National Republican., 1875-06-29
BOARD OF HEALTH.

The Contract Of Turner Co. net Revoked.
A special meeting Of the Board of Health was
held yesterday mOrning-An the members pres
ent, and DR.. O. q. Cox in the chair.
DR.. Bliss offered the following; which was
adopted:
Resolved, That the standing resolutions Of the
board be referred to the committee on ordinances,
with directions that they examine said rules and
make such recommendations as they may deem
necessary.
James II. Forrest made application for the po-
sition of sanitary inspector
The object of the meeting was to consider the
report of the committee on ordinance in relation
to the following resolution, submitted by DR..
Verdi at previous meeting:
REMOVAL OF oFFAL.
Whereas on the 22d of March Messrs. Turner
Co. entered into solemn contract with the Board
Of Health to remove night-sOil, garbage and dead
animals out OF the District Of Columbia by rail-
road; and whereas said Turner Co. have not
complied with the terms Of the contract, although
three months have elapsed since said contract
should have been faithfully executed; and where
as said Turner Co, in contra4ention with the
terms of the contract have continued to this date
to remove dead animals and garbage by water
from Seventeenth. street wharf, while said wharf
had been by the Board of Health declared insult
able depot of Offal account Of Its proximity
to the White House, the War and Navy Depart
Resotred That said Turner 4 Co. have forfeited
their contract, in consequence of which forfeiture
the Board Of Health now declares said contract
select locality, remote from inhabited dwellings,
on which to erect depot for the offal Intended to
be transported out of the District the present one
being located in an unsuitable place, and erected
by MessTs. Turner & Co., who have already for
feited their contract.
WHY THE CONTRACT WAS NOT CARRIED OUT.
Professor LanRston, chairman Of the ordinance
from Il. F. Turner o., contractors for the re-
mOyal of offal from the city limits, referring to
their delay in carrying out the terms and condi-
tions Of their contract, in which they make the
1--WE RESPECTFULLY submit that from the first day
of April all night-soIl delivered to us has been
taken of as per terms of our contract, viz, by
rail. Second, that the garbage and dead animals
conveyed down the river we're a2d nave oeen 50
carried through permission Of the honorable
board, We having asked permission Of the honora-
BILE board to SO allow US to do until such time as
with all commendable haste we could perfect our
plans erect necessary buildings and get our af-
fairs into perfect working order before making
the transfer. Third, that our seeming delay has
been cssioned by unavoidable circumstances
and disappointments over which we had no con-
troll viz: We negotiated for property upon the
line of the Baltimore and Potomac railroad, and
that after having perfected our plans, consuming
weeks OF time and effort, and entering upon the
work, we were uneeremoniously informed by Su-
periDtendent Wilkins we could forward no more
material by said road, the action of Superiutsnd-
ent wilkins placing upon our hands, in the heart
of the city, some $50 barrels night soil, with no
place of transfer and no place to dump. That the
same day, through great and herculean effort and
extra expense, we induced the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad to accept our freight, in the mean
time persuadiDg a friend to allow US the use of
his farm for a dumping place we giving him the
entire material for the privilege. But In every
instance, save two, where We contemplated q site
for the dump, we were met with either an eXtor-
tionate price for land or threatened with an in
junction. That we negotiated with one Francis
Sbannabrook for property, and after having exc
cuted, signed, sealed, received money upon and
delivered papers, he refused to allow US to enter
VI on or occupy said property. That AFTER delay
in getting another place, which We finally dtd,we
in mediately put forty men to work erecting
bridge, building a switch four hundred yards
long. That
ANOTHER SERIOUS DELAY
was caused by the injunction against the erection
OF our building; that the unnecessary excite
ment and abuse heRped upon US for the erection
of said building caused delay; that we contracted
to have the building erected in ten days and the
carpenter occupied thirty, Notwithstanding our
utmsst efforts to hurry the work; that in filling
in rome three feet of earth in said building it
quired two weeks to settle the same sufficiently
we'll tolay concrete upon;that we contracted tocon
crete the building within six days, instead OF six
DAYS it has taken near three weeks; that we have
had great difficulty in getting seasoned wood for
garbage barrels, occasioned by their excessive
size causing US to have material especially pre-
pared for the service; that we hive expended
large amount Of money in the effert to get per-
feet barrelhead, having had several made, none
OF which comes up to our idea Of what the service
requires; that We have expended large amount
of money upon Q service that, we think, excels
any service in the United States; that we have eI
pended a large amount Of money in disinfectants,
which money, we think, we have no right TO eX-
pend and that It does not enter into our contract;
wagons at a cost Of SIS each, which expense does
not enter into our contract; that we ind it more
difficult to change the entire niE ht-sOil and gar
b8Re system in d-summer and handle the same
without displeasure to the public than 1t would
be to handle the same amount of Lubin's ex-
tract: that we are desirOus and will tHltill our
obligations with the honorable board, even If we
sustain great loss which so far has been the case:
that the amount Of work due, the large amount
Of money expended, more possibly than ever be-
fore upon like SERVICE the change and difficulties
attendant upon the new from the old service
combine to show conclusiyely our good efforts in
the premises; that under all the above facts we
have done all that man could do.
~ desire to state that up to this date our actual
expenses in outfit, and not yet completed, amounts
to the sum of $50, 40, exclusive of incidentaIs."
Prof. Langston submitted the following as
THE REPORT:
1.-THE committee on ordinances, to whom were
referred resolutions introduced by DIR. Verdi, de-
clarng the contract of H. F. Turner X 90. for
feited and the location of the building erected by
said parties from which Offals are to be removed
according to vote Of this board, per Its records,
an unsuitable place, &c, &c, have had these sew
with for information and consideration OF the
board the contract made with the said II. T. Tur-
ner Co., together with statement of said parties
showing causes Of delay as TO fulillmont of their
contract.
''Your committee are of opinion under the cir
cumstances and particularly in view of the dilfi-
culties attending the work already done by II. F.
Turner 6SCO., its magnitude and cost, its readi-
ness now for use, and its entire freedom from any
nuisance should the service he properly performed
per contract, that ii is inafyisabC to declare the
contract Of said H. +. Turner x Go. forfeited, or
to change at this time the location of the bulding
here iube fore named"
TIE report was adOptcd-ayes, Drs. Cox and
RliEI. Prof LangstOn and MIR. Marbury-I: nay,
DIR. Verdi.
The board then adjourned.