The Survey, Volume 30, Number 3, Apr 19, 1913Various
History
The Survey, Volume 30, Number 3, Apr 19, 1913
Various
Charities -- Periodicals; Social problems -- Periodicals; United States -- Social conditions -- Periodicals
At about the time this work was started, a reconstruction department was
organized, under the Citizens Relief Committee, with divisions, each
under an engineer, assigned to street cleaning, sewers and drains,
streets, and levees. By March 31, the removal of dead animals had been
practically completed, and the organization and equipment of the
sanitary department were merged with those of the street cleaning
division of the reconstruction department. Sanitary notices directed
that all mud and rubbish be deposited at the curb, the city was divided
into districts and collection progressed rapidly, considering the wagons
and trucks available. More wagons could have been put into service, but
horses were lacking. All mud and rubbish was hauled to one of the
half-dozen city rubbish dumps located in low outlying sections, or was
dumped off bridges into the river. The employes of the city water works
department were able to get into the pumping station on March 28 and the
following day pumping was resumed. Dayton’s water supply comes from a
number of deep drilled wells along the Mad River. It is pumped direct
into the mains without storage, by means of a Holly vertical,
triple-expansion, crank and fly-wheel engine. This pump has given rise
to the local name of “Hollywater” applied to the city supply. It was
feared at first that the distribution system had been badly damaged, but
investigation showed that only three small mains had been broken. Water,
at reduced pressure, was therefore possible, except in one or two small
sections.
[Illustration:
AN IMPROVISED COMFORT STATION
]
Dayton water is exceptionally pure, but it was feared that there might
have been leakage of flood water into the pipes while the pressure was
cut off and so notices to “boil all water, even the Hollywater” were
posted. Samples were promptly taken for analysis from various portions
of the distribution system by the chemist of the National Cash Register
Company, the bacteriologist of the city Board of Health, and by the
State Board of Health, but the injunction to boil water was continued,
even though the first analysis was favorable.
The catch basins and storm sewers throughout the city were badly clogged
with wreckage and filth, and early cleaning was imperative. The city was
divided into seven drainage districts, and gangs of men and wagons
assigned to shoveling out catch basins and hauling the rubbish to the
dumps. At the same time systematic inspection of the sanitary sewerage
system was begun. It had been expected that the sewers would be clogged,
like the storm drains, and the early sanitary notices issued contained
these warnings:
IMPORTANT
Sanitary Notice
FOR YOUR OWN HEALTH
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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