Chapter XXV: Appendix: H

CORPORATION OF CALCUTTA.

_Specification and conditions for surfacing roads MacCabe’s
Tar-Macadam._

MATERIALS.

1. MacCabe’s tar-mac consists of 2 inches Pakoor stone metal, MacCabe’s patent bituminous binder of Gas Co.’s coal-tar and “Stag” brand English coal pitch in the proportion of one of tar to three of pitch by weight, with stone chippings and sand as top binder.

PREPARATION OF THE FOUNDATION.

2. Prior to resurfacing an old stone road with the composition all irregularities in its surface, gradients or crow-fall should be corrected, and special care taken to rectify defects, if any, in all its drainage and water adjuncts, and also remedy any weakness in the foundation due to bad restoration by the road cutting agencies.

RULES FOR SURFACING ROADS.

3. (i) Collect all necessary aforesaid materials including tools and implements for laying them _in situ_.

(ii) Sketch out the road area to be treated in convenient sections.

(iii) Suspend road watering on the previous day in the section to be treated first and barricade or fence it off.

(iv) Thread out the area to be treated with the patent composition, as this will avoid feather edge in the centre tar-mac joint.

(v) Form separate labour gangs for—

(_a_) Weighing, mixing, and heating pitch and tar—three men for each
tar-heating boiler or cylinder.

(_b_) General cleaning and sweeping with rough country or English bass
brooms, and removing fine dust off the road surface before
treatment by means of soft floor brush.

(_c_) Carrying pitch and tar composition in pails or buckets and
laying it hot half inch thick on dry and clean road surface.

(_d_) Carrying stone metal in cane baskets, spreading and hand-packing
the same carefully to the required chamber, one man for every
three feet of road width to be so treated.

ROLLING.

4. The work of rolling the surface should be commenced as soon as a section of about 20 or 30 yards in length has been laid, the metalling gang being kept as busily employed as possible in laying a further length of materials in the way specified above. The prepared road surface is to be rolled with a light six or ten-ton roller when the composition is soft, as it is absolutely necessary to press the aggregate gently down into the bituminous sub-binder, and at the same time to entice (rather than to force) the latter in an upward direction, so as to fill the voids in the metal and finally cover the metalled surface. Under no circumstances should the rolling be carried to such a point that the metal exhibits signs of crushing or disintegration. The roller should be driven over the newly laid materials at its lowest speed from the side towards the centre and after a few journeys over the surface if it is found that the sub-binder is not working up between the voids in the metal and does not cover the metal surface, then such defective places have to be painted and the whole surface sealed with composition to prevent the admission of moisture or of any foreign substance into the road. During the process of consolidation stone chippings at the rate of 4 cubic feet per hundred square feet should be used and especially where the floated composition is too soft. If it is found that any material sticks to the roller wheels a little water sprinkled on the wheels will at once stop the sticking. The dry surface may be also sanded if it becomes slippery for horses.

5. All materials to be supplied must be to the satisfaction of the Engineer. Inferior materials supplied shall be rejected and the contractor must make good such supply within 24 hours. In default it shall be competent to the Engineer to procure a supply of the same at the risk and cost of the contractor from the market or any other agency.

6. The contractor must maintain the roadway for three months after completion and keep men in attendance to promptly spread stone chips and road dust on the soft portions and nurse the area cut up by the traffic.

7. The contractor must be careful not to injure existing gas, water or any other pipes or drains or other underground fixtures. Any damage so caused must be forthwith reported to the District Engineer, and the contractor shall make good the same forthwith at his own cost and shall indemnify and keep indemnified the Corporation from all claims made therefor. When necessary he shall take up and carefully relay drains and pipes and lay any additional length that may be ordered by the Engineer at the cost of the Corporation.

8. The contractor must keep the work properly fenced and lighted from sun-set to sun-rise, and place such watchmen at any portion of the road and footpath in which the work is in progress and is still incomplete, and also round the repairing materials for use, as may be necessary to protect the public against accidents. He shall indemnify and keep indemnified the Corporation and its officers and servants from all liability in respect of any claims for damages or otherwise to person or property which may be made by any person or persons on account of any act, misfeasance or neglect on the part of the contractor in carrying on the work or in connection therewith.

9. The contract will be for four months and the contractors must carry out all works in accordance with the full programme of work prepared by the Engineer and take in hand such street or streets as the Engineer may direct and complete the same within such period as the Engineer may fix therefor. In default he shall pay to the Corporation liquidated or settled damages of Rs. 10 (ten) per diem for each and every day beyond the said period without prejudice to the rights of the Chairman to cancel the contract and take possession of the work and have it carried on and completed at the contractor’s risk and cost by any agency whatever.

10. All damages or other sums due and payable by the contractor may be received from any moneys due to the contractor by the Corporation.

11. Payments will be made in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

12. The Commissioners do not bind themselves to accept the lowest or any tender, but reserve the right of accepting the whole or part of the tender.

INDEX.

A

Allahabad Shallow Trench System, 39

Appendix A, Model Rules, Privies and Urinals, 57

—— B, Removal of Town Sweepings, 61

—— C, Well Register, 62

—— D, Building Regulations, 63–67

—— E, Table Repayment of Loans, 68

—— F, Preparation of projects, 69–73

—— G, Annual Bridge Report Form, 74

—— H, Specification for Tar-Macadam, 75–77

B

Bailey’s Patent Latrines and Urinals, 26

Beds, Filter, 51

Biological System for the Disposal of Night-Soil, 50–51

Burdwan Trenching Ground, 37

Building Regulations, 63–67

Burial-Grounds, Mahommedan, 56

C

Carts, Conservancy, 33

—— Crawley’s Patent, 33

—— Hand, 34

—— Receptacle, 34

—— Register, 45

—— Refuse, 43

—— Wheels and Axles of, 44

Cesspools, 35

Collection and Disposal of Refuse, 45

Cremation of Dead Bodies, 54

—— Town Refuse, 45

Cultivation within Urban Limits, 53

D

_Débris_ of Ruined Houses, 56

Dead, Disposal of the, 54

Dhobies’ Water for Washing, 53

Disinfectants, 29

Donaldson’s Separation Latrine, 26

Drainage, Flushing, 3

—— Kutcha roadside, 2

—— Masonry, 4

—— Storm-Water, 4

Dust-Bins, 43

F

Filter Beds, 51

—— Sullage, 35

Flushing Drains, 3

Food-Supply Markets, 54

G

Ghats, Burning, 54

—— Dhobies’, 53

Grounds, Trenching, 37

H

Hand carts for removing Night-Soil, 34

Harrington’s Incinerator, 47

Houses, Ruined, 56

I

Incinerators, Harrington’s, 47

—— Sealkot, 45

—— Madras, 45

J

Jails, Muzaffarpur, Trenching Ground, 38

K

Kutcha Road-side Drains, 2

L

Latrines, 26

—— Bailey’s Patent, 26

—— Donaldson’s, 26

—— Masonry, 26

—— Model Rules for Privies and Urinals, 57

M

Mahommedan Burial-Grounds, 56

Markets, 54

Masonry Drains, 4

Model Rules for Privies and Latrines, 57

N

New Wells, 9

Night-Soil, Biological System of Disposal, 50

—— Removal of, 31

—— Trenching, 37

O

Openings for Ventilation in Latrines, 25

P

Permanganate of Potassium, 8

Privies, Model Rules for, 69

Pumps for Wells, 9

R

Receptacle Carts for Removing Night-Soil, 33

Refuse Carts, 43

—— Filling Tanks with, 49

—— Incineration of, 45

—— Removal of, 42

Ruined Houses, 56

S

Sanitation, General, 52

Septic Tanks, 50

Surface Drainage, 2

—— Kutcha Drains, 2

—— Masonry Drains, 4

—— of small Roads, 2

Sweepings—Removal of—Form for, 61

T

Tanks, Septic, 50

—— Water, 6

Tarring Latrines, Disadvantages of, 29

Trenching Grounds, Allahabad System, 39

—— Area of, 40

—— Crops on, 38

—— Description of bad ones, 41

—— Selection of Site for, 37

Trees, Pruning of, 52

Tube Wells, 10

U

Urban Limits, Cultivation within, 52

Urinals, Cart, 29

—— Hindu Pattern, 29

Utensils, Water drawing, from Wells, 10

V

Ventilation of Latrines, 25

W

Water drawing Utensils, 29

—— for Dhobies, 53

—— Supply from Wells, 10

—— New Wells, 10

—— Tanks, 12

Wells, Rules for Cleaning and Repairing, 7

—— Registrations of all, 6

Well Register Form, Appendix C, 62

Wells, Tube, 10

—— Pumps for, 14

------------------------------------------------------------------------

EXTRACTS FROM SOME OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.

_The Morning Post, Delhi._

“A very useful little work, which every Municipality in India ought at once to possess” * * * and is accurately described by the author as “a concise handbook dealing with the most important points of sanitation of Indian Bazaars,” and “an endeavour to put the information available on the subject in a convenient form, so as to facilitate the organisation and control the working of the Sanitary Department of a Municipality.” From the first page to the last there is not a superfluous word in the manual.

_The Bengal Times._

“A work sadly needed in this country, and one everybody concerned in sanitation, especially if he be a mofussil resident, should possess. We should think Mofussil Municipal Commissioners and District Board Members could hardly wish for a better guide.”

_The Pioneer._

“Mr. G. W. Disney, District Engineer, Muzaffarpur, has just published an excellent pamphlet on _Sanitation of Mofussil Bazaars_, in which he deals with many problems of urban sanitation in a brief but satisfactory manner.”

_The Indian Daily News._

“Mr. Disney does not pretend to do more than deal with broad principles of sanitation, and puts the information available on the subject in a convenient form, so as to facilitate the organization, and control the working of the Sanitary Department of a Municipality. This, we think, in the course of his thirty-five pages of carefully compiled information he may fairly claim to have done.”

_The Englishman, Calcutta._

* * * “An admirable little work. It ought to be in the hands of every Municipal Commissioner and all the local authorities in the smaller towns. Mr. Disney states he is not writing for the big Municipalities, where special conditions have to be dealt with. At the same time the little volume contains suggestions that even those responsible for the good government of Calcutta might read with profit. Mr. Disney is especially strong on the necessity of a good drainage system. With regard to town sweepings the author is in favour of incineration.”

_Civil and Military Gazette._

“This is a very useful manual * * * The author does not lay down expensive and therefore impracticable schemes of sewage disposal, etc., but rather directs attention to the possibility of improving the resources already at the disposal of local bodies. He gives much useful information and advice as to latrines and urinals, the collection and removal of night-soil, trenching grounds, disposal of refuse, surface water drainage, and so forth. The book is illustrated with plans and drawings.”

_The Indian Planters’ Gazette._

“In his introduction Mr. Disney truly says:—‘The real secret of Sanitation is the prompt removal of fæcal matter and refuse from the neighbourhood of inhabited buildings before it has time to decay, as in the early stages of putrefaction emanations are evolved which are highly dangerous to health; it is also an admitted fact that the common fly is a considerable factor in disseminating disease, as it conveys germs on the pads of its feet from infected matter to the food-supply of the inhabitants.’ His little _brochure_ deals learnedly and sensibly with latrines, urinals, the collection, removal, disposal and trenching of every description of town refuse, with the water-supply from wells, and finally adds some simple rules for observance of the authorities on the break out of plague on villages or small towns.”

_The Bengal Times._

* * * “Seeing then how deplorably backward we are in mofussil places, district, town, suburbs, and country, it seems to us we can hardly do better than adopt Mr. Disney’s system in Bengal districts. Indeed, why should Government hesitate to buy up his first edition of _Sanitation of Mofussil Bazaars_ for gratuitous distribution to all Bengal Municipalities, in view to adopting his project in its entirety!”

_Dharam and Karam, Calcutta._

(_Published in Bengalee._)

“Mr. G. W. Disney has written a book on Sanitation of Mofussil Bazaars. There are many large books on the subject of Sanitation, but in a short pamphlet of 40 pages Mr. Disney has treated the subject-matter, giving useful rules and instructions in such a brief and concise manner that we have been pleased to peruse them. Mr. Disney deserves our thanks for his earnest sympathy with and thought after the inhabitants of the mofussil towns and bazaars.”

_The Indian Medical Gazette._

“An excellent little pamphlet on ‘The Sanitation of Mofussil Bazaars,’ has been recently published by Mr. G. W. Disney. A concise handbook of this kind was certainly needed, and this should be of great value to the Health Officer, the Engineer and the Chairman of Local Boards and Municipalities.

“The first chapter deals with latrines and urinals, and how sound Mr. Disney’s views are may be understood from the following extract from the preface:—

‘The real secret of sanitation is the prompt removal of fæcal matter
and refuse from the neighbourhood of inhabited buildings before it
has time to decay, as in the early stage of putrefaction emanations
are evolved which are dangerous to health; it is also an admitted
fact that the common fly is a considerable factor in disseminating
disease as it conveys germs on the pads of its feet from infected
matter to the food-supply of the inhabitants.’

“The whole little volume is eminently practical; it is well printed, fully illustrated, and can be strongly recommended to our readers who will find many hints of use to them in their capacity as Health Officers. Our only fault with the little book is that it is too short. It might well have been expanded.”

_The Indian Municipal Journal and Sanitary Record, Bombay._

* * * “The author does not branch out into any startling theories; his work is more a handbook for those whose business embraces any matter connected with public cleanliness, and these will find that one of the most useful features of the book is the information concerning the makers and the price of every sanitary appliance mentioned. This will be found very handy by small municipalities who have here a reasonable standard of cost that will enable them to adjust their expenditure much more rapidly and avoid the useless trouble and delay of sending out for tenders—a system not always satisfactory to the purchasing body, and always troublesome to the tradesman. Mr. Disney very sensibly advises a wide distribution of small latrines rather than the construction of a few big ones—it being obvious that the general population will not walk far for the sake of cleanliness and decency. Mr. Disney preaches the doctrine of ‘little and often’ in the removal of waste matter, and it is a point in which every Indian sanitarian will agree with him.”

“True to his theories, Mr. Disney deals with drainage before water-supply. His recommendations that the water should be pumped from wells and delivered at some distance from the well-mouth are particularly sound, for there is no more fruitful source of contamination than the percolation into the well of dirty water used for washing in its immediate vicinity.”

* * * “Altogether, Mr. Disney’s book is an indication of the progressive tendency of sanitation in India—it represents good work done, and will encourage the doing of more. It is sure to find a handy place on the desk of municipal secretaries and small town authorities.”

_Extract from letter from the Inspector-General of Jails, Bengal, July
8th, 1902._

“I have just got your little book on mofussil sanitation. * * * It is altogether admirable, and I am strongly recommending it. It might well have been longer.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

1. Silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling. 2. Archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings retained as printed. 3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.

End of Project Gutenberg's Sanitation of Mofussil Bazaars, by G. W. Disney