
which would compel him to await the
advent of the sewer system before he
could use his building for any purpose.
Mr.. Ables appeared before the Board
OF Health yesterday afternoon and ask
stated he had been looking up the pos
sibilities that it would be four or five
months before it could be put to prac-
, teal use. The proprietors of the Pan
; theon property, he said, had been to
great expense and had lost several
, thousand dollars already by the delay
in taking possession of their property
since the former structure on it was
l, l. \. =
ment. He was willing to comply with
, all the regulations of the Board in con-
Meeting with the sewer system and put
, ting the proper plumbing in the build
ing, but he did not think it was the
fault Of the owners that they should
J be blamed for the procrastination of
the sewer contractors. He asked the
Board for a concession to allow occu-
pants in the building when completed
and grant the privileges of constructing
} temporary cesspools until the sewers
! were in working order.
, DIR. Wood explained to Mr.. Ables the
purport of the section of the rules and
regulations in question. The inter-
probation he made was that it Ms to
prevent buildings from being erected on
any former infected district and to pre<
vent excavations as well. He said that
after the examination of soils from va
, rious plague infected portions OF the
city it became the opinion of the Board
, that there was no danger in the surface
soil as it had been exposed for a con-
siderable period to the sun and air and
was harmless as far as plague bacilli
were concerned.
He could not say the same for the
soil beneath the surface. Where plague
, had once existed he felt that the plague
bacilli still fingered below the surface.
In his opinion there was great danger
, in disturbing the old cesspools by dig
ging new ones nearby, and thus max
ing an opening where rats could revel
again. The rodents would be attracted
by the cesspools and this was what the
Board desired to avoid.
I'VE know" said DR.. Wood, that
plague has sprung up anew in COM
} munities in which it has ceased for
three months or more. Now the only
, theory to be deducted from that is that
. the infection must exist beneath the
soil. Now this regulation in question
was not passed to prevent people from
erecting buildings, but to prevent occu-
pancy until the sewer system was in
vogue.
I'VE don't want to establish a prece-
, dent by allowing MIR. Ables to let people
live in his new building. If that is done
J we Will not be able to hold down the
old Chinatown district at ALL They
would literally swarm in there and the
old conditions would again arise. The
Board discussed this matter very thor
J oughly at the time of its passage. Four
months was considered time for surface
! danger to pass, but to prevent occu-
pancy before the sewer system was in,
that rule was passed"
The Board took the matter under ad-
visement and will give its opinion at
} the next meeting on Friday.
This is an important question and up
) on its decision rests the occupancy OF
the old-infected section of Chinatown
I Those who desire to see the sewer sys-
) tenn in before new buildings are allowed
Z to be erected, or at least occupied in
! that district Will be satisfied by the
: Board s action. On the other hand the
( property owners are anxious to derive
J revenue from their holdings The delay
or the sewer contractors may result il
3 heavy losses to the owners of property
, 1t was originally designed to have the
4 sewer system completed by July l. Tha
D date is already at hand and the bes
: authorities state that from four to siy
) months longer viii be required.