The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-10-12
A MENACE
TO HEALTH
Hilo Reported To Be
Filthy.
WHAT SAM JOHNSON SAYS
He Pictures Alarming Conditions in
the Rainy City on
Hawaii.

Many sanitary reforms are necessary at
Hilo. according to tho report Of Captain
johnson. presented to the Board OF
Health yesterday. Captain Johnson visit
ed Hilo last week, taking an odorless ex-
csvator with him, and he was given in
structons to make n careful examination
of the town and report what its sanitary
state was. His report In full Ia as fol-
lows:
| / have the honor to make the following
| report on my visit to Hio, and also OIL
| the general sanitary conUition OF that
| city.
| on my arrival, after delivering the
odorless excavator to Sheriff Andrews
men, / set out to find the work for 1t. Aft
| err finding cesspool that was overflow
ing, and getting ready to have 1t pump
cd, l discovered the fact that no such II
thing as regular dumping place existed in
| Hlo. Not being able to use the excavator
under these circumstances, l then began
the investigation of the garbage removing
system of the city, and in regard to it
all now able to give the following facts.
HILo Is DIRTY.
In the greater portion OF the city dry
earth closets are used, and the refuse Is
lsupposed to be removed every day, but as
there Is only one medium-sized cart used
for that purpose, have seen places
where the refuse stayed two or three
days. In tho places with privy vaults
they simply wait till II gets offensive,
when new vault is Dug and the old one
filled in.
No boxes for the inside of vaults, vents
Tor covers for the seats are used, and ev-
Ierythng is done without approval Of an
lagent of the Board OF Health.
There Is a sewer running through one
mt ~ hn fnxx md thn tnps,
are made with houses along Its line. which
Iwculd stand the approval of the Board of
Health. The sewer Is flushed by the
lstream from the mountains.
| For removing OF common rubbish. an
other cart Is used. The number of cess
lpcols Is very few, only bath houses. wash
houses and such places where plenty OF
water Is used have cesspools. which are
never emptied. Tho houses In the lower
part Of the town are using open wooden
fumes which In many cases are not COM
lplete, or 80 poorly constructed and placed
that the liquid refuse Is running over OF
through them. saturating the ground or
lodging under the houses in very often
sive pools.
For removing garbage and rubbish. fees
from 80 cents to $1.50 are collected. large
, establishments exceeding sl.5O, but OF
these fees such expenses, as salaries
stock feed. garbage boxes. etc, are paid
The realizations are hardly large enough
, TO cover the expenses.
NO TOWING SYSTEM.
The system of towing garbage out &c
sea cannot be introduced here for some
time yet. as there is no proper means OF
towing or suitable place for the wharf.
There Is n lot on Reid's Island. owned
by Sheriff Andrews, where for some time
past the refuse from dry earth closets
has been carted to and used for cultiva-
tharnfnra ar si np ,ln INT Frny,
Iother residents of that neighborhood.
Sheriff Andrews has leased n few acres
Ior land to be used as dumping grounds.
southeast of the town, about one-quarter
lof mile from nearest residence. The To-
cation and the nature of the ground OF
this place are in favor of Its being used
for the purpose. this being the best and
the only place in Hilo. upon which dry
earth closets and liquid refuse could be
tempted.
But as the road to these grounds Is of
Isuch nature that no heavy wagon can
be used, 1t remains only to walt until 1t is
Irroperly graded and put in passable con-
dltion.
| AS under these circumstances I was I'M
liable to work the eXcavator on the cess
pools, l have, In the presence OF Sheriff
Andrews and his men, pumped one load
OF clean water from the prison pond. and
| thus was enabled to show them how the
1pump and excayator should be used.
| After making thorough inspection of
the town, / am able to make the follow
Ing statements in regard to its general
sanitary condition.
TOWN is FILTHY.
The streets are covered with rubbish,
which In many cases IL offensive. The
lhCuses are built regardless of health reg
ulations; In some cases without any open
SPACE between them, and in many cases
| right on the ground. No proper drainage
| for rain water is used which often lodges
under the houses and becomes offensive
| In many cases yards are below the lev
| 81 of the street and in wet weather are
| flooded. Spaces under the houses are
covered with filth and liquid refuse from
the fumes. Ducks are kept under the
lhCr ses,
Bath houses, laundrles and pol shops
Iorc in insanitary condition, from not hav-
| M proper drainage: floors are not water
tight, clothes are dried on the premises.
and taro refuse is thrown in the back
yard.
out of numerous stables have inspect
lea none comply with sanitary regulations
land In many cases the incline of the stalls
Is toward the head of the animal: some
IhaVe wooden floors which are not water
tight, and manure is allowed TO accumu-
late TO great extent, At the fish market
II Is a common practice for the occupants
lNA AAt SNstllS ~ tuIOW TIC out-
side on the grass, where they are left to
Idecompose. A forty-eight hours notice to
lclenr the space was served on the respon-
sihle parties on Tuesday morning.
have inspected both slaughter houses
land found them in very lnsanitary con-
Idluon, especially the one owned by Mr..
Lyman. Sheep and cattle are kept In
pens, the ground OF which is saturated
with liquid discharge 80 as to be almost
a swamp. The wooden floor of pig pens Is
raised about two feet or the ground. and
the DISCHARGE which is supposed to drain
into an adjoining sugar cane patch Is
leaking through that floor and there Is
FORMED into pools, The place where the
animals are killed is thick with dirt and
blood. Hides, bones, Intervals, etc, are
scattered all over the premises and are
Ithiokly covered with flies: from the state
ment OF the man in charge, the place had
not been washed for months, although
the stream is but 100 yards on.
There are no sanitary rules or regula-
tiohs In lIilo at the present time to 20 by.
land until some are made. and published,