National Republican., 1874-07-13
A SANITARY INSPECTION.
GENERAL TOUR OF THE BOARD OF
HEALTH OFFICIALS.

VISITS TO BATES, HOG. GOAT AND OTHER
ALLEYs-MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN ALL
LOCALITIES - THE FILLING OF UN-
DRAINED LOTs-NORE POWER NEEDED
LOOK AT Tue POUND AND SEVEN
TEENTH-sTREET WHARF.
On Saturday last Dr. D. W. Bliss, secretary
Of the Board of Health, and Dr. P. T. Keane,
the health officer, in company with the rep-
resentatives Of several of the city papers,
started on the second general tour Of inspec-
tiOn through the special localities which have
most needed their watchful supervision since
the board has been constituted. By coiDci-
dence the same representatives Of the press
who accompanied DR.. Bliss on his first tour
were present yesterday, and they all agreed
that one short year, under the vigilant direc-
tion Of the board, has effected wonders, and
while much could be done to still further in
crease the sanitary condition Of these certain
plague-spots which have grown up in the pop
ulOus centre of the city, it cannot be done un-
less increased power and means are furnished
the energetic gentlemen of tine health depart
ment.
Necessarily there has been more or less OF
complaint against the beard. They have oeen
accused of exercising the most extensive and
Illegal powers. But the fact is, all such COM
plants arise from peTEOns who have been CON-
PEELED to obey the requirements OF the law at
some personal or peCUniary sacrifice in order
that the health of the community might be
benefited. This, and this only, is the secret
OF their opposition.
The first point visited was Bates alley, be-
tween G and II and Sixth and Seventh streets
and as the party rolled up the wel-cleaned,
cobble-paved alley they could not fail to con-
trsst it with the filthy appearance it presented
year ago. The surface Of-the alley was in
excellent cleanly condition, but the OdOr from
the soap factory presented the same unpleas-
ant and familiar stencil that # did in years past.
"Tbis is not our fault, remarked one Of the
officials eve did all we could to abate the nui-
sance, but Judge Wylie concluded it was not a
nuisance" Said another: "If had the money!
would buy lot as near Judge Wylie's house
as could and at once start
SOAP FACTORY.
Perhaps he might then conclude that it is u
greviOUs nuisance" Satisfied that the inspector
had attended to the duties OF his office, as far
as the alley was concerned, We passed into sew
eral of the small, rickety houses which shelter
the three hundred denizens of the place. In
these also there was q perCeptiDle change for
the better. Where before were smoky walls,
filthy floors, and yards covered with deCaYipg '
animal and vegetable matter, now was TO be I
seen the change which White-wash, broom and
to be done Dirt viii accumulate, and these {
poor people who are kuddlcd together cannot |
afford to have it removed. Under the old law {
the Board OF Health reported such cases to the I
BQard Of Public Works, end i was by them i
remedied. Now, however, tLGt tie latter organ
izatiQp hss dishanded, the former very properly
ask that an appropriation Oe mads them by the
Commission, and that they he held responsible
for the thorough cleanliness Of the streets and !
alleys. By doing this the Commission will
escape the small complaints and the board will
always be in CONDITION to eulorce speedy
abatement OF any nIisancn without the routine c
to which they are nov 5In rrtCd. After the c
promise Of fresh supp.y oi Line the party left
and proceeded to c
HOG ALLZT, II
which more than any other locality has caused &
trouble. The usual calls were made, and the Z
premises inspected with E2Cst satisfactory re- S
cult. Everything looked far cie4ner than one t
would suppose from Lee outward appearance +
of the shanties. Another fact, which struck '
the papeT-mcn, was that where year ago q {
row OF riCkety tunh-e-lCTn frame shanties
had stOOd-whiCh were condemned and Or !
dered to be remOYcd-there was now a row Of i
comfortable fOur-TOUu hT!rks, all inhabited s
by Cleanly tenants. j general cause Of com I
plant by the tenants in this alley wss the Of T
fensive smell from the sewer-traps and the T
manure belonging 10 the stable. This, Of Z
course, although a serious source Of annoyance t
and ill-health, cannot Ee G.EtCd by the board t
with the limited means at command, but they !
hope and expect Le-Ure the expiration of I
another year to have ample means and Ru- |
thOrity to deal with all such cases. During /
this bfieE visit It was asccrtsined that old /
Colored man had died suddenly in his shanty, !
and the old and yong were there gathered v
about the door cUricusly viewing the remains, c
which were carefully guarded by his widow, an '
old lady probably seventy wears Of age. He I
ha1 al ha hg1r Of mn rfnlE and
our business was with an1 for the living, after S
kindly word to the so7rcT.Ig female, wePrO- a
ceeded to q
GOAT ALLEY,
another most delecsablc locality. Here our a
visit seemed 10 create some cUmmotion. Ali |
the men seemed 20 be away, and the females 9
and children congreg6Jed in q group and
anEiOuslY looked on. Gcsc alley, its tenemeDts .
and inhabitants, are no: much 10 brag on, but 6
by the persistent efforts OF the inspector, the /
health officer and the board it has been made I
tOlerably decent, with good margin for i'm :
prOvement, said the health officer. In order !
to keep the places In this condition the inspector
has to make at least two visits week, and even '
then it would be impossible TO make them keep Il
their premises clean but for the potent threat +
of visit to Judge Smell and the fine which t
would surely follow. e
After Goat alley had teeo carefully looked t
over, .
was reached and inspected with the same gen.
ersl good result which Lad been manifested in :
the others. Not quite so 6cusely populated, it |
has still enough Inhabitants TO make it an OBJ {
jeCt OF waUChful EOicitude by the health guar
dians Of the District. And q class they
seem TO appreciate the necessity Of complying
with the laws laid down fOr taem.
THE RAa-PIczERs.
A detour was then made, with the West End q
as the objective point. On the way, hoHfYer, q
q stop was made at the pretentious establish q
ment of MF. T. E. GTceL, ccrler Of Eighth
and Q streets, where al extensive business is J
carried on in the purchase and kale Of rags, {
paper, dry bones, and old iron. 1t seemed r
perfect hiYe, with the forty men and women b
engaged in various duties pertaining TO the t
business, and the fat, goOd-nstured proprietor Q
seemed serenely HAPPY. or course, In such
business there is more or less odor, but the
place is kept perfectly clean. In reply 70 an
inquiry Of DR.. Bliss regarding the thiall-pox, .
Green quietly replied that man could not be
engaged in the junk business unless he had had
the smallpox once OF twice.
UYDRAIyED LOTS.
The squares bounded by Connecticut avenue
and Sixteenth and l. and NJ streets were then 7
inspected. By order of the board these lots,
which were on an average ffteen feet below the
surface, and entirely un3raiDed, were being |
filled mostly by the owners. The necessity for ,
this was made apparent By the stagnant pools !
which stood in the untitled portion, certain .
breeder Of pestience and death. "These un-
filled lots, remarked the Doctor, ''are owned by
non-resid nts, and there is no law By which we
can COME them 70 have them filed OF punish :
them for not doing 20. Consequently, as a !
sanitary measure Of vital importance, the board
have ordered the health officer TO have the !
nuisance abated out Of the funds Of the board,
and we will trust TO future legislation to re- I
ouiHe payment"
The POUND II
was then visited, and after q look at the fifty
or sixty Gagged worthless curs, full explsna- t
tion Of how they we're captured and killed, in I
the event of non-redemption, some statistics 7
regarding the work thus far this year and other
valuable information, we started for the
boards wharf, at the foot Of Seventeenth 9
street. This was found to be in q good sant 7
tary condition, and although the superinten-
dent was not particularly enyied by any Of the /
party, he seemed 70 be well satisfied with the !
position. Taken as q whole, the trip proved /
eOnclusively that the board and their officers ,
have labOred earnestly and wen for the benefit {