Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-03-26
To DIR. Hall.

tue SUNDAY chronicle.
DEAR SIR: have read your lengthy reply to
my brief questions about the canal. Many OF
the suggestions IN your able essay arc very valu-
able, and will, doubt not, be at once adopted
by the keen-eyed, quick witted men who, for
tunately for us, control the affairs of the
national capital. allude to a necessary provi-
sion IN the Missouri avenue sewer for under
Your happy aud forcible illustrations of the
dangers of the miasmatic poison are, in NV
opinion. the best arguments have yet seen for
yclept canal.
You object IN toto to my statement of the case.
TO the live acres OF human excrement; in Tact,
won't leave me single yard to be disguised
with; but your ewn statement suits equally we'll
The daily half-gailon you mention from one
hundred thousand, or say sixty five thousand
persons, not to 0yerstate the case. that finds its
way to the canal, is met by the tide and held
there accumul lively, in whole or in part, for
week at a time. The sides of the canal are
smeared with the pestiential stuff; the SAM.
banks, amounting to ten acres, impregnated
with IL. and but for the presence of a substance
which need only mention TO convince you O:
Its value, viz: the gas tar, which Tor many years
the gas company surreptitiOusly run into the
canal, 1t was the opinion of Dr. Ant;sel, the able
chemist and close scientific observer, that but
for the presence of the abo'e article the canal
would long ere now have depOpuated the CITY
In this opinion more than one of your medical
friends concur, and doubt not you will when
the fact is brought to your notice.
But this supply is nearly exhausted. and i'm
my opinion Providence (l am old fOgy enough
To believe in Providence) created the Board OF
Public Works and placed men on 1t with the
nerve and moral courage to throttle this dis
grace to our national capital.
Will you or any one tell us what actual com
mercial benefit the canal has even been to thu
city? That great and good man, Andrew Jack
son, said, so l am informed by his devoted
friend, +. p. Blair, "he could not see what the
citizens of Washington wanted with a dirty
sinking, filthy ditch in their midst, when God
had made for them such a magnificent water
front" These words were uttered thirty years
ago. He must have been inspired when he ut.
tered such prophetic words. They did not want
it. To make ii was a we'll meant waste Of the
public money. All attempts to improve it have
eeen notorious failures. The river is the place
for our commerce.
Abandon, my dear DOCTOR this dream of your
early youth, about the commercial advantages
OF the canal. which You hold in common with
one or two other kind friends. Unite all ener-
gies to improve our magnificent river; reclaim
the three hundred or more acres between E.
pey's wharf and Arsenal point; sustain the men
at the helm, whose whole soul seems filed with
the idea of improving, may add, our beloved
capital; aid them by your advice, forgive the'r
mistakes, if they make any. Let US, one and
all, unite and show BY our own earnest effort
that it is the duty of the peoples representativ
to aid literally in decorating the home OF thu
nation. In my opinion the canal has been filea
with porous earth, peculiarly adapted TO the
purpose. The filth we have both labored IL
present to the minds eve of our readers. is bu-
ried about the depth usual for interments, wita
the advantage Of little gas-tar.
Your quotation from "Appleton's Encyclope
da" Is singularly inappicable, as the subsoil il
extremely porous over this whole District Th,
brown-stone front dwellings in New York, com
planned of by DIR. Morris, are built in stone
pockets, very different thing from our gravel
foundations. You know houses now stand OF
the original bed OF the canal on Missouri ave.
nue.. They are considered as healthy as any in
the city, Notwithstanding their location in the
frst canal, and close proximity to the second
thanks to the absorbent porous character ofour
soil and the sins OF the gas company.
Time and space will not permit me to continue
this discussion, but that our city may prosper
friend, TIBER.
BALTIMORE AND PoToMAC RAILRoAp.-Th.
track through the Navy Yard tunnel Of the Bal
tmore and Potomac railroad was completed
yesterday, making continuous rail from tho
structing the Patapsco bridge is still in pro
gress, and 1t is expected that II will be complet
ed some time next month. The Long Bridge il
will be swung this week, and by April 9th til,
track will be laid on IL. A gang of the GONNA.
nys wori%en are now engaged in constructing
and 9th street, the site for the freight depot
The work on the lower end Of the main stem j.
progressing satisfactorily, and it Is expected tina
the connection will be made early in the coming
month. An engine house has been erected a.
Huntington.
will sell, to- morrow morning, at 10 O'Clock, a
No. SIS 18th street, opposite the Treasury De
parfment, superior lot OF store fixtures, con
sisting Of counters, showcases, shelving, SC.
THE joint committee on manufactures Of the
District Legislature hold meeting at the Cou1-
Gil Chamber to- night, and all persons interested
in the subject Of manufactures are invited t.
be present.
damon AND PYrHIAs" will be performed
AZ the National Theater this evening with
strong cast, for the benefit of the Knights @
F!thias' All friends OF the order should attend