The daily gazette., 1875-01-08
SECOND EDITION
-. -. The City HaU Cells,
IL .Great Public Nuisance Coudem. G
by tie Board of, Health

By As Board Of, HEALTH
At the meeting of City Council, last
evening, a special committee from the
Board Of Health presented the follow
ing communication in reference TO the
official condemnation of the City
Hall cells, at recent meeting of the
Board :. ,r
.. BOARD OF HEALTH
"a Wilmington, Del, Jan. Z, 1875.
To the Honorable The City CDaneil Of WI
saSagt0n:
GENTLEMEN :--i3y direction OF the
Board of Health, at a special meeting
held on Thursday morning, the 31st
ult. =, the undersigned, committee ap-
pointed for the purpose, beg leave to
lay before your honorable body copy
Iof the following resolution, which,
after mature consideration TO, q full
Board, were adopted unanimously, to
wits = Fle.d'H. jra 16..,s gr-s4l.
Resolced, That the City Hall cells be
and they are hereby declared TO be q
public nuisance, which should be aba
ted without further delay. s. ..y
Resolped, That the City Council be
and they hereby are ssquested to dis
continue the use OF the present cells as
la place of confinemeRS or detention,
and proceed without further delay to
provide another place for that purpose,
as sanitary measure Of the first i'm
portance, ,ff A MO .Alf
In presenting these resolutions, we
deem 1t proper to state that the condi-
tion Of the cells has, for long time
past, been such as to call forth repea-
ted complaints from many Of our citi.
zens respecting them. These com,
plants have demanded the frequent
attention of the Board, with view
to the adoption of some measure that
would remove the cause, and make
them, If possible, at least tolerably fit
for human beings to be lodged in. To
secure this, disinfectants and cleans
ing have been from time to time re,
sorted to, with, however, but very
temporary relief. OF late the com.
plants have been renewed with sc
much earnestness that the Board again
on Thursday last, visited the premises
in q body, and gave them careful
and thorough inspection. The result
is that the Board finds the cells to be
in an exceedingly dilapitated condi
tion.
/. The ceilings are broken and filled
with dirty holes, cracks and crevices
the hidden abode of vermin-all ovel
its entire surface.
2. There is almost q total lack of ven
tilation. ...,
3. An offensive and unyholesome
ordor bervades the cells, from an ad
joining ccal oil vault, the contents
of which have saturated portions oi
the walls of the hall.
A. The floors and ground beneath
them are impregnated with filthy
washings of the several apartments
which from want of fresh and fire.
Quent currents of pure air send up q
loathesome eMuvium, which fills the
entire hall and adjacent buildings, al
times, with their sickening odor.-
For these and other reasons the
Board feels called upon to declare the
City Hallscells to- be unhealthy ,Ainsafe
from fire at any moment, and heno oe
unfit for human occupancy. We
therefore, most imperatively urge, up,
on the city authorities, as an act Of
common humanity, and in proteetior
I of the general health, to close this
fostering den of impurity at the earli
est practicable moment, and thus shut
out from the public eye q deep and
most indefensible discredit to oul
city and its otherwise humane chaIac
| ter.
In view of its sworn obligations tht
Board could do no less than condemn
these cells-as it has done-and il
carrying out its resolves, the member
are impressed wieh the assurane c, tina
your honorable body will fully appre
ciate, not only the necessity which de
panded the present action Of th,
Board Of Health, but also your owl
responsibilities and duties, by prom
and decisive action, in relieving tn
[city Of this equally unhealthy AM
unnecessary nuisance.
On behalf of the Board of Health;
HENRY ECKEL, President,
JANIS A. DRAPER, Health Officer
ALBERT THATCHER,
4. McCULLoUaH,