The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-14
WAR ON THE SKEETS
WILL BE WAGED BY DEPARTMENT
of PUBLIC WORKS.
OIL AS THE AMMUNITION.
WILL BE FURNISHED BY THE PUB
Lie HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

SmnII Quantity of OIL VIII BE Pour
ed Into the Catch Basins at Street
Corners when They Are Cleaned.
determination of the Pests in the
Central Sections of the City Hoped
for From This MethOd-War Will
Probably Be Carried to Tybec
Island, Where the Mosquito VIII
BE Assaulted i'm His Strongest Hold.
General Interest Aroused in the
Enterprise Against the PestiIen-
tinI Insects.
The city authorities will wage war
against the mosquitoes. This has been
decided The public health depart
ment will furnish the ammunition and
the director of public works will do
the fighting. The ammunition will be
kerosene OIL the attacking force will
descend upon the catch basins, dis
charging the oil upon the enemy and
giving no quarter.
Director of Public Works George NJ.
Gadsden announced yesterday morning
that his department will undertake
the determination of mosquitoes, in so
far as this may be accomplished
through the pouring of oil upon the
waters of the basins. Health officer
Drummer undertook to have the public
health department furnish the kerosene
for the enterprise.
The catch basins at the street cor
ners." said Director Gadsden, are
cleaned every two weeks. When they
are cleaned hereafter the hands doing
the work will empty about half a cup
full Of kerosene into the basins. The
next time they are cleaned it will be
necessary to put only about a spoonful
of oil in. This process will be con-
tinued, and we will observe the results.
The cost will be slight, as may be seen.
as such small quantities of the oil will
be required"
Discussed by Sanitary Board.
meeting of the Sanitary Board was
held yesterday, when the question of
the determination of mosquitoes by the
old process was brought up. 1t was
the opinion of the members of the
board that the warfare on the pests
should be commenced, both as precau-
tions against the spread of disease and
because of the added comfort to human
kind that would follow the removal of
such anonying little beasts.
DIR. Drummer explained that he did
not wish to arrogate to himself any
credit that might be given for the
launching of the effort against the mos
quitoes, as Supt Otis Ashmore of the
public schools is more entitled to it.
lie said that he thought it not unlikely
that the number of mos(Alitoes in the
central sections of the city would be
materially reduced by means of the oil.
On the outskirts, however, he fears
that the insects will be as numerous
and as bloodthirsty as eTer and show
no diminution in their activity and
readiness to prey upon mankind.
Come From the svvamps.
THE low, swampy places about Sa-
vannah," DR.. Drummer said furnish
excellent breeding places for the mos
quitoes, and they will certainly get far
away from the place of their nativity
to strike the people of the city. 1t is
an error to presume that mosquito
is so narrow and circumscribed in his
peregrinations, that his bump of local
ity is so dlminutive, as to preclude his
wandering from his own fireside. Some
body has said that a mosquito will not
travel 500 yards from the place where
he first saw the light They will go
for miles"
Are there not places in backwards
in Savannah where stagnant water Of
fers excellent breeding places for mos
quitoes. and will not the war conduct
ed in the catch basins be profitless in
results because of the other places that
are left the larvae for development?
! DIR. Drummer was asked.
mo. the sanitary inspectors do not
! permit stagnant water in backwards, "
| DR.. Drummer answered.
| Mayor Myers approves the movement
! that has been inaugurated. He said
! Yesterday that he thinks it well to
! take this precaution against disease,
which may be transmitted by mosqui-
toes, and the bodily discomfort that
the insects entail. The Mayor said
should be taken against flies
also, and that all houses should
be equipped with screens. DR.
| r. ]. Num-, he said, had told him that
| he regarded flies as even more harmful
| than mosquitoes as transmitters OF
fever germs from one person to
another.
Casino VIII Try Oil.
General Manager G. o. Maggie of the
! Savannah Electric Company has pur-
! chased a stack of chips and is waiting
! for the deal. He is ready to hunt for
/ stagnant water in the vicinity of the
| Casino at Thunderbolt, and to make use
! of oil in the proper manner. Mr.. Ma
| gle says if kerosene will put mosqui-
! toes out of business the railway COM
| pany VIII invest in a few gallons and
| use 1t. He faVors any move that will
| cause the death of the mosquito, and
will test the oil remedy at the Casino.
Firemen willing to Help.
Supt John E. Mcguire of the Sa-
| vannah fire department has expressed
a willingness to get in the fight as a
recruit. If the people want to get rid
of mosquitoes, and they have discov-
cred a method, the fire chief is ready to
! assist them in putting the method into
| execution.
Il think we could do more with oil
than with a rifle, said Supt. Mcguire,
land the fire department is willing to
do all in its power to drown the mos
quitoes. We haven't got any breeding
places around our stations, but some
times the mosquitoes float in from their
| birthplace. l believe that some of the
mosquitoes roost in trees, and they stay
/ there when not otherwise engaged .
| Shotguns wouldn't do. though. and it
4 mightn't be so bad if we filled up the
/ chemical tanks with oil and sprayed
! the branches of the trees during spare
| time. In this way the firemen could
! kill those that might have been born
before the war was begun"
Few Skeets at Fort Screven.
The garrison at Fort Screven on
/ Tybee Island has made a practical de-