The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-06-12
WILL line OBJECTIONABLE
~
BRANCH WITH PYRITEs
Measures Only Temporary, However,
and seweris only Permanent Solu-
, tion-Do Not Believe City Should
Stand Expense Of Condition For
Which College is Responsible.

nOunced the planS by winch tney Will
prevent a continuance Of the unsani-
tary conditions that have resulted
from the outflow of the septic tank at
the Normal College. They are as fol-
lows.
I. A strong wire fence will be
built around the branch through
which the impure water flows.
This will be done as soon as the
commissioners can obtain the con-
sent OF the property owners
through which the branch flows,
and the result will be to make II
impossible for cows or other stock
to have access to the water.
2. AS double precaution, the
commissioners will line the banks
Of the branch with pyrites, which
contains an acid that Is distastefui
to cattle, and they will not drink
the water.
8. The city engineer will make
a thorough investigation Of the
condition of the septic tank with a
view to making this tank more san.
itary.
q. Oil will be poured over the
branch to prevent the breeding Of
mosquitoes.
The commissioners made it plain to
laay that they had never been informed
! as to the unsanitary condition at the
{ Normal College until they read it in
The News.
The ouly time the matter had ever
been called to their attention by any
of the neighbors was last summer
when they were asked to take steps tc
prevent the breeding of mosquitoes
They did this promptly by having oil
poured on the water.
Not only that, but septic tanks such
as the one now used at the Normal
College are used by the United States
government in Havana and other cities
where better sewerage is impractical
and the use OF such tanks is endorsed
by the governments. The contents
of the tanks is subject to a chemical
process, which, if it works properly
should discharge water free IRON
harmful bacilli. For this reason the
commissioners believe there is some
thing wrong with the Normal College
tank and they have directed engineer
!. J. H. Putnam to make a thorough in
vestigation of the matter. 1t is ex
Hected his report will be ready tomor
row.
These precautions, the commission
ers believe, will bring immediate re
lief and will prevent any typhoid OF
malaria that might have resulted from
the existing conditions as told about II
The News.
The commissioners agree, however
THAT these measures are merely tenn
porary, and that the only permanent
solution of the problem is sewer line
The city has no money with which t'
buiId the sewer line, and If 1t did, th'
commissioners are not ready to say
tbev would do it, because they be''eV'
Hattesbura has contributed l'neral'l
to the building and support OF the IN
stitution and that inasmuch as the un
sanitary condition has resulted en''rel
from the Normal College, they are no
ready to advocate an additional Ia
on the taxpayers of Hattiesours 10
abe Normal College sewer
EThey believe, further, that the s'ep
~ will take within the next lev
days will be entirely sufficient for tn
next several months and that amp.
time should be given for considers
ton of who should pay for building I'll
sewer .Aor,d h
They do not believe there shouia = =
any unnecessary delay however, ever, an an
they are agreed that the conui' ~,
never be permanently and thorousn, ,
.s.ortlv adjusted until 1e"e