USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Town annual report of Plymouth, MA 1875-1879 > Part 19
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"OFFICE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH,
STATE HOUSE, Boston, Dec. 12th, 1878. DR. J. B. BREWSTER : Dear Sir,-
At a meeting of the State Board of Health held Tuesday, December 10th, the brook in Plymouth was discussed. In the opinion of the Board, the best remedy for the nuisance is for the town to construct an adequate sewer; and if the opinion of the Plymouth Board of Health is that a sufficient nuisance is caused to justify such a measure, that Board is authorized by the statutes to require the house drainage and sewage to be removed from the pol- luted stream and to be otherwise disposed of, as they think the sanitary interest of the town demands.
It appears to us, so far as we can judge from its present condition, that an abatement of the nuisance is called for.
In behalf of the State Board of Health, Very respectfully yours,
CHARLES F. FOLSOM, SECRETARY."
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During the dry and hot weather the Board saw that the sew- ers were properly flushed and needed traps added. The con- dition of the slaughter houses of the town was investigated, and as the result of advice of the Board, promptly seconded by the owners, such system of removal of offal and use of disin- fectants was applied, as has relieved serious evils.
Under similar advise, at once acted upon, the sewer near the Old Colony railroad station, discharging itself near the freight depot, was extended to low water mark. One hundred and twenty notices have been sent to house holders, calling atten- tion to drains, cess-pools, or vaults demanding attention. And in fifteen cases where this first summons was not regarded, legal notice was served, securing under penalty of the law the removal of nuisances.
The first regulations passed by the Board were directed towards the welfare of the schools, in carrying out which they have been cordially assisted by the teachers, and especially by the Superintendent of Schools, whose ready co-operation they desire to acknowledge.
The regulation requiring vaccination, before admission to any of the schools, bas been generally complied with, but constant vigilance is required to prevent individuals from evading it.
The regulation excluding from the schools, for a specified time, all children of a family in which scarlet fever or diph- theria has occurred, has been rigidly enforced. In one case a child in the north part of the town died, after an illness of a few hours, of a very malignant form of scarlet fever. The Board of Health was at once notified and the promptest measures were taken. The body was immediately placed in a tight coffin, and the funeral was arranged for as early an hour as possible, no children being allowed to attend ; after which
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the house and all clothing were thoroughly disinfected and every precaution secured. The second case of the same disease occurred in the centre of the town, and, although mild, the other children of the family were detained from school. In both instances the prompt sanitary action prob- ably prevented the spread of this dread disease.
During the year whooping cough has prevailed to a great extent through all the lower grade schools, but it was so gen- eral when the Board came into office that they considered it useless to try to prevent or limit it. It has run its course. This was soon followed by an epidemic of measles, and antici- pating its extent, a circular was issued to the teachers, describ- ing the first symptoms of measles and urging to vigilance in excluding all children threatened with the disease from the schools. Notwithstanding these efforts, it has prevailed to a wonderful extent. One school of fifty-two pupils having forty- four cases. Statistics of numbers of pupils and cases of measles have been obtained from every school in the town. The spread of this disease by contact is shown. It prevailed in every school from Kingston line, through the town to Wellings- ley, where it was arrested. Of nine hundred and eighty pupils, four lfundred and eighty-seven had the disease, or nearly fifty per cent. of the whole number. But south of this point there was only one case. In addition to the five hundred cases in the schools, it is believed that there were at least two hundred others in the town; and from the seven hundred cases not a single death is reported, and but few persons suffered from the sequelæ, such as debility, weak eyes, &c.
The number of deaths in the town during the year of 1878, (excluding all who died in other places, but brought here for burial and registered here), is one hundred and twenty-four, which gives a death rate of nineteen and three-tenths per thou-
.
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sand. An analysis of these shows a diminution of the prevent- able diseases as compared with previous years, and that a larger proportion of aged people have died.
The following table contrasts the years of 1877 and 1878 :
1877.
1878.
Under five years of age.
27
17
Between seventy and ninety years, 29
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Over ninety years. 1 2
Causes of Death in the Years :
1877.
1878.
Consumption
15
15
Diphtheria
17
0
Cholera infantum, diarrhoa and Teething
8 6
Typhoid fever
0
1*
Dysentery
2
0
Scarlet fever
Q
1
*This case was reported to the Board of Health by the attending physicians as arising from a defective sink drain.
The other principal causes of death during the year are : accidental drownings, six; cancer, six; heart disease, ten ; pneumonia, nine.
Upon the whole, the general health of the town as compared with past years has been gratifying, and such as to stimulate still greater efforts in the direction of sanitary supervision.
The most important questions the Board has been called upon to determine, and which it desires to present to the town for their action, has arisen from the deplorable condition of the public sewers, already referred to. The examination made under the direction of the Board shows conclusively that the sewers were improperly laid and the need of a connected system ; and that their condition is one well calculated to lead ultimately to serious inconvenience and the injury of the public. To have relaid the sewers would have involved the town in great expense,
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which the Board was not authorized to do. The frequent flushing of the sewers from the hydrants, which was adopted as a temporary expedient, gave no Jasting relief from the un- pleasant odors. In several instances the traps at the sewers opening on the streets were found to be either wanting entirely, or so out of repair as to be of no service. These, when re- paired or restored, gave considerable but not complete relief. We consider it important that the town should take early and careful action on the sewerage question. The town should have a scientific and accurate survey made of the streets which need better sewerage facilities, and should direct that for the future no pipes be laid in the public streets except in accordance with a well considered plan, based on such survey. No private sew- ers should be permitted in the public streets hereafter, and the sewers should be under as complete and careful supervision as the water works. The fact that the woolen mills will shortly be enlarged and set in operation, and new tenement houses be built, and that the proprietors of the mills are ready to confer and unite with the town in the maintenance and laying of suit- able sewers, makes it necessary to act in this matter at an early day.
For the present, the Board is of opinion that the sewers should be placed under the control of the Water Commission- ers, and also recommend that a Special Committee be chosen, with instructions to present to the town at an early day, a sys- tem for future extension of sewerage facilities, for which pur- pose a suitable sum should be placed at their disposal to pro- cure the necessary surveys.
Some difficulty has been experienced in the suppression and prevention of nuisances and enforcement of health regulations, from the fact that there is a special statute applicable only to Plymouth, authorizing the town to choose a Board of Health,
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and for removing and preventing nuisances in said town, passed in 1809 ; and questions have been raised as to the applicability of the provisions of the general statutes and the supplementary acts to nuisances and violations of regulations within the town limits. The Board is of opinion that the public health can be best protected, and health regulations enforced, under the Gen- eral Statutes and subsequent acts, and that to prevent future complications, the selectmen should be instructed to petition the legislature for the repeal of chapter sixty-three of the acts of 1809, entitled, "An Act to empower the inhabitants of the town of Plymouth to choose a Board of Health, and for remov- ing and preventing nuisances in said town."
The clerical labor necessary to notify parties violating the health regulations is very considerable, and as the members of the Board serve without pay it seems proper that they should be authorized to employ a clerk at a small salary, not exceed- ing fifty dollars.
All the expenditures of the Board, amounting to eighty-one dollars and seventy-two cents for the year, have been approved by the selectmen and paid from the contingent fund, but it is desirable for the town to make a small appropriation to cover the necessary expenses which may be hereafter incurred by the Board. The sum of two hundred dollars would in our opinion be sufficient.
In anticipation of the construction of adequate sewers, to which all the houses in the more thickly settled part of the town may have access, we desire to warn our citizens against the introduction of drain pipes into old wells, or new cisterns, or " cesspools." It is a common impression that a "trap" in a drain pipe prevents the entrance, from the cess pools, of nox- ious gases to our houses, and renders the use of water closets, set basins and bath tubs thus arranged, safe. No greater error
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exists. The noxious gas will necessarily form in the closet deposit or cistern, and unless the escape of these gases, bearing disease with them, is provided for, as by pipes between the cisterns and a heated chimney, they must and will force their way through other channels, especially through the very " traps " relied upon for protection, and escape into the kitch- ens and sleeping and bath rooms of our houses. Experiments made in London with strong disinfectants placed in cess pools and drains and sewers, have resulted in the ready introduction of the smell of the disinfectant to all the houses connected with them, showing conclusively that such houses must, at all times, be more or less pervaded also with sewer gas. Probably in every community, like our own, a vast number of cases of sick- ness occur, some of them fatal, not traceable to any assignable cause, which are the direct result of noxious gases that find their way into the houses from sinks and drains and water closets.
The introduction of water into a town must be accompanied by a thorough system of sewerage, else serious evils will follow. Without proper outlets for the water passing through sinks and cess-pools, the whole ground in the vicinity of the houses be- comes saturated, and utimately breeds disease, and is the un- seen but ready agent for the spread of epidemics.
An instance has very recently occurred illustrating the dan- ger to which we allude. Among the sixty children making the constant family of a charitable institution for girls in Dorches- ter, Massachusetts, no case of typhoid fever had been known during the thirty or forty years of its existence, until the intro- duction of water, after the annexation of Dorchester to Boston. During the second year, however, after the introduction of water and the construction of water closets in the institution referred to, no less then fourteen cases of typhoid fever occurred there.
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We desire also to call attention to the very serious danger of living over wet or unventilated cellars. Let wet cellars be drained at whatever cost. Let all cellars, not in summer only, but in winter also, be well ventilated with windows, readily opened, arranged for a free draught of out-door air, otherwise the confined air becomes stagnant and foul, and forcing itself up through floors, and by the stairway, breeds disease.
With these commonplace suggestions we close our report.
Respectfully submitted,
ARTHUR LORD, WM. P. STODDARD, J. B. BREWSTER, F. N. KNAPP,
Board
of Health.
C. H. HOWLAND,
PLYMOUTH, March 1st, 1879.
WATER COMMISSIONERS.
The water commissioners respectfully present to the town their report of transactions for the year ending December 31st, 1878 :
*
There has been laid the past year, as appears by the report of the superintendent, five thousand eight hundred and thirty- seven feet of pipe, of sizes from two to six inches, nearly the whole being in accordance with direction of the town, expressed in a vote at the annual meeting in March, 1878.
The extension on Warren street, of four-inch, (two thousand four hundred and twenty-four feet), to the Clifford house, con- tributed the expected supply to that house, and by its connec- tion with the two-inch pipe that runs from Bramhall's corner, gives a greater and more uniform flow to the water takers on the line of the old beach road, and no complaint of a deficiency has been made from this locality. This extension crosses Eel river, the pipe being placed in a plank box, is packed in cement, and laid about three feet below the bed of the stream. This part of the work is thoroughly done, and no defect can possibly appear.
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The six-inch pipe put down on Oak and Samoset streets, extending from Davis street, (one thousand nine hundred and ten feet), was laid to a distance of two hundred feet from Court street. At this point the two-inch pipe, that was supposed to extend the whole length of Samoset street, was found to con- nect with four-inch, which it was deemed inexpedient to take up at present, and the six-inch pipe was joined to it. Any deficiency in the supply to the Court street main by this action is, in a great measure, made up by the delivery through Vernon and Cushman street pipes, the supply to them being from the six-inch main, by its connection at Davis and Allerton streets.
Minor extensions have been made, of two and three-inch pipe, (one thousand and ninety-five feet), the contemplated income from water rents in the localities being more than six per cent. of the cost of the work.
Stone drinking fountains have been purchased and set, at Wellingsley and Chiltonville, at a cost of one hundred and twenty-nine dollars and five cents, payment for them being made from the income, and is included in the items of current expenses.
CURRENT EXPENSES.
Salary of superintendent
$500 00
Collection of water rents
150 00
Stop cocks, lead pipe and plumbing
113 39
Rubber hose
31 00
Railroad freight and express
96 68
Carriage hire
116 50
Carting gravel on water course
48 15
Faucet boxes 25 52
White lead, oil and canvas
13 50
Amount carried forward $1,094 74
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Amount brought forward $1,094 74 Water barrels, rubber boots and tools. . . 39 30
Blacksmith bills 7 30
Lumber 50 94
Stone drinking fountains, and setting
129 05
Iron service pipe .
56 55
Press and cones for lining service pipe .. 53 00
Labor 664 99
Shop rent 50 00
C. Herschel for estimate on water supply,
20 00
Expense of committee on woolen mill ...
7 90
Surveying . 2 00
Printing water bills
18 00
Iron gates, tops and frames
74 28
Gates
25 50
$2,293 55
Cost of Extensions.
Wrought iron shell for pipe $881 97
Cement .
292 50
Freight on materials
110 36
Labor, trenching, lining and laying pipe.
1,201 36
Gates
129 00
Carting sand, pipe and cement
138 90
Carriage hire 43 00
Faucets, branches and soldering
36 13
Lumber and nails
26 17
Blacksmithing
10 92
$2,870 31
Amount expended during the year
$5,163 86
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RECEIPTS.
From water rents.
$9,511 75
Pipe laid for H. L. Cabot
136 69
Materials sold
6 60
Appropriation 1,000 00
$10,655 04
Expended.
Interest on water scrip
$5,400 00
Ordinary expenses
2,293 55
Extensions .
2,870 31
To account of sinking fund
91 18
$10,655 04
PROPOSED EXTENSIONS.
The increase of buildings on Fremont street for a few years past has been so great that the water pipe laid several years ago, and which, at the time, served the purpose, is now inade- quate to the demand upon it. Unless otherwise directed by the town, it is the intention of the commissioners to replace this pipe with a four-inch cement and iron, and connect with the pipe on Union street, which will give an ample supply to the residents on these streets, and also furnish sufficient water for a much nedeed fire hydrant. Estimated cost of this work four hundred and fifty dollars.
They also contemplate laying pipe from Mount Pleasant to South street, as application has been made for the same, and the number who will take the water gives assurance of a greater income than six per cent. on the outlay. Estimated cost three hundred dollars.
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NEW WORKSHOP.
The attention of the town was last year called to the neces- sity of better accommodations for the superintendent, and a more convenient workshop. The premises now occupied do not belong to the town, and are, in all respects, unsuitable to the present requirements of the works. A more desirable place than the unoccupied land in the rear of the engine house, on Main street, could not be selected. It is desirable that the town authorize the commissioners to contract for a building on this lot, and that such part of the unoccupied premises as are needed, be taken for use of water department. The estimated cost of a building, and shed for drying the newly lined pipe, is eight hundred dollars. No appropriation is asked for these proposed expenditures, as the income from water rates will be sufficient to meet the outlay.
WOOLEN MILL EXTENSION.
By vote of the town, October 14th, 1878, the commissioners were directed to cause pipe to be lain from Deep Water to the Woolen mill, for supply of that manufactory, railroad depot, - and for watering streets. The present board consider the route through Oak street preferable to that through Summer and Court streets, being about fourteen hundred feet shorter, and will avoid the breaking up of our main thoroughfares, and thus impairing their present excellent condition. The principal reason that is presented for taking the Summer street route is the greater head of water, as by the Oak street route there will be but five or six feet, and it is claimed that a less quantity of water will be delivered. To avoid any deficiency in the supply, it is proposed to lay, for a distance of about one thousand feet, pipe of increased size. A small increase in expense will be
49
thus made, but there will be a saving of some hundreds of dol- lars, compared with the cost the laying through the main streets would incur. The work will be completed in time for the use of the Woolen mill.
INCREASE OF HEAD AND SUPPLY.
At a town meeting held October 14th, 1878, the committee appointed at a previous meeting for the purpose of taking into consideration the application for water made by the Plymouth Woolen mill, presented verbally by their chairman, Chas. G. Davis, Esq., an elaborate report in favor of the application, and also proposed plans for increasing the head and supply of the works by a pump, operated either by steam or water power. The report was accepted by the town, and the same committee were instructed to make a further report, to the annual meeting in the spring of 1879, giving full and specific estimates of the cost and manner of increasing the head of the water works, with such recommendations as they may deem proper. The commissioners, who compose a part of this committe, have been requested by them to report, in their behalf, "that no additional information has been obtained, than the facts presented in the water commissioners' report for the year 1876, and in the before mentioned report." The statements made in the com- missioners' report gave the cost of the needed improvement at but little short of twelve thousand dollars. An increase in the size of steam pump, reservoir, or length of pipe, of course adds to the estimate then presented, and in the opinion of the com- mittee it would be expedient, in case the head is increased, to procure a pump of one million gallons capacity, the additional cost of which would be about two thousned dollars. The esti- mated yearly cost of operating a steam pump is also found by
4
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inquiry of the cost of similar service, in places where water is raised by pumping, to be sufficient for the work that would be required for supplying this town. "In view, however, of the continued depression of all business, and also the outlay to be made for the extension from Deep Water, the committee are not inclined to recommend making the improvement the coming season."
CONDITION OF THE WORKS.
We have to report the works in their usual good condition, and during the twenty-three years of their operation no consid- erable outlay has been made any year for repairs. The length of pipe laid in 1855, amounting to fifty-seven thousand six hun- dred and seventy-nine feet, has been increased to ninety-eight thousand five hundred and eight feet, and extends to portions of the town not anticipated when the work was commenced, and is now equally appreciated by all.
The income from water rents reaches the sum of nearly ten thousand dollars, and in this amount nothing is included for the supply to the fire department, schools, or for watering our streets.
We ask the town to credit the water works in such an amount as will show their estimation of the benefits received.
CHARLES O. CHURCHILL, SAMUEL H. LOTEN, Water Commissioners.
BENJAMIN HARVEY,
PLYMOUTH, March 1st, 1879.
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Superintendent's Report.
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT WATER WORKS, PLYMOUTH, Mass., January 1st, 1879. 5
TO THE WATER COMMISSIONERS :
GENTLEMEN : - I herewith present for your consideration my fifth annual report of the Plymouth water works, for the year ending December 31st, 1878, and its condition at that date.
There has been laid during the year five thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven feet of wrought iron and cement pipe, at a total cost of two thousand eight hundred and seventy dollars and thirty-one cents.
Of this, two thousand four hundred and twenty-four feet was four-inch pipe laid in Warren street, between B. R. Curtis' avenue and the Clifford house, two hundred and four feet of three-inch pipe in the South District road, to connect with the two-inch pipe ending in front of Mr. Leach's house, and sixty- nine feet of two-inch pipe at head of beach, for a waste, at a total cost of one thousand two hundred and fifty-eight dollars and ninety-five cents, including the cost and setting of three gates, - one four-inch, one three-inch, and one two-inch. Water turned in pipe July 20th.
Three hundred and forty-two feet of three-inch pipe laid in Stafford street, from South street to Mr. Charles Towns' resi- dence, at a total cost of one hundred and thirty-seven dollars and sixty-four cents, including the cost and setting of one three-inch gate in South street. Water let in pipe June 29th.
PLYMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY
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Three hundred and eighty-four feet of two-inch pipe laid from Warren street to Mr. Cabot's house, at a total cost of one hundred and thirty-six dollars and sixty-nine cents, including the cost and setting of one two-inch gate. Water let in pipe July 20th.
One hundred and thirty-five feet of two-inch pipe laid in Ocean place, from J. R. Atwood's house to house of George H. Jackson; from thence to shore, for waste, at a total cost of fifty-six dollars and forty-four cents, including the cost and setting of one two-inch gate. Water let in pipe August 23d.
Six hundred and seventy-four feet of six-inch pipe laid in Oak street, from Davis street to Samoset street, one thousand two hundred and thirty-six feet of six-inch pipe laid in Samoset street, from Oak street to the Samoset house, and twenty-four feet of four-inch to connect with the four-inch pipe from Court street, at a total cost of one thousand one hundred and forty- three dollars and seventy-five cents, including the cost and setting of two gates, - one six-inch in Davis street, at junction of Oak street, and one four-inch in Samoset street, at junc- tion of Court street. Water let in pipe November 14th.
Three hundred and forty-five feet of three-inch pipe laid in Allerton street, from the residence of F. W. Robbins, to con- nect in Samoset street, at a total cost of one hundred and thirty-six dollars and eighty-seven cents, including the cost and setting of one three-inch gate in Allerton street, at junction of Samoset street. Water let in pipe August 24th.
Three hundred and eighty-four feet of two-inch pipe taken up on Samoset street, and replaced by six-inch pipe.
The number of service pipes inserted during the year is twenty-nine; length of pipe, two hundred and seventy-two and
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a half feet; cost of pipe, thirty-five dollars and thirty-nine cents. The cost of trenching for the same, twenty-four dollars and seventy cents. Total cost of service pipes inserted during the year, ninety-three dollars and seventy-nine cents.
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