2 THE TONER LECTURES. 



spite of their absence, but to secure them is now, from our point of 

 view, its most important and. most pressing duty. 



It needs but a casual survey and slight consideration to see that 

 the difficulties to be overcome are quite distinctly marked. 



Aside from the heavy rainfall to which the locality is subject, 

 it lies across the outlets of a wide outlying drainage area, whose 

 storm-waters pour upon it in torrents. 



Much of the city is level, and its heavy soil at different points 

 retains moisture almost to the point of saturation. 



A large part of its area lies so near to the level of tide water as 

 to prevent satisfactory drainage even were the soil more porous. 



Incidental to the elevation and to the conformation of its surface, 

 the obstacles to the free and complete removal of its natural waters 

 have served also as obstacles to the removal of its artificial pollu- 

 tion. The waste incident to human life constitutes here as else- 

 where, a most dangerous element of a problem whose solution is 

 the sanitary engineer's chief task. There are difficulties in Wash- 

 ington which do not obtain to the same degree in higher-lying 

 towns. 



The rivers by w^hich your borders are swept, in addition to the 

 degree to which their shoal shores prevent the requisite drainage of 

 the city, accumulate deposits which, exposed at low tide, maintain 

 in 3'^our immediate neighborhood a most prejudicial decomposition 

 of organic matter fouled by the outflow of the sewers. The 

 emanations from this decomposition in such close proximity to 

 the heart of the city are a recognized and palpable source of ill- 

 health which has attracted the attention of all who have discussed 

 the subject. 



The first of the difficulties referred to, — the pouring of torrents 

 of storm-water from the outlying country into the city, — is now 

 receiving at the hands of the engineering authorities of the 

 District, such complete and adequate treatment, that it is un- 

 necessary to consider it here. It need no longer be regarded in 



