The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-08-12
Cps aalMftmaA ans Saais,or.
WEDNESDAY,. AUGUST u. 1908.
THE MOSQUITO PEST.


cor" II Is timely. and while all OF
cur citisens are sufYiciently informed Of
eAs sxistence Of the trouble complain
ID Of not to require any further re-
mindsr. we hops, u will be generally
rsad with the view that some good
nay result.
Whether our health officer is d.
rsctiy entitled TO the blame. as placed
~ ~viator." We have some doubt:
oot along with others. beginning with
ehs city authorities. We think ne and
ehsy should have discovered before
ehis. whore . large supply OF mosqui-
tess are brsd. and that some measures
should have been taken to remedy the
trouble.
II takes but . small quantity Of
water 10 breed enough mosquitoes to
annoy . whole household. an empty
slA can ~ bottle standirg upright and
part1y nlied with water being sum-
etsnt sad there may be some Of these
htdden about In out-of-the-way places
eAat may have escaped our visilant
health omcer. But the city has pro-
v>dsd breeding places isi almost every
Uervst from which. Il IL the opinion
ef the writer. the largest proportion
90 the pests come.
Tho terra Gotta drainage pipes that
Aavo been put down all over the city
have become DISTRACTED In places and
eAs rain water thus damned up and
held There, from one rain TO another
--ssustimes several weeks. will breed
encush mosauitoes 20 invade every
hosse In the city. II there were no
ether breeding places.
The principal cause OF this trouble
3 that In putting down the terra cot
q drain pipes no precaution has been
eAksa 10 keep tho sand and floating
Trash from sotsring the pipes. the
ehsory being. that Il will wash out.
10 any one who win think one
DlRuts u win be quite plain that this
eanaot bs. Those who cannot or
Wsil not think can have evidence Of the
eAce that the sand collects and re-
unains Al along In the drain. by look
,ns at the open drains along the
serset sadsa These drains are made
- osmsat aad are hard and a.
snoosh - shs, terra Gotta. but the
sanA u aot washed out.
Take . waak On any street where
~ terra ee<ts pips has been put
Nswn sa1 ysa wiii sss that the ends
: se'Sns~Ssv~ ssa sethAr epsninsp for
- 'vse~ - level xith. and :. In
Oony p>eoee bslsw. the bottom OF
- gut>pr. Sxifh 10 Intervening sand
- ~ sssnns svsrything, goes in.
vnlss = nay - . asatns board or
~ usns - ,ong to enter. In many
D,osus tAs spssth Of the pipe 10 half
uhee yste Aast "a .~.sa
SAss v&t 'psss5 havs Sssn eatrsly
sAoxsa ~ SsA mat Whole street
No. bass besn dag up and rslaid
- hsasy szpsSss. = well known to
evWy cetfseH. Yst the rslaid pipe
- tssp pu< dswa In the same way
- Ssfsrs rsd me 'Aiiias Up process
sGnAa sss1akAsrsd. S,fh
IN = vtsssss1sd tkas noss psoe,.
Mo- wk& ssnd srar ~ and what
: s'tsr. n - arss dsys Of putting
osen csvsssA arsias ~ hsd. them
oee = svuy opeaihs. but the mis-
sRhs Sis ssalS a baliding them
Ss<snas q vsa - ssd.s- -ot brick and
ssnsss&. go 4hsyrhsid' watst like bot
~ and tssrished breeding places
90 asbssstssG !, Co@pixints BECAME
- stSssS sAsdt txs. 'nse&squitoss thss
.e.sss~A u sstrsetiAs .ths esnstruction
- ths sssA sfseA ~. osAistsag the
wNase tgSt bo<t6m. they were sbollsh-
- aseSssAss. ADD the mosquito pools
were traasessrsA 'trom the mouth TO
IL istsrser sf the drains.
= rAs writer has discussed this mat
- with several city o6iciais. but has
APPARENTLY never succeeded In get
M ose 10 80 the Importance Of prac-
oeAbs,sty Of the suggestions made.
When u was decided that the city
nssded city engineer and did elect
enc u vas hoped that he might take
q erxcticai view Of this matter of
proper construction Of city drainage;
est soon after getting into office he
vas charged with the inspection of
the sewerage work. and other i'm
portant drainage jobs and has not
had time TO think OF the wiggle-tail
and mosquito incubators. We hope
he may get there before long. In the
meantime we welcome "viator" to