The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-28
Plumbing in an Unsafe and I'm
sanitary Condition.
REPORT.
Applies to High School, Polk,
Sumner, Clay, Garfield, Lincoln
The City Prison Also Has Bad
Sanitation.

Menninger, shows that in the High
school, Polk school, Sumner school,
Clay school, Garfield school and Lin
coin school, the plumbing for the
closets is of a most imperfect and dan
gerous character. and should be i'm
mediately condemned by the city
board of health and taken from the
buildings
This evening the board of health
will meet to consider Mr.. Chaney's
report, which is accompanied by a
statement from DR.. c. F. Menninger,
chairman of the board of plum bling
inspectors and also chairman of the
dennis the Smead system of latrine
closets in most severe terms. It is
the Smead system which has been
adopted by the Topeka board of edu-
cation in every instance.
Mr. Chaney's report mentions also
the deplOrable condition of the plumb
ing at the city prison. 1t is well
known that the condition of the closets
in the cell room is frightful, and the
other closets in the building are none
too good. The Dutton house also
comes in for condemnation. The Sani-
tary arrangements at Bethany college
have also been OVerhauled, and found
to be unsatisfactory.
DR.. Menninger said this morning:
we do not desire any conflict with the
board of education. I believe, how
tary arrangements in the public
schools has been very much neglect
ed. Previous boards of health have
neglected 1t, and the board of educa-
purchasing a very inferior kind of
latrfne closets, which cost just as
much, and possible more, than a sani-
tary individual system of closets.
I have written to twelve superin-
tendents of city schools in various
large cities, and twelve plumbing in
spectors in large city, asking them
for information about their expert
ence with latrine closets All but two
condemn the latrine closets in severe
terms. Those two use a different sys-
tenn of latrtne closets from what is
used in Topeka
The plumbing board has no author
ity to condemn old plumbing, and or
der it replaced. That is an action
which must be taken by the board of
health. The plumbing inspector will
therefore report his findings to the
board of health, and it rests with the
board of health to order the board of
education to replace the defective
plumbing if it is deemed necessary.
The following are the reports which
will be submitted this evening to the
board of health:
Topeka, kan, April %. 1904.
To the Members of the City Board of
Health.
Gentlemen: hand you herewith re-
port made by Mr. E. A. CLANCY, the
plumbing inspector, to the city board
Of plumbing examiners on the SAM
tary condition of some of our public
buildings and refer the same to you for
your careful consideration.
The Latrine water closets establish
ed in our public schools are unsanitary
on account of the following defects:
F'irSt-There is a large exposed soil
ing surface which is intended to be
washed by jets of water from two hori-
zontally placed perforated pipes. These
perforations are too far apart and so
small that they in a very short time
become closed from the sediments IN
the water. Four-fifths of them are
stopped UP all the time. This soiling
surface is therefore unwashed and
there will adhere to it fecal matter and
toilet paper which are not washed
away by the flush.
Second-The fecaI matter does not
drop into enough water to be sub
merged For that reason when the
closets are in use, the room is filled
with bad odors Notwithstanding the
fact of the seat ventilation through the
stack heaters.
This mode of seat ventilation is I'M
sanitary for several reasons.
First-The fire in the stack heaters
cannot be kept uniforly not enough
at all times TO maintain a current OF
sufficient velocity to pull the foul air
from the room. At times these heaters
may be neglected and the fires allowed
to die out. The pulling of the not ar
in the cold ducts under floor condenSeS
the moisture and this condensation ac-
cumuIates and lies in these ducts in
direct communication with the room
Under certain conditions of the atmos-
phere and with certain velocity OF Wlno
there are down draughts in these CHM
neys which drives all foul air PACK
into the ROOM The running of VentI-
latine pipes into brick fiueS should not
be countenanced as the pr3cks, llls
and plaster will absorb the gas and
moisture coming in contact with them
The vents from the traps are run into
chimneys and soon become ciogged
with SCOT
rThird-These I4atrine closets are fur
Their unsanitary in that the nauseous
and unwholesome and filthy odors, va
pors and gases emanating from the dls-
charges of persons while using the
closets will rise and battle the bodies
of, and be inhaled by, all adjoining
persons occupying these closets
Fourth-They are unsanitary on ac-
count of the flushing which is ineth-
cient in quantity, frequency and force
The frequency can be readily improV-
ed so also may the quantity be i'm
| proved in part, but the force necessary
to thoroughly cleanse these troughs
cannot be obtained in the manner in
which it is applied. The force of the
water is dissipated before it reaches
even the third stall and hence it i5
powerless for removal of the fecal de-
posits the rest of the way, in the most
sanitary manner True it floats it down
into the hopper but with such feeble
force that much remains adhering to
the sides and bottom of the trough
The lack of force in the water also al
lows a sediment of focal matter to &C
curnulate in the bottom of the trap at
the end of the trough.
would put my condemnation upon
| these closets from an esthetica1 stand
point It is debasing and degrading to
allow fecal accumulation 10 be deposit
ted and then to float IN plain view
This should be deposited into a large
body of water and Immediately dis
charged into sewer.
Every school building having these