Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-22
THE EVENING STAR.
WEDNESDAY, October D, 1879.
LETTERS IRON THE PEOPLE.
The Sanitary Condition OF the
WASHINGTON City Orphan As YUM.

Editor Stdr.-In your issue Of the 18th fRSt
Health Officer TownShend made statement. IN
part, relating to the subject suggested by the
above caption, and were It not for the interests
OF truth we could afford to let it pass current
with its defects unnoticed. In attempting TO
point out its errors we promise not to resort TO
ga 1ildeI term to conceal q naughty thought,
but shall concede to the Health Onicer the merit
OF having faith in his own statements We shall
also avoid, as we have heretofore done, all need
less personalities and questionable explosives,
promising that we have never seen Health Offi-
Ger TOwnShend to know him, and therefore can
not cherish unfriendly feelings to him person.
ally.
Our business has been, and still is, only with
the published report OF his inspection. furnished
In the case and damagingto valued Institution
with which We are officially and otherwise in
timately associated. With such reports claim
the right to deal and, If possible, to secure thei
correction. With these preliminaries, we shall
notice few of the chief mistakes in the Health
Officers statement, viz:
FirSt-He having made no reference to the
several deaths, nor to the prostration of Others
of the inmates of the institution by the sewer
gas producing typhoid fever, it IS take Is
concession that the report of the 9th instant was
Second.-It is mistake in his statement OF
the 18th instant when referring to the inStrl,-
lions asked for by the secretary of the board OF
trustees, when he says conference was he'd
at his instance, land action promised"
Third.-It Is a very grave mistake to say thai
'sMr. II. had risen up In holy horror at the fact
that the inspection of the asylum was made"
The quotations made by the Health OFFICER from
MIR. HIS letter of I'd August show that instead OF
Directing to the inspections he had pledged the
trustees TO hearty cooperation with him, and
Mr. :" In his subsequent communication limited
his criticism to the report because 1t did violence
to the facts in the case.
sFourth.-It is MISTAKE to aver thai the chllu
which did die of typhoid fever ''tn far-oi. DOR
mitOry," ''had been removed there during its FL
ness from the wing in which the closets referred
to are located" Now the facts are just to the
reverse OF this statement. The child, in health
occupied bed In the faultless dormtory, but
when becoming i'll OF the fever she was ordered,
by the physician, to be removed to the wing in
which are the doubtful closets referred to, and
there she died.
Fffth.-Believing that citizens and corporate
institutions have reserved rights which even
officials should respect, so that when the shadow
OF death rests upon our domicilS their portals
should be safe against the intrusonS OF bust
ness, had no hesitancy In recording my Uesti-
l have no doubt but that the inspectors did as
sure the matron that they could get along with
out her, but their persistence to proceed re-
Qstired her to leave the Sorrowtng as. emily and
escort them through the building.
II our heroic Health Officer Will see to 1t that
reports given to the public as the results of his
inspection are in accord with the facts cited,
| think he will meet with but little opposition.
In the case now under consideration, according
to his own showing, out OF the numbers who
eagerly read THE STAR only one sensitive soul
went Off into paroxysns of painful excitement"
and even he threw away his wooden gun at the
battle of Bladensburg, 24th of August, 1914
joined in the great stampede. and has not re-
covered his lighting propensity since
On retiring from this battle of words, 1 must
be permitted to express my hearty thanks to
Health Officer TOwnShend for the deserved COM
pliment he pays to the noble institution in
whose defence have, though feebly, spoken.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN c. HARNESS.
Washington, D. c., Oct. 81, 1879.