The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-03-23
iDViNTlGE or ORANGE.
Tt HSEY CREEK HOLDS KEY TO
SUMTER'S HEALTH.
Prr~ilent OF sumter Board of Health
ECUds an Able Paper on Subject
Iciore Sumter Chamber Of Com
nCrce.

d- tin for the entire Eastern section
~ Su inter, with Washington street
'as tho dividing line between the
two slctions; and Turkey Creek also
Or U,s that section of the city West
o., ,v shington, lying between North
Wash lgton and Church streets. So
thg, lis canal is the outlet for all
surta.o drainage for not less than
three ;ourths of the city.
Into Turkey Creek empty miles of
lateral drains, including open bitches,
ou1crground pipes, and surface
drains, draining many miles of
streets and hundreds of acres of
icW l- IDS within the city.
l't' this same canal empty also
many niles OF open bitches along the
public roads outside of Sumter, drain
ing my miles of public roads and
thousands OF acres of low lands out
side of the city from a distance Of
two miles north OF Sumter to several
miles south of Sumter. as far as the
Moses Farm.
So mat IL can be easily seen that
unless Turkey Creek is kept In con-
diti0U whereby there will be con-
sta0t and rapid flow of water at all
lines absolutely unimpeded by OBJ
structtCn In this canal. the entire
lateral drainage system of three
Courths OF the city of Sumter Is TO a
great extent useless or the drainage
system OF the city is rendered very
inadequate because the great guam
titles % water carried by the lateral
Grains from three-fourths OF the city
Il not carried away as fast as II
be and the unavoidable result
Is that the water Is backed up in
thesc II teral drains for days. and some
tircs Or weeks. and furthermore a
very urge expanse of territory within
the ci.v below North and South Har-
..via s.~l cts. and in direct line from
where Warren street intersects North
'c-t looking East is frequent
iF Oe.,go,. 4 with water from Turkey
Greek SIMPLY because this canal Is
ueitaet t,.I enough to furnish sufn-
Vient tsN nor wide enough to
,h0id tH eat quantities of water
'uddcD,y r. hing into the canal du-
ring @ tcc'y rain.
The iI. able results of these
otcl''us 80 acres of land not only
within thc lty. but Immediately ad-
tacoct thereto outside of the city
Nhes S.1- nant waters for a sufi-
eisnt icrrtH OF time to breed mos
quitos bv 'ro millions. The woods I'm
tnt r.l o.ii outside of the city are
great nI.." ng places of these in
SOS .u '", lands overhowed by Tur-
tE 'r ANAL, or holding water
>hcEus ,H- drainage facilities of
- ~ A"u. e insufficient to properly
=. =. n ~. Indreds of acres of low
80 ...- II to this canal.
49, ' idea of the difference in
- ''. the land between TLr-
~ ,r. anal ani the portion of
\ 'lntor Is on higher ground 1t
- r'' ertained by a civil en-
~ he bottom of Turkey
CrsS ~ four feet lower than
a'HNd b. street at the A. c. l..
Pasfeucrr pot.
81" '... an be easily figured out
Ni.h ".. pidity great vos6mes of
3 -.tr ',. hree fourths of Sumter
rush '. BE- this canal after or du-
ring .r ain. and shows how the
"a.'' l, sed up in the lateral
ga. n,. many days and becomes
ng place for mosquitoes.
I0- lich Turkey Creek plays
tn ,. u,r ant question OF surface
ID iAE' learly demonstrated to
any nn will investigate almost
"-- ct o.. teral drains or low lands
Cd. ~ section of Sumter and
..rtNui1' ear Turkey Creek canal
th.re another feature In con-
n uu ..'' his problem aside from
'r--ase E.ira age. That Is the i'm
'" l,arrc { underground drainage
rH'.t D.. important bearing up
a 'eD' nditions.
t q" absence of any sewer
fftcn )r many years Sumter
n .rn't'. the unsanitary but only
p N nod OF sewage disposal
1' cess pool or dry well"
lnately for Sumter the
sub-soil has acted as a
wage and drainer for
ols taking off most of
!, -. But after all the
o. thrown around the dis
o. 20 by the cess pool sys-
III