Chicago eagle., 1902-03-01

Sl.ilill service mere. I'ptWppn Oct
1901. and Jan. 81. 1902. there was con
sidcrably less than onc.half the us,l;,
rainfall. The total amount measure,
only l.lS Inches instead of the ann,ia
,av"ragc of D.5i.
Last year. 1901. was also the dries
IN more than thirty ycars-only ~.
Inches uf rainfall instead of the ann,,n
average of 1916 In the thirty.onc years ol
observation. The nearest approach 1,
last years amount was 2G.5 inches III
lS'l. when there were l.!DI deaths
from typhoid fever and Chicago had
the highest typhoid mortality of All
large cities.
There has been no sewer. flushing
rainfall since Oct. ~. In November
there was less than nino.tcntl,s of an
inch In the entire month, In December
IL. AMI In January less than seven.
tcntlls of an inch. so far this month
There have been thirteen days on whici,
snow fell. but the total amount meas.
nres barely half an inch.
sewer flushing 10y the city was s,,s-
pended at the close of November for
lack of funds: some flushing of the main
sewers WAS done In January. but there
has been none this MONTH"
Yes. sUnc flushing of the main sewers
In III" downtown districts was done
10y the city In January. hut there has not
been II single sewer outside of that ter
ritory flushed since Carter Harrison be.
cam" Mayor II we except such flushing
hS has been mercifully done by the
rains of heaven.
And It Is plain from the wording of
| tn" bulletin that upon these very rains
OF heaven. nnd upon nothing else. has
tn" city administration depended for
years for the flushing of the sewers of
Chicago.
Naturally, the sewage remained In
the sewers: 1t was stagnant at first |:
then II Increased In quantity and gradu.
ally II sOlldlfied until to-day the citi.
zeis of Chicago are confronted with the
unpleasant fact that their sewers are
lillcd with solid lllth.
Even the Health Department admits
this now. and II further admits the dan.
ger arising ont of this condition against
which The Eagle has been invrlghlng
for years
Blit naturally the question arises.
what Is our s,plnc city administration
going tn do about it:
Judging by It's past record, the answer
would bc nothing. II may be, however.
that the powers that br In the City Hall
may even do worse than nothing. They
may not consider Ii incumbent upon
them to oppose and defeat the outrage.
0is nnd corrupt water meter ordinance.
II they donOt then there Is great dan
ger that this damnablc measure may
become II law.
Bu' what II the city administration
should he disposed To look upon the
measllr" ~ II good one and to support
it,
" 50, the meter ordinance may be-
rerkoh"d with rs II coming certainty, |
ANA then an awful sequel may ensuc.
As II result of the passage and on. |
forc"ment of such law. our city will |
be IN grave danger Of being swept by II
pcstilencc.
Conditions nS they are ~ present are, |
heaven knows, bad enough. Listen TO |
what this same Health Department
says about them:
Grave fear Is entertained hy the city
Health department that typhoid fever
may become epidemic this spring with
the coming of heavy rains. Boil the
water and keep on boiling it from day
% day Is the injunction. In This way
Inly do the authorities see Il chance of
preventing II spread of the disease.
IhcS" apprchenslons are not grounded
III theories, but upon results which fol-
owed similar conditions in 1891, whtu
'hIcago had larger typhoid mortality
nan HAT of any other city in the civil.
Zcd world"
rs II 10 make matters worse, the ac.
of filth in the sewers and
III the street surface, In fact. every.
"her" IN this city, has grown so
great under this dO-nOthing city admin. ,
StfallOn; that we are now menaccl
wen by the very operation of cleaning
ip The Health Department bulletin
ays:
DRY weather with the unavoidable
'artlai cl"Igln@ Of the sewer system,
a menace, With heavy downpOur
I rain the accumulation of filth in the |
hwers ana that washed from roofs and |
trccts would bn nourpd into tb. ,.i,.o,, +,