The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-07
THE SANITATION OF HAVANA.
Linn" Cheaper and Better g'han EIec-
trozone, Says MINOR Reed.

| A difference of opinion exists between
| Major Walter Reed. surgeon. [. :. \.
and Colonel Black. Chief Engineer Of Ha-
! vana. as 10 the best method of sanitation
for that city. Colonel Black adopted the
Woof system for the eIeetrolysis Of sea
water which was used Tor d-sinfecliug
purposes. L was asserted that TIE water
so treated contained hundred grains Of
chloride to Jhe gallon. and it was dis
tributcd III wagons for use in dlsinTsctiug
sewers. sDrinkIing streets. and household
/. disinfection. So well pleased was Colo
mel Black with the result that he on
doTsed the method for use in other cities
Of Cuba \; the request of General
Wood, Major Reed made a full investiga-
non OF the use u eIectrozoue. and
reached the conclusion that if chloride of
lime had been used Instead the work Of
dislnfcc.icn would have been more thor
oGghly carried out ana it could have been
done a cost Of nearly S7o,004 less Com
mentIns up0n the use Of electrOzone in
Havana Major Reed says:
The small quantity allowed 20 enter
the sewers could cnly act Is a deGdoriZer
and IN no sense OF the word as disin-
lectaEt- Gould the several sewers OF the
city be filled with this solution and kept
full for a period of twenty-Iour hours
complete distinction would hardly be ac-
compHshed. 1t is idle. then. 10 speak Of
inns agent as disinfectant for the sew
aSe OF the city As . surface disinfect-
ant for walls and floors the stronger 50
luton viii undoubs eddy be found eIee-
i've. but not the weaker solutions here
tcICre used For covering the surface
CT materials recently removed from sew
eFS before II can be carried away iJ viii
accomplish good BY surface dis.uT2ction
and The removal OF foul odors
As regards the matter OF street disin-
lection b. sprinkiing- II must be remen-
Dered that under Colonel Blacks super
vision the streets OF Havana are kept in a
feHarhabiy clean condition and quite free
or all surface refuse Under these cir
cumstaHces far more efficient disinfectiJn
IS effected by direct sunlight than could be
expected from The use of any disinfectant
solution hence l can but think that the
spTinkling Of streets with electrozoue is
entlrely superduCus. except for the pur-
pose Of layiag dust
Major Reed says that chloride Of lime to
which hydrCChlorin acid has been added is
rendered as effective in disinfectant quail
iIeS as eiertroZCGe. ana Is very much
cheaper These two agents are readily
prCcUra5!e. and Major Reed SAYS the cost
i1t.'r'4"- VI .'t-s-A--Et te--it NDtIlfA Lt-
only Sl6.fS q day From July l. 1873. when
the "oof system WAS placed IN operation
until March 81, I+G9. the total expenditure
would have been SlIS52 for sufficient cuIo-
ride Of lime and hydrochlortc acid 70 have
supplied GisinfectaEt having 80 grains
Of available chloride a gallon
Major Reed says thu cost Of the electro
zone plant was $1,000. the interest on this
at 8 per cent was s. 30 ard the daily ex-
penssS. d S3T day. amounted 10 Ss.65S q
fetal OF $a7. go expended 10 obtain 2fGgG
gallons Of eiecJrozone having less
strength than would have been obtained
from chI9rinEteI lime.