The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-20
MUST Clean Up,
City of Sedan Gets Orders From
State Board of Health.
Septic Tank Furnishes Material
for Town Row.
CRUMBTNE'S REPORT.
REPORT.
Says That Alleys Are Full of
Garbage and Refuse.
More Dangerous to Health Than
the Septic Tank.

been built near the center of town, and
DR.. S. j. Crumbine, of Topeka, secretary
of the state board of health, togethre
with Charles D. WEIGH. attorney for
the board, have just completed an in
vestigation of the conditions there and
made a report.
In substance the report is that the
septic tank is a bad thing, but that
Sedan had better clean the garbage out
of it's alleys before it bothers much
about the tank.
DR.. Sara E. Greenfield, bacteriologist
of the board of health, is making some
examinations of water which it is claim
ed is Infected by the tank, and chemical
analyses of the water. with also be made.
| If the water proves to be infected, DIR.
Crumbine will instruct the county health
officer to have the nuisance abated.
| 1t seems that Sedan felt the need of
| good sized hotel. There were people
| ready to build a hotel, but they first
| insisted upon some sort of sewerage ia
cilities. So the people decided to build
a sewer for the benefit of the hotel, and
build septic tank as the outlet for the
| sewer. People living near the septic
tank have been kicking since hot wealth
| er commenced. They kick as hard as
the citizens of Topeka who live near the
old cemetery and city dump. The fuss
grew and f1ourished until it involved
pretty much all the population of Sedan.
One faction lined UP with the hotelkeep-
ers, and the other with the people who
kicked. Politics have become mixed up
| in the row, and it threatens to be the
| issue of all local elections.
Among other things, lot of damage
suits have been filed by people who
claim that the value of their property
| has been diminished by the location of
| the tank. If it is shown that the septic
| tank is a nuisance, the city will have
| some big judgments to pay.
| However. DR.. Crumbine takes a hard
| fall out of this town row" when he
says in writing to DR.. w. T. Court
| wright, the county health officer of
Chautauqua county:
| Permit me to say that 1 noticed sew
| eral conditions in your city that in my
| judgment are quite as serious menace
| to the health of your citizens. if not
more so, than the doors emanating from
! this tank. / refer to the heaps of gar
| bage and decomposed animal and vege-
| table matter back of several of the res
| taurants, and in the alleys along the
business portion of the town. In one
place in particular the odor was quite
as offensive as the odore from the tank,
and on which there Were SWarms of
| flies feasting which went from this pes
tilential nursery to alight and feast on
! the food of your citizens, carrying in
| lection on their legs, wings, etc. There
| fore order you, az county health offi-
Ger, to see that these nuisances are
1
| DR.. Crumbine's report on his find
| ings at Sedan is in part as follows:
I'm company with the boards at
torney, Mr.. c. D. WEIGH of Coffeyvtlle,
1 visited Sedan for the purpose OF in
vestigating the complaint as brought
to my notice in a petition sent by your
| local board of health to this Office.
| Our expert sanitary engineer, Prof.
Marvin, was away on his summer vaca-
ton or he should have been sent for
this investig ation instead of myself, as
do not claim to be an expert on septic
tank construction and operation.
Arriving at your city on Saturday
evening, July Is, and accompanied by
a number of parties interested, we
went to make a preliminary examina-
| ton of the conditions as complained OF
in the petition. When within about Il
| half block of the location of the tank,
I first discovered a foul and offensive
odor arising therefrom. In the invest1-
cation made that evening and one
made the following morning, we found
that the filter beds were not being
nronerlv flushed as originally designed
and that therefore they were not ac-
complishing the proper nitrification of
| the contents of the tank. 1t was dis
covered also that the effluent which
flowed into the ravine nearby, while
perfectly clear, yet had distinct Of
fensive odor.
'"The city and citizens of Sedan
should be commended for their efforts
|
tif1c manner, and it must be admitted
that most, if not all of the cities Of
the state that have sewage systems,
empty the sewage directly into the
streams, which can have but one eff
feet, that of polluting them. 1t must
be admitted, however, that the loca-
ton of this septic tank and filter beds
! it most unfortunate one, being so
close by the residence portion of your
city, for while theoretically there
should be very little offensive odor from
such plants if properly constructed
and in perfect operation, yet practical
ly there is more or less odor, which of
necessity is of offensive character.
Therefore in consideration of that fact,
such plants should be located at such
distance from the residence portion Of
the city that before the odor would
reach the nostrils OF the people 1T
would be inoffensive and unnotfced be-
cause of its dilution in the atmosphere.
1.-THE petition alleges that the water
in the said locality has been poisoned,
polluted and impregnated with the
termined without a meteorological and
chemical examination. You will there
fore obtain one gallon Of water from
each of the two nearest wells. placing
the same in a sterile jug, and sealing
with wax, and express to DR.. S. E.
Greenfield, 21O West Sixth street.
Topeka, charges prepaid.
t'That the gases that emanate from
lIii5 sSptIc tdHk aAC AtAAH c6AAoeco VII
the germs of disease and may produce
typhoid fever and other meteorological
diseases can not be successfully main
tanned, as infectious or contagious
diseases of that character are not con-
veyed through the medium of gas.
Indeed it is doubtful whether even the
nearest residences would get the gas
| in sufficient quantities to produce any
| specific disease and I am quite sure
that your citizens may apprehend no
danger along that line. However, this
proposition is true, that by the Of
fensive doors which not only disturb
the peace of mind of those inhaling the
same but blunt the appetite, com
polling them to have their windows
| closed. as evidence was produced to
THAT effect. would produce facilitating
/ and depressed condition of the sys-
4ey, ~, xzrr,r.Id m AXE IL an easy xar-eyf