Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-04-24
BRITISH CHARITIES.
Startling Picture from a CIerkenwell
Pest tHOuse-Miseries OF the Casual Poor.


Is it any wonder that cholera, malignant fe7ers,
and all other diseases generated of filth and foul air
sweep at times through English receptacles for the
starved and destitute? Let the American reader
sean the following from report in the Llndon DAILY
Ners, and see hCw much we have to encourage u.s. by
way Of contras', in efforts now making to maintain
good sanitary condition:
The following account from the London Daily
Nens. OF the horrors which in the Casual Poor
Ward of one of the largest and most respectable par
lshes in London is graphic and is so apparently
true thatwe quote 1t in its entirety. There can be
no occasion to try to excite the feeling of any reader
ny additional remarks; the narrative is sufficient to
arouse the Indignation and disgust of every who
lives in Christian community
The pest-houses of Clerkenwell are as revo'tngly
unht Tor sleeping places as when we commented on
women were crammed into wards with nominal az
commodatlon for thirty, and having been locked up
IN the darE, were left to fight or scramble for
as they thought fit At half past nine P. NJ. the pad
lock was, at out request removed from the door of
the ward on tho western side of the yard. and after
borrowing work house lantern from a pauper at
tendant, we walked to its extreme end 1t was but
lew PAGES, yet we are unable to fully decrbe the
scene from physical inability to remain in tho foul
eifuvia we met. The instant the door opened,
chorus OF complaints were offered up by the occu-
pants of the hunks, who were lying perfectly naked
division between the sleeping places has been put
up rs advised by Mr.. Farca but these divisions are
made to aggraVate the very evil they were designed
In many of the narrow spaces set off for one person
there were on Sunday, two naked tramps lying, their
bodies in such close contact to look like one many
legged douhleheadcd mOnstrocity rather than two
human beings, When asked the reason why they
took off their shirts the reply the on our
previous visit. It's impossible to keep them on for
lnsecs. No shirt or substitute for shirt is provided
ny the house, no bath is given and no work en-
succeeded in forcing themselves into one of the al
ready occupied hunks, orn finding room to down,
and were now sitting patiently in the dark at the
feet of their fortunate brethren. They neither
looked at the faces ofhose coming iD nor moved but
followed the lantern with hungry eyes if the light
conveyed some dim sense OF warmth and comfort.
Meanwhile those in bed clam0red loudly on the in.
Sutho!epcy of straw on their mattresses the mposs
bility of sleeping tive in bed, the cold the insects
and the thinness of the rugs.
Accounting an invitation to see the sort of things
poor man had to tie who had to look for work to-
morrow, we passed to the far end of the closet 1t
was impossible to stay there. No one had complain
ed of the SMELL but the foul, acrd stencil of human
bodies and human breath was. so overpowering that
it was with some difficulty We struggled against nau-
sea and Dizziness ana made for the door. This was
rclocked while the people within gronled and shout
ed and finally kicked at it, and were left to walow
in the darkness and their filth like so many obscene
animals whe were disgusting to others and hateful to
themselves. Crossing the narrow yard and descend
ing few steps are at the door of the cellar whore
the remaining male tramps are lying. This was un-
locked and opened and the first object the light from
man, who has just succeeded in opening the cellar
window This forlorn being goes back to bis lair and
wrapping his rug around him, covers down in cor
neT in manner ban aoGTby suggestive 0f wild beast
pau sulcll luIH OuJ Jne man Win the sore Icg.'
Here's another here with fever" were shouted
out; and it was found that the window had been
opened and the disturbance made because the dread
fully noisome condition of one casual made his
presence dangerously offensive even to the obtuse
senses Of the poor wretches around. He was an DID,
feeble creature, who had to bed in his Clothes
and who promptly turned up his trousers when asked
what he suffered from. A foul and dirty bandage
saturated with matter and discolored with blood
concealed his sore the rank, putreseent smell of
which hled the atmosphere of the ward Bad as the
stencil OF the trst sleeping naee vas i became in
ly packed, naked figure, the squalid room and the
darkness made up aggregate Of disgusting horrors
exceeding anything yet revealed of any other work
house in England: The man with the bad leg eagerly
availed himself of offer to be taken into the house
and was removed to the receiving ward Shake
of fever denied the charge and 50 was again locked
up with the rest, who were left TO squabble for
room, to swear, to recriminate and to inhale the
shoekingly poisonous air until morning.