The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-06-01
MIR. REiRDON REPLIES.
Health Officer Explains His Position
In Regard to Oakland Sewer.
Editor Daily Item:

Mr.. II. B. Jenkins in his letter TO
| City Council said that | had told him,
| or rather to use his own statement,
I'VE are informed by Mr.. Reardon,
| and we have every reason to believe
| his statement, that every day spent in
this community is at a grave risk TO
! life, on account of the total absence
Of any kind of disinfectants being
used, and the hundred of thousands of
flies swarming in and out of the sew
err ! asked Mrs. Williamson yesterday
morning about this matter and she
said that she had not told Mr.. Jen-
kins that l said there was never any
| disinfectantS used.
Mrs. Williamson is correct in a
sense because she possibly inferred
| from my explanation to her of the
menace Of an open sewer that it was
practically impossible to disinfect an
open sewer with any reasonable ex-
| pectation Of killing all disease bear
| ing germs because in one of the open
| sewer lines there was a slow and slug
gish flow of exposed sewage which
| carried off the disinfectants, yet was
| slow enough to permit of flies light
| Ing in the sewage, or on the i'm
pregnated soil around the pipes. Mrs
Williamson called up Mayor Jennings
| while 1 was at her house, at my re-
| quest and informed him that she
had called me in herself and asked
me to tell her whether the open sew
er was menace to the health of the
| people of that neighborhood Mr.
jenkins never opened his mouth to
me about that open sewer until YES
terday morning when / spoke to him
about his letter which created the
| impression that l had misrepresented
matters about the disinfectants. He
| admitted then that he was saying
what he understood some one else to
| say.
! Any one who had been watching
| the conditions in and around the
broken pipes and particularly in the
| part of the excavations where crude
| sewage remains for days in a stag
nant condition can realize the men,
| ace to health. If this sewage remain
ed steady and did not flow off carry
ing the disinfectants then the germi-
cides would naturally kill the germs.
But If you have an open sewer which
gradually empties itself every few
hours, filling up again with crude sew
age in which there in no disinfectants
why the Aios lighting ON the crude
to public hea..h # there Is anything
in the theory Of flies carrying disease
bearing germs.
On May 8, the Board OF Health de-
cided that these open sewers were
menace to the public health, and on
that day addressed a letter to the
city authorities calling attention to
the danger. So how could I do other
wise than say that they are a menace
when my superior officers condemned
the open sewers.
work on the repairs to the sewer
was stopped on the morning Of May
4th. l have placed all Of the disin-
fectants in the sewer which could do
any good. Mr.. White has also done
the same thing, and the open sewers
have been closed SO that no flies may
enter the same. This was done yes
terday. Two aldermen informed me
that the City Council ordered the ex-
cavations closed over two weeks ago.
There is a difference of opinion as to
whether these open sewers are a men,
ace. 1 was governed by the opinion
Of the Board OF Health and did not
presume to create the impression that
1 knew enough to express an opinion.
City Council passed resolutions con-
demning me. Mr.. Jenkins has right
20 protest. He wrote what he thought
l had said His error does not change
the conditions. He would not inten-
tiOnally misrepresent me or any one
else. He has right to demand the
proper safeguarding of his health,
and that Of his family, and his ten
ants. 1 never voluntarily offered any
information to any one about the
open sewers. l carried out the orders
of the Board of Health. Chairman j.
p. Booth, of the Public Works Com
mittee has >OOperated with me in hay