The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-03-24

No. $50. r. w. Browning 81 al
No. b43 Harriet b. Macomb, administrative.
Nc. 652 James s. Wiggin and Others assignees.
Adjourned to IL o'clock tomorrow
CRcUIT coURTThe March term of the court commenced
yesterday, Judges Dunlop Morse and Merrick on the
bench. H. g. Cox esq announced the death of A. H. Law
respected member of the bar and followed by
Judge Dunlop who paid high tribute of respect to the
memory Of the deceased the part of the court After
the adoption of series of resolutions which directed
to be entered upon the minutes the adjourned until
tomorrow, the 25th inst
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.--A communication received
from the mayor informing the board that he had signed
sundry bills passed by both boards
bill authorizing the mayor to cause the sewers Of the
city to be cleaned out and making appropriation
therefor reported from the committee police read
third time, and passed.
communication also received from the mayor en-
closing the report of the committee appointed invest
gate the and of the sickness at the National
Hotel together with the evidence taken before the same
| which read.
The committee reported as follows:
The committee appointed by the board of health
operate with the mayor in ascertanin as practical
be the nature and of the endemic disease which
recently prevailed among the guests and employees of
the National HOTEL beg leave to submit brief report
densed from the testimony persons examined by the
| mitee.
From the testimony Of Drs. J. G. Hall and Cornelius
learn the disease about
latter part Of the month of January and continued du
ring the weather. that ceased for about two weeks
during the mild weather in February owing they sup
pose the house being then better ventilated and that
it increased again and became very rife during the cold
weather that returned about the first of March
This disease, according to DR.. Boyle different from
usual form Of darrhoa Both of these physicians
us that the attack came suddenly generally early
10 the morning; that the operations were frequent and
| thin--lght coored and frothy yeasty.
According to DIR. Hail. vomiting occurred when diar-
rh0a checked and The thirst usually
great and the patients often desired acid drinks Both Of
these physicians further testify that the disease was never
cured at once but continued to return at short intervals
for considerable length of time removal from the hotel
did not seem to contribute to the recovery Of the patients
the disease with the latter continued violent and
long time among those who continued in the build
ing There evidence in the opinion of these gem
emen of thing like mineral poison having been taken
into the stomach There evidence of Inflammation
of the nestnes Both in regarding the disease
Of blood poison" produced by the inhalation Of
poisonous masm generated by animal and vegetable de-
composition which entered the hotel through the sewer
connecting with the 9th street As further
roboation Of this fact assured that peculiar and
decided in the halls than in the water closets This odor
caused of the physicians to become nauseated The
Of the stencil trap the Of Sixth street
escaping into the street. is considered the principal
Of the noxious gases passing into the cellar OF the hotel
The boiler in the cellar according to Dr. Hall aided In
distributing the fetid gases through the building In
room (second story No 49, in which the committee
amned the witnesses register was found which said
Win cellnT from an OHenSiYe
odor could be distinguished entering the room. Two of
your committee have frequently recognised the offensive
odor spoken of by Drs Hall and Boyle in different parts
of the building. The same fact is certified to by Mr. d.
Fairbanks Thomas Mcdowell, Alfred +, Goss Charles
Watson, &c. Mr. j. T. Terry sewerbuider testies that
he examined the cellar of the hotel and found opening
in the southwest connecting with the leading
into the street. through which there continually
passing current of fetid gas which nearly exnguish
being placed at the of the street the Of
he states passed from the cellar into the These
cellars very damp (See A. Gosss testimony Charles
Watson who is engaged in the BARRIERS shop tes6es that
there door opening into the hotel from the shop which
is frequently OPEN that he has noticed adsagreeable odor
in the shop (smar to that which arises from the
at the corner of Sixth aud strees especially in the
i morning t
The committee sought in vain for evidence of the
food having been poisoned by arsenic other mineral
substance Drs Hall and Boyle both state that they drank
the waer-Dr Hall says "freely, without being affected
i by it,
Captain A. r. Potts states that he has taken his meals
at the hotel regularly during the whole winter and drank
freely OF the water and although his stomach il easily de-
ranged by improper diet he has had symptoms Of dar
rh0a Mr.. Potts had and sleeps out of the build
ing; -
the hotel without being made sick. He occupied room
in the house, but slept with window open. Joseph eau
4 tier, chief cook and Alfred r. Goss steward both testify
that the water used when the disease appeared for the
time was not the same as that used when the dis
prevalent in January and early in February The
latter that the waerank built of brick and
lined with slate completely closed that rat could not
possibly nave entered steward
that when the disease first appeared at the suggestion of
of the boarders fresh supply Of cooking utensils of
tea, sugar, coffee -four, and milk, was obtained. lie
serts that the copper vessels well lined and perfectly
clean and in better order than he had before
had been steward of the Revere House. Boston, for FIVE
1 and half years.
One of the greatest sufferers seems to have been the chief
cook (J. G. Gautier) He of the first attacked by
diarrhGa He continued to have it less for six
weeks sometimes twenty operations per day. al
| though not subject to diarrhpa. He sleeps in the
house. has avoided water much possible prepared
his food He asserts that the food was always Of good
quaiy that he kept the keys of the box mono but
the cooks present when the food is being
the cooks Give in number) have been sick and according
to the statement of Mr.. Goss there much sickness
among the servants much that time the regu
lar duties of the house interrupted Others who did
not eat or drink water in the hotel but requented tie
building, occupied connected with it, according 10
Drs Hall and Boyle, and to the evidence of Charles Wat
graph Office sometimes affected with this pecnl;nr
form Of diarrha Mr. Amos Davis also declares that du
ring several former visits to the hotel this winter he WINS
attacked with diarhma During one of these visits he
neither ate nor drank at the hotel and yet more sick
than when he had done During this present visit he
has paraken freely of both food and water and has not
been attacked by darrhna He states that during his
present visit he has the window of his room constantly
open, and keeps up coal FIRE.
With the papers appended to this report win be found
the statement of Mr. Randolph Coye civil engineer con-
corning the street sewers together with diagram Of the
same.
The committee have 10 regret that time has not been
allowed them to procure the testimony Of several other
physicians who have attended in the hotel and like
wise 10 nave consulted competent architects the best
means OF arranging the sewers proceeding from the hotel