CO129-192 - Governor Hennessy - 1881 [1-4] — Page 579

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answer to that certainly serious minute of mine, but, having read it, I had only to repeat my instructions that the work should be done. Those who had raised the difficulties, however, then undertook to have the work done, and I reported to Her Majesty's Government the promise made to carry it out. But I think it was in the early part of 1878 that Dr. O'BRIEN, a physician of eminence in this Colony, and another gentleman, a visiting justice, made a record in the book that my instructions were not carried out, and that a considerable portion of the night-soil was still flung down the open drain, and the dry earth system had not been carried into effect in spite of the peremptory instructions given by me in May and June 1877. Upon that, the usual minutes the Governor has to write upon such subjects were written, and I then took steps whereby I saw my wishes were carried out. I am happy to say the same medical man, Dr. O'BRIEN, and with him Dr. WELLS, having to report on the punishment of prisoners, both said in their report in 1879, that they were happy to notice that the dry earth system was then thoroughly carried out in the Gaol.

And I am bound to add that there is not now in any part of the world a cleaner or better conducted gaol than that under the superintendence of my honourable friend Mr. TONNOCHY. It was not merely in the Gaol this occurred, but there is in this Colony what is called the Government Sanitarium, a residence to which the Governor goes for the benefit of his health during the warm months. I found members of my household, shortly after we went to that so-called Sanitarium at the Peak, became ill, and the illness, in the opinion of competent medical men, was traced to defective sewerage. I directed the Surveyor General to send one of the Inspectors of Nuisances to make a minute report, not only on my own house, but on every house at the Peak. That report I shall put in type, and I am sorry to say it exposes some lack, on the part of the sanitary officers of this Colony, of the commonest precautions in connection with sanitary questions. I then gave instructions that the dry earth system should be carried out, not only in my own house and that occupied by the Police guard, but in every other house at the Peak. And, when one gentleman grumbled a little, I had to tell the Surveyor General I would exercise my statutory right to reclaim the land, giving the value of it, sooner than allow him to build a house unless he undertook to carry out the dry earth system. I would not allow any drainage of night-soil either into the Pokfoolum valley reservoir or over the hills on this side of the town.

That was not the only question I had to deal with in connection with sewerage. In September, 1877, Plans for the proposed Hospital were prepared, and in spite of the orders I had given, which were perfectly general, that the dry earth system should be introduced into all public establishments—and I have before me the Estimate of the Surveyor General as to what the cost would be in connection with introducing that into all public establishments—in spite of that, I found in the report a memorandum on the proposed conversion of the Lock Hospital into a general Hospital in which the Colonial Surgeon and the Surveyor General had, in consultation as to this building, come to this conclusion: "The present somewhat defective closets will be replaced by Jenning's patent closets with pan and trap. One of the main advantages of this patent is that the dejecta are received in such a large volume of water as to be at once greatly deodorized."

“The soil pipes will be trapped and ventilated. The present empty rooms adjoining will be subdivided into lobbies, bath-rooms, closets, and slop sinks, of the same construction as those already described, and trapped and ventilated in like manner." And in dealing with the very serious question of the fever wards of the Hospital, the report goes on to state that the closets and slop sinks are to be of the same construction as described, trapped and ventilated in like manner, and a description is given of the drains by which the night-soil, so deodorised by water, is to be conveyed into the sea. The words of the report are: "The sewage of the two Hospitals will be conveyed to the sea, a distance of two hundred and fifty yards from the Hospital-road and Western-street, in a new 18-inch circular stoneware drain."

Now the first remark that occurred to me on reading it, was that my opposition to this mixing water with night-soil had been overlooked, and the earnest entreaties I had addressed to the officers concerned not to have water closets in this Colony had been disregarded, and of course, I gave instructions that these parts of the Plans could not be sanctioned. What I have said is of practical importance with regard to the Water Supply. If an Estimate of $240,000 was made with the idea that we are to have water closets, the amount might be necessary. It occurred to me, however, that it might be well to do what had not been done before in connection with the question, that is, to get some of the gentlemen who mainly contribute the money to pay for this scheme—the well-to-do Chinese—to favour me with their views on the subject, and accordingly, these papers were translated into Chinese and submitted to them. They had ample opportunity of considering them, and after their consideration, they favoured me with their views.

Briefly, they are to this effect, that they dread immensely the idea of flushing away dejects by mixing water with night-soil; that to do so in this Colony would undoubtedly lead to disease. It would be especially dangerous coming from a Hospital. No matter how well closed the pipes might be, something might occur to crack them; the earth would become saturated and sodden, and you might have an outbreak of disease. On the other hand, they said, our simple house-bucket system, by which all this stuff is carried away every day, is the best system on which to act, and it is on that accordingly I am acting.

Having called for a return of the number of water closets in the Colony, I find there are one hundred and eighty-two. I find also it is alleged that some latrines in the military barracks open into the sewers in the town of Victoria. Well, all that I hope to put a stop to. When we do put a stop to it, and finally make up our minds to avoid anything like mixing water with night-soil for the purpose of deodorising it, and turn our attention to the sensible views of the Chinese gentlemen I have consulted, then we will be...

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