The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-31

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Birmingham is thoroughly aroused over
the dust evil.
The situation is pronounced worse than
lever before. The doctors are sounding
warning and citizens are determined to
have a remedy for present conditions.
The suggestion was made yesterday
that Birmingham should be put upon
the same basis as West End and Elyton,
where a large part of the street sprink-
ling is done by the electric sprinkling
car of the Birmingham Railway Light
and Power company at the company's
expense.
/ 1t is everywhere acknowledged that the
streets have never before been so dusty.
The Medical society is sounding a health
something must be done to prevent an
epidemic of diseases traceable to dust
irritation. Nose and throat specialists
state that there is already an epidemic of
diseases of the breathing organs and
that the situation is growing alarming.
Whole City Suffering
The whole city is suffering The down
town streets are clouds of dust because
of the heavy traffic and the merchants
are all complaining of the damage being
done to their stocks of goods. South
Twentieth street is almost impossible be-
cause of dust each afternoon and even
ing. Highland avenue, probably the most
popular drive in the city for automobiles
and vehicles, is suffering more from
dust than ever before. Third avenue,
the route most travelled by street cars
toward the car barns, is almost unendur-
able. First avenue out toward Avondale
is little better. Fifth avenue looks like
a perpetual dust storm, and thus it goes
over the whole city.
| And the seven street sprinklers owned
by the city are attempting to cope with
| the enemy. Probably the territory that
is faring best is First avenue out through
Elyton and West End 1t is in these
suburbs that the street railway COM
pany is assisting in keeping the dust
down with its sprinkling car. These sub
urbs have suffered from dust in the past
and before they came into Birmingham
they passed laws compelling the Birming-
ham Railway, Light and Power company
to keep the dust laid for certain dis
lance on each side of its street railway
tracks. These ordinances are still in force
and are being obeyed, the company using
large electric sprinkling car, but the
only territory covered is that which was
until recently embraced in those suburbs.
| Problem stilI Serious
But even with the street car COM
pany sprinklng that part of the street
included within its tracks the dust
problem is a serious one in these towns
on account OF the roadways being sew
cral inches deep in dust Each passing
vehicle raises a cloud of dust which
requires several minutes to settle and
with wagons and automobiles passing
every minute or two it creates practi-
cally perpetual dust cloud
Elyton made an arrangement which
worked we'll while that town was a
municipality. 1t was I'm the nature of
a compromise with the Birmingham
Railay, Light and Power company for
| the payment of SIS per month as the
| company's share of the expense of
sprinklng. This was paid each month
during the year and the contract u
still in force, having been turned over
Ito Birmin CHAM with the other proper
ties of Elyton on the first of the year.
The street car company also provided
| the town of Elyton with sprinkling
cart
At present the Birmingham Railway.
Light and Power, company is paying
one third of the cost of sprinkling the
| streets which its lines traverse. AS tho
city sprinkies only part of the down
town section this leaves the residence
sections without sprinkling CT any kind.
Even on those lines along which
the street car company sends It's sprnk
! Ter car it Is complained that the car
| is operated at such long intervals that
IL is practically useless, the streets be-
ing as dusty a couple of hours after
being sprinkled as they We're before.
Comments BY Physicians
Interesting comments were made yes
/ terday by men in position to know the
dangers OF allowing the dust practical
lly full sway. City Health OFFICERS Dr.
r. Il. Hardness In his monthly report to
the Mayor yesterday said: THE clouds
j of binding dust that so frequently fill
our streets are not only great incon-
yer n nee to our citizens, but the cause
of many cases Of illness. In addition
to this, the property damage done by
dust is not small 1t would no doubt
nay the business mon in the thickly
i populated districts to form co-opera-
tive association to bear the small ex-
lpense OF keeping our principal streets
well sprinkled."
Sone of the prominent physicians
who make a speciality of eye ear, nose
and throat diseases seen yesterday
think something must be done to abate
the dust evil. DI. George IL. Stubbs
| said: THE universal prevalence of dust