Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-03-23
The Canal Nuisance.

have only new finished his article, taking il by
coli mn instruments daily. And we will Just
hint TO him. as he has something to say about
editorial squibs, !" and ''fiippsnt paragraphs"
that If he wants to be read by anybody but Ross
winsns Snd Barnacle Severson-who on the
''tiekle me, Billy; tickle me, do; you tickle me
and III tickle YOU" policy, will probably follow
him-he must, in this age OF shortcuts and
high-pTessuTe action, put his ideas into a good
deal less than three columns.
We must cOncede that the doctor does not
insist that the canal shall remain in its presen,
condition of festive ilthiness. He proposes to
dredge ii out and keep il purified afterwards BY
current of water from Rock Creek; but he
does not seem to be aware, in the eagerness with
which lac mounts his hobby, that his plan is an
exploded idea of the past; one of the long sue
eession of unfeasible projects that have been
attempted or suggested during the last half CEN
tury. The Rock Greek plan, the tide gate plan,
the eauseway plan, the dredging plan are among
the Ion. list of failures that strew the wretched
ditch from one end to the other-necessarily
failures when the attempt is made to deal with
sluggish eess-pOol below low water mark, a mile
and half in length, and with several angles in
its course. He does not seem to be aware of the
Prolific nature of our canal literature for the
last twenty years, and that about everything
that can possibly be said on the subject has been
repeated again and again. Certainly not less
than twenty seven elaborate reports have been
made upon 1t, to say nothing of the exhaustive
essays we are favored with in the mausoleum
newspapers IS the day.
DIR. Hall is not q vain pretentous man, and
therefore it must be that in pronouncing his err
cotsedTa dictum that the every fountains of our
healthfulness will be destroyed" by filling up
the canal slough, he was unaware that authori-
ties quite a. high as himself have come to con-
illusions directly the reverse OF his. In 1870, the
Senate Committee on the District OF Columbia
had the canal matter ur. II consideration, and /
invited suggestions and plans from various
scientific men for the abatement OF the nuis-
ance. Prot. Joseph Henry, who, both from his
scientific requirements and his long experience
with the canal nuisance as a resident on its
margin, Is qualified to speak Understandings !
on the question, wrote to Senator Hamlin.
chairman OF the committee, as follows:
"SNITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, April %. 1870
Ny Dear SiT: / am much gratified to learn from
your letter that the proposition to convert the
Washington Canal into a closed selyer is now be-
fore Congress. 1t has for several years past or
since the introduction. of the Potomac water I
prise OF the city, and i now a Stygian pool into
which all the feculent matter OF the eity is
IOuTtG- and from which a H,tasm IS eShaled sur
te1eHf 70 PToducs diSeCse AID death IA those trll
tTtGthe az The only plan ia Hy opinion 10 rsnore 4
a IS ts ere propoed and Tmost sincerely hope tiat
iiea." WIZ" ''''' CZECH
Gen. Delsfeld, L. S. Engineer Corps, in reply !
70 a letter from the committee asking his views,
said
a. The serious eri's 10 q dense population from
open Sst-eTs Is exemplifed by the experience of |
Europe and elsewhere, and the results there
given may be accepted as a representation of /
what II being done in this city. The corrective
Il to ohyiate the use of the present canal as a 4
cessIOOi and reservoir for the focal matter
&c from whence it cannot be removed by any |
other than artificial power constantly applied, |
and before noXious gases are generated after
IatTefac;i0n. LeavIBgit in its present form and I
shape, AMI using it open sewer it is dit for /
neither navigation, sewage or drainage"
In lees the executive committee OF the Smith
e"nian Institution, consisting of Gen. Delafeld, |
Richard wallach and Peter Parker, NJ. d..
made report on the canal, its influencs on the |
heath Of the city, and the mode OF correcting
the evil. That committee in a very elaborate and /
carefully considered report declared that s'no /
sewage matter ought to be allowed TO enter any |
sen oGEGi ueAGterer within the limits of the Dis
trict Of ColCmbia;a that .'the canal as IL now |
exists is great cease for creating and prop2gat-
iny diSsoSe, end should al TIE earliest possible
Atrnf, Je flied up and discontinued for use a /
sewer and reservoir for easement and waste I
waters of kitchens, water closets, laundries, |
and other sources OF communicating matter"
The committee after pointing out the condi- !
ton OF the canal, ''an immense trap into which
the sewage from the water closets, kitchens
lsundries stables, cattlepens and street CUTTERS
is now received, there TO remain without power !
OF any Kind TO carry it into the river or other |
place, 10 protect the city against pernicious
effects and influences proceed to say:
"FTOm the experience OF other cities, and the
Investigations OF chemists and engineers, we
learn that open serers, as hs canal IN his city,
erOire gases rery Prs Judicial 70 health. Observa-
ton has shown that the death rate as much
greater among the population d0ng these open |
ssareTs than IN streets removed but a short dis
t3Hce from them. The signs of animal life
visible to the naked eye in small rivers after re-
Ceiying sewage matter CONSIST OF myriaiis of /
minute wOrns, characteristic OF all sewage
water, and may be regarded as the last rem aims 1
OF animal lie which can survive in such local
ny. and even these lie on in summer. The /
IutTescence Of the organic liz uds and deposits in
the open sewers and bottoms and beds OF streams /
IN ali weatEers, and the evolution of noxious /
gases therefrom, lead TO the sensible contamina-
ton OF the surrounding atmosphere, and cons
Guently decreases the purity and healthiness of !
the air, and the discharge OF sewage IN after into
streams aud small rivers pollutes the water BY
the mixture OF much organic matter in a state OF
eighty grains per gallon OF SUSPENDED matter.
and thirty i've 20 seyenty-siS grains OF dissolved
matter, of the sewage OF large towns. or the
former about thirty -hye per centum Il organic,
and Of the latter about twenty-eight per cen
tum. The organic matter consists of Vegetable
and animal fiber, with a soluble extractive in a
high state OF decomposition. The organic con-
stitueEts. give OF such an abundance of foul
gases, that they are constant source OF annoy
dtlCc Hccc gases consist Oh ABOUT seventy three
per centum Of light carburetted hydrogen, six
teen per centum of caTbOnic acid, ten Of nitro
gen. and traces of sulPhuretted hydrogen,
ammonia, and putrid, organic vapor that
i in the highest degree offensive. Every
gallon Of sewage will discharge from one
and quarter to one and half cable inches OF
this Gas per hour, and the fermentation contin-
Ges ior weeks. Whenever this gas escapes from
priyies. ss-pools, or sewers, il causes disease
and finally sets up putrid form of fever which
Il exceedingly fatal. Every effort is m AIDE else
where TO prevent the diffusion of these fptii
gases into the houses and public WAYS, while in
Washington we promote the evil to an incalcu-
liable extent and danger in that vast fermenting
vat. the city canal. The magnitude
of this evil, and the suddenness with which il
may come upon in its most fatal form, are
exemplihed by the experience OF London. the
committee asks attention thereto, as fully Illus
trsting the evil We have to combat in this city,
and the necessity OF prompt attention:
On The introduction Of the water closet system
ID Londor, ana the abolition OF cessp 0ols with the
increase OF easWorks, the Thames began to n ve in
dlestioDs Of receiving larger quantity Of decom