Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-09-12
WASHINGTON.
AN UNHEALTHY CAPITAL,

AN UNHEALTHY CAPITAL.
Dispatches Of the 9th inst, from
Washington state that the capital is
.overrrll with an9ugly malaria that lis
VERY severe upon strangers unused to
| the climate. The board of health has
just made a report upon the subject,
and finds the great source of trouble in
the marsh lands near the Potomac.
| They say: "The waters Of the cities of
/ Washington and Georgetown, falling
gradually from the hills north of us to
the Potomac river, it=folloWs that many
miles Of sewers, the receDtacles of all
the filth of the capital, are directed to-
ward the river, and debouch in the very
marshes in question: The Quantity of
such pernicious material constantly
flowing toathe river is almost incalcu-
! liable, but certainly amounts to thou
sands OF tons Annually. The pntrescent
matter enter into these marshes to be
stirred by the tides and imperfectly
carried Oft on account of the INN ense
masses of rank vegetation which OBJ
struct It's course. The tidal currents be-
/. ing unable to bear away effectively the
documentary matters against the power
of the returning waters, this half dis
| solved putrid matter with the foul ad-
ditions gathered in it's course is. brought
back by the eddies over these flats only
to ferment at the refux of every tide,
communicating the surrounding atmos-
phere far and wide it's offensive
and pesiferous effluvia. The char
acter of these deposits is such
as to favor the development
OF a rank vegetation, becoming the re-
ceptacle for an endless organic growth
subject to lncessant .pHtrefaction. This
unseen laboratory Of life and death af-
forCls birth and burial to myriads of
plants AND animalculp. The surface of
these marshes covered by water or ex-
posed to the rays of a scorching sun,
presents green carpet covered with
/ contlrva and lnfusoria. Whatever it's
condition, whether summers orhid-
den under|a 1uXuriant vegetation, the
collectlons'on these areas form q indus
/ for fermentation and decay, which
should not escape the attention Of sani-
tarlans.' MOS @5Gzf& GC3 y
The records of thesregistrar1z Of vital
statistics OF our board of health gave
the following percentage of the mortali-
ty from symotic or 7preventablet dis
eases: 1875, 958, or 21.99 of the total
number of deaths !; 1875, $50, or22. oil
of the total number of deaths; 1877, 918
or 22.O3 of the total number of deaths.
The white house, war, navy, and treas
ury departments, are the nearest to
these marshes, and are in danger from
them every day that the prevailing
south wind blows. 1t is proposed that
congress shall take this matter in hand
and put few millions of dollars into
the marshes as disinfectants, so that tire
people of the government and capital
may live.
THE ANJUTANT GENERAL.
a rumor is aHoat among the army
officers stationed here that the president
intends to place Adjutant General E. d.
Townsend On the retired list. 1t has
1 been understood for several years that
it was the ruling opinion of u majority
of the officers ofthe army that a change
IN the adjutant generals Office would
be of great advantage to the service,
and many conjectures have been made
as to which officer Of the corps would
succeed to the place. Generals Drum. of
Sheridan's staff, and Fry, of Hancock's
staff, are next in rank, but Gen Vincent,
senior major, who has been on duty
for fifteen years in. the office here, and
who virtually runs it, has aspirations
! for the succession, and would probably
| have been appointed If a vacancy had
occurred during Grants reign. Many
officers of the service have strongly=ex
pressed themselves in favor of the~ap-
pointment Of Gen w. D. Whipple, aid
de camp to Gen. Sherman, who is a
| lieutenant colonel in the adjutant gem
erals corps. @af'
| OF COURSE NOT.
A law Of congress passed on March 8,
1875, provided that states had received
arms from the government from Jan
uary, 1860, to January, / 1866, which
arms had been used and lost or destroy
ed in the service of the United States
government during the war for the pre-
servation of the union, should be cred
| tied therefor on the preservation of the
facts to the proper authorities. A cir
cular letter was addressed pro fornsa to
the governors of all the states, and an
answer has been received from the
governor of North Carolina, in which
the governor says 1This state makes no
claim under the act referred to-
- za MORTON. .s.t. fs-sef yr-s4
s DR.. Bliss expressed the opinion that
Senator Morton will be able to attend
the regular session of congress.
r. flH. .
A Rather Neat SWindle. =
Yesterday morning a tall Well-dressed