The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-10-10
MUNICIPAL ENGINEERS ARE IN
 ETH ANNUAL CONVENTION HERE
ZemiSOn Talks AbOnt
 EuYOpean SfYeet Cars

Robert Jemison. president of the Bir- mingham Railway, Light and Power company, who has just returned from two months in Europe, yesterday dis eussed the difference between the Euro pean street railways and those n America
 T think said MT. Jemison. "that the street railway systems in Europe arc better adapted to their needs than our street railways would be, and I likewise think that ours are better adapted to our needs than theirs would be.
 "The European does not need such fast transportation as we do. He has time on his hands, and does not need to rush to his office in a hurry as does the Ameri- can. We are essentially a people of limited time, and we want to move rap idly
 'In Europe a double-deeker street car Is all right. The native will willingly climb to the second story, but an Ameri- can would not stand such a thing In his own land Another thing Is their cars move slow enough to permit a double decker whereas ours are too fast for more than one story. Streets are nar-
 
 cannot get from reading its proceedings. They must be present and participate in It's deliberations to be able to appreciate its character and the aspirations of it's members
 Alter the presidents address, Secretary Tilson made his report of the finances of the society, and the regular order of business was taken up. The report of the committe on exhibits which was to have been read by Chairman R. K. Davis, was postponed as was the report of the com mittee on Municipal Data and Statistics" and Fire Protection.
 Alcide Chausse, chief of bureau of build ing inspection of Montreal, Canada, was absent, but his paper on Standard Thread for Fire Hose and Hydrant Couplings" was received and spread on the minutes with the recommendation that the stand ard set forth be adopted.
 On Yellow Fever . The paper of absorbing interest heard during the afternoon was prepared by J. N. Hazlehurst consulting engineer of Mobile and was entitled Yellow Fever and Sanitation" In the absence of MT. Hazlehurst the paper was read by the secretary.
 Following is the more important part of the paper.
 'rhe first opportunity in the United States for testing the so-called mosquito theory came during the summer of 1903, at Laredo, Tex, from infection traced to rampico, Mexico.
 At the time, Laredo contained a popu- lation of some 1s.0O0 residing on the Texas side of the Rio Grande river and about 5000 persons living on the Mexican sec tion Neither town possessed either storm or sanitary sewers, and their watcr sup ply was furnished by a chartered cor- roration from the turbid river, and was deficient both in quantity and quality. while the rates were such as to render it's general use impossible to the poorer in- habitants and it's character such as large ly to forbid its consumption by others Hence the almost universal use of cis- terms. casks and other receptacles con cernng which Marine hospital surgeon of ficialy reported that as a breeding place for mosquitoes anu especially the ste gomyia fasciata, it would be difficult to improve them
 "In the same report, he also stated that this species were found In enormous num- bers and widely distributed. Shortly after this outbreak te Marine hospital au- thorities assaa a6trol. immediately in- auguratins 1 .aG experimental work of fumigating btaiG lgs; screening clsierns and the oillng of poois, gutters and other likely breeding places of mosquitoes. Ac- eording to an official report, so thorough ly was the work of destroying mosquitoes and especially the work of oillng contain ,.la. IgNfsg Aasl that an officer of the service detailed in Laredo to study infected yellow fever mosquitoes, could mot find, after dilisent search, enough stegomyia in the adult larval or pupal stages to carry on his work
 "In Laredo, from September, l9O3 10 March, 1904, there had been upward or a thousand cases of yellow fever with about 1G per cent mortality but for the first tine in history, the disease had been con quered before a killing frost.
 In New Orleans.
 During the late epidemic in New Or leans similar conditions largely existed. only d limited section of the city being provided with sub-drainage, while all DOT tions of the city were without sanitary sewers The distributing system of the water works was entirely inadequate and the water supply being unfiltered carried in suspension ordinarily as much as four tons of sedime1 tary matter 10 each mil lion gallons of water, resulting Tn the almost universal use of cisterns, casks and such containers as may be inferred from pr Whites report that at the com mencement of the epidemic there were in use in the city of New Orleans sixty eight thousand clsterns. Despite the head way gained by the fever there before the commencement of remedial action, and the adverse sanitary conditions. after 335J cases of yellow fever, resulting IF 459 deaths tre disease was eradicated and all quarantine restrictions removed for more than a month prior to the first heavy frost
 .'While the triumph of science was again complete, the costs of victory were heavy, several hundred thousand dollars having been expended during the campaign, while indirect losses could hardly be estimated.
 From the record of the past, two facts have been absolutely demonstrated. First: That complete isolation and non intercourse from and with the outside world to be secured through unceasing vigilance can prevent a first infection of any community without the tropics. Sec ond. That after infection and even under the most unfavorable circumstances and conditions energetic remedial measures directed upon scietifc principles as now
 Persons will never know what
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