The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-03
Emergency Board of Health Is
Formally Discharged.
Great Task Performed Is Told
in Detail.
LABORED WITHOUTPAY
Physicians Gave Their Whole
Time to the City.
Expenses Incurred by the Board
Were S45.2I.

Ir. l.. y. GrubbS, chairman of the
emergency board of health. which rem
dered such invaluable services to the
city and especially to North Topeka
Immediately following the flood of last
month, presented the report of the work
of that organization TO the council last
night. The report closed with request
that the physicians who have served on
the emergency board be relieved from
. further duties.
on motion of Councilman S. a.
Swendson the request was complied
with and the report placed on file. In
announcing the dismissal of the emer-
gency board Mayor Bergundthal said:
Il think the city is under the great
est obligation TO these gentlemen who
have so unselfshly given their profess
sional services and time to the city in
the great emergency that presented
itself a few weeks ago. They have
given their service unselfishly and with
out compensation at time when it was
most needed and have devoted them
selves unsparingly to the good of the
people of Topeka. AS members of the
city administration we are certainly
more indebted to the members OF TINS
board than it will ever be in our power
to repay"
The report given below contains a
comprehensive account of the services
performed by the emergency board to-
ward renovating North Topeka ana
placing il in a sanitary condition. the
physicians who served upon the emer-
gency board of health were DR.. l. \
Grubbs, DR.. c. A. Mcguire, Dr. {. r
Menninger, DR.. L. NJ Powell, DR. IL q
Hogeboom, DR.. S G Stewart, DR. W. >
Lindsey and DR.. A. A. Raub-
REPORT IN DETAIL.
To the Honorable Mayor and Council
of the City of Topeka, and the Board
of County Commissioners of Shawnee
County.
Gentlemen: The emergency board Of
health, appointed by your honorable
bodies having finished the work made
necessary by the recent flood, beg leave
to submit the following report;
Realizing from the first the magnl-
tude of the work, together with the ex-
pense necessary to put the flooded dlS-
tricts of the city in a sanitary condl-
ton, we invited conference with lhs
county commissioners and obtained
from them an agreement to cooperate
with us and to share the expenses
equally with the city in this undertake
ing. .......,i--
sioners. all the flooded territory i'll
shawnee county was placed under our
suDervision. and Drs. Miller of Ross
willie. Frisby of Silver Lake. and Coun-
ty Physician Ellinger, were addeo 10
the board. -
The emergency was great. There was
imminent danger of a serious epldelnl-.
without quick action, and 1t was nee
essary to push the work day ana nISlI..
Owing to the urgent demand for labor
and the high prices that prevailed, 10 :
gather with the offensive character OIL
the handling and burning OF deau an
imals Workmen were hard TO secuIa
and we were compelled to pay from 81
TO 3716 cents per hour. Many OF the
men employed were untried and some
were incompetent. Some were employer
for short time, while others We're kept
for a longer period. This resulted in
long and complicated pay roll, but We
believe 1t was kept as accurately as
was possible under the circumstances.
We endeavored to protect the city
AGAINST extravaganza, and also to he
fair with those hired to do this un-
pleasant task The field of operation
extended over a vast amount of terri
tory, including the entire kaW valley
in Shawnee county.
The most serious problem with which
the board had to contend was the
burning of dead animals. North To-
peka and vicinity required the most at
tention. Many of the dead animals
lodged in North Topeka had hoated
down the river from the DISTRICTS
above AS far as was possible to Sc
cure a record of what our men &C
complished. the board disposed of. by
burning 725 horses, mules and cows.
SS3 hogs. 1859 calves, colts, goats and
dogs thousands of chickens, carload
of spoiled fish, several carloads or
dressed meat many tons of rotten veg
etables and perishable foodstuff, such
as -four. meal, bran, chop, and hay.
from elevators, mills, stores, kitchens.
barns. etc
To accomplish this our men were or
ganized into gangs of from eight to
:. twenty men EACH under the direction
OF foreman. Members Of the board
visited the districts daily and gave
personal supervision and direction II
the men. Meetings Were held every
night at the Office OF the city physician.
and each days reports were received
and directions given for the following
day. The work was not only urgent
but very offensive. The dead animals
were In a high state of decomposition
Many of them were inaccessible. being
submerged in water, buried in sand ard
drifts. and hidden in barns where they
could not be reached on account of the
water and quicksand. Each day added
to the offensiveness of the work ans
the danger of an epidemic, and we were
compelled to push it to an early COM
pletion. This required the employment
of an average of loo men for ten daya
and cost the city and county for labor
alone 3.S07-36
To dispose of the dead animals by
burning required 26 barrels of tar, and
1900 gallons Of coal oil. Tools for the
workmen were provided. as well as
horses and wagons when necessary. Tbs
board also gave personal supervision &c
the refugees who were brought over the
river in boats and lodged in the Au1i-
torium the two court houses halls an6
various churches, furnishing medical at
tention where needed. and giving care
full supervision to the sanitary condition
of these places, requiring all drinking
water to be boiled and furnishing means
for doing it. Rules and regulations fol
the guidance of residents in the flooded
districts, in matters OF sanitation. were
printed and posted up in various places
Our efforts have been to protect oul
city and county from a serious epidemic
which would inevitably have resulted
from less vigilant action. The total ex-
pense incurred by this board for all It's
work in Shawnee county amounts Il
s452125. of which the city and county
share equally