“Cover the Sewer,” Frankford Cries
Little Tacony Creek in its Present Condition a Nursery for Fever.
Reeks with Drainage
From the North American, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 2, 1899.
Subsequent articles appeared on November 3, 4, and 15.
Periodical outbreaks of malarial fevers, to say nothing of the depreciation of real estate in the district through with Frankford's open sewer passes, causes the residents of that locality to wonder how much longer their pleas for the amelioration of affairs are to be ignored by the city's government.
The drainage of Frankford consists, as in many other parts of the city, of several small sewers falling into larger outlets, which, in turn, convey them to the river. In many sections these outlets have been enclosed as the district in which they existed became populated. But in Frankford, one of the largest of Philadelphia's subdivisions, an open and polluted stream is considered good enough to carry off two-thirds of the entire drainage.
Menace to Health.
Little Tacony Creek, the streamlet thus made use of, rises in the upper part of the county and flows in a southerly direction, crossing Frankford road near the northern extremity of the Twenty-third ward. Until it reaches this point it is a fairly clean stream, but after passing Frankford road its character materially changes. A few squares east of the main street the rivulet turns to the south, and from there on it commences to receive all the sewage of the east side of Frankford.
As the stream passes street by street towards its mouth is, of course, becomes more polluted; the sewers, starting east from the main road, begin to drain into it; it assumes a dark and muddy appearance, and a noisome stench commences to exhale from it. Later on the mills and factories nearby use if for dumping purposes. Hereabouts the dwelling houses along its course grow fewer and fewer, until it passes ample stretches of waste and vacant lands. These tracts, submerged at times by the creek's contents, have become a fertile breeding place for the germs of malaria and typhoid fever. The remainder of its channel is only diversified by an occasional additional inpouring of foul matters until its waters are received at the southern end of Frankford into the almost equally pestilential waters of Lower Frankford creek.
Protests Go Unheeded.
For years this stream has been a menace to the inhabitants of Frankford. Time after time they have agitated for some bettering of its condition, but without success. Frequently the matter has been introduced into Councils, but as Frankford is not immediately contiguous to any other densely settled spot the members from other wards have preferred to ignore the matter in favor of some scheme more lucrative to themselves or more fitted to increase their reputation with their home constituents.
Occasionally a crumb or two of the city's funds have been doled out for some petty improvement, but nothing really effective has been accomplished to minimize the danger to the health of the inhabitants. An archway over the stream in several places, as at Howard street, and a small amount of tunneling at the northern end is the extent of the work accomplished.
About a year ago a determined effort was made by the Frankford residents to achieve something, but in vain. Little Tacony creek remains in the same state.
It's an Outrage.
On this subject Joseph R. Embery, Common Councilman from the twenty-third ward, when seen by a reporter for The North American, expressed himself as follows:
“The condition of things along Little Tacony creek is an outrage, and the city's refusal to better matters there is little short of criminal. A disgraceful state of things exists at the outlet of the Margaretta street sewer. The houses on Margaretta street near Edmund, which will in the future drain into Torresdale avenue, are filled with sewage water. Only recently a committee of citizens waited on me from this place, and requested me to have the evil remedied. I did my best, but in vain.
“The whole stream is utterly putrid; drains from every foul source, mills washings, privies and dumping grounds flow into it. At times the stench is unbearable. In the spot mentioned a considerable amount of sickness has arisen from this very cause. For the sickness occasioned by this creek the city is undoubtedly responsible. Municipal governments are not obligated, indeed, to construct sewers under penalty, but on the other hand, they cannot lawfully dump sewerage before houses--as they do at the Margaretta outlet--with impunity. I am glad The North American has taken the matter up, and I will give it all the aid I can.”
Wholly Polluted.
J. Howard Morrison, Common Councilman from the Twenty-third ward, said: “Little Tacony creek is unquestionably a serious menace to the health of Frankford. It carries off an immense amount of the drainage, and is afterwards polluted further by the refuse from the mills along its course. Again and again ordinances have been introduced into Councils to enclose the creek. I hardly need to say that the Twenty-third ward Councilmen have always supported these measures by all means in their power, but, notwithstanding this, we have accomplished practically nothing. If The North American will enter earnestly into this matter, I feel convinced something will be accomplished to secure a better condition of affairs, and I need hardly add that no one is more anxious than myself for such a result.”