The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-09-08
DIpHrHERIA.
visit OF the Health Committee aud
others ON saturday 10 the Inieeted
Dlstriet-What Was Seen and What
b MCCeAaaEY,

ut1cfs On hAtufuhy 10 tne Auleeteu
Dlstriet-What Was Seen and What
iS Necessary.
For some time past our city has been
stricken with that destroyer diphtheria in
different localities, but especially in that
quarter known as East Wheeling, where
Its ravages have been SO fearful among the
children that 1t became epidemic. The
great number Of deaths and the miserable
sanitary condition Of the infected district
at length aroused the physicians ptactic-
ing in it, as well rs others aware Of It's
condition, TO a realization OF the
fact that unless a municipal effort
were made in the matter the disease
would assume yet greater proportions,
and by c~ontagion infect the whole city.
Accordingly a petition embodying their
ideas on the subject, and reciting the con.
diLion OF affairs in East Wheeling, the
alarming number Of deaths and the decid-
cd prospects for more under the present
regime, and also emphasizing the fact Of
their, the Councils, responsibility in the
matter, wa presented to that body on
last Tuesday night. and referred to the
Committee on Health for report. Certain
OF these physicians signifed their readi.
ness 10 accompany this committee at It's
convenience through the'6istrict in Ques.
ton and practically to demonstrate the
truth Of the specifications OF their petition,
and to show them also greater evils than
they yet had complained Of Accordingly,
on Saturday afternoon, it was agreed that
the committee, in company with such
physicians as were necessary, should
make the tour. About . o'clock Dr.. Geo.
Baird, City Surveyor Peterson, Health
Officer Edwards, Committeeman Schultz,
Caldwell, A. Hughes, McAdams, Kimber-
~ aud Reeves, accompanied by q represen-
tatiye from this paper, left the Court
House, the whole in the wake Of prs.
Baird and Councilman Kimberly, the
latter on horseback, and q mem.
Der from the ward to be visited,
and whose aid in the matter was
i~nvaluable.) The first place visited was
the Soap factory OF Custer & Gruber, near
the creek and Immediately next the oil re-
fnery OF Warren & Co. This establish
ment had evidently been notified
Of the approach Of the visitors, as
one OF the proprietors was at the
door and went through It with US.
The whole building had been recently
lined and put in good shape. Yet 1t was
still o soap factory, and the fact couldn't
be disguised, the scent Of the - hung
round it still" and prepared as 1t was for
visitors, the odors arising from the
matter there were slCkening in
the extreme. Leaving this PLACE, Alley
lG was the next objective point, and was
entered from Wood street by the carriages
Of the party. This alley differs from a
street only in name as it is full Of tenement
houses, and all densely packed with peo-
pie Of various grades. From Wood to
Jacob in this alley, which is a paved one,
runs a gutter, as nearly in the centre as
possible. Into this gutter are drained
all the washing water, Stops and re-
fuse from the corresponding Square on the
South side OF Eighteenth street, and also
OF the residents Of the alley itself,
besides the garbage not collected by The
carts OF the garbage haulers. From the
cellars and yards Of nearly every house
could be seen these dirty streams Of
water running into the alley, where their
exhalations could contribute to Cypress
the already tainted and dealth.dealing
atmosphere that is breathedby that strick.
en- community. Crossing Jacob street,
further west, q similar condition OF af.
fairs prevailed, 50 far as bad odors
are concerned, only heightened a little
by the offensive presence Of q butcher
house OF the northen side OF the alley.
One can hardly conceive Of the extremely
dirty and filthy co%nditionssof these alleys,
now OF the misery and poverty existing in
them until he secs them in all their
filth and horror, and after that he is not
surprised at the ravages OF any epidemic
in that locality. The imperative NECESSITY
Of n sewer a~dequateto the demands upon
it in this alley, we're at once obvious to the
committee, and so far as their recon-
mendation and intluencecan go toward it,
one will soon be there. The attention oil
the committee was next directed to the
eastern end Of this alley, near Bodley's
brick yard, and to the filthy condi.
ton of it there as far as
the creek bank. Here also was a
constable OF the smallest possible dimen.
sions, in which were seven stalls for COWS,
five OF which were filed. Here would be
a case Tor Bergh we're he here. In this
hall block fronting on alley 10 and 18th
street q physician said every house in it
had been visited by the disease. Through
alley 6. to alley 10 we next went, and
found a like state Of affairs, and in many
instances in this alley greater filth and
wretchedness prevailed. PriSy vaults and
stables that would have disheartened
Hercules were encountered at every
turn. In n house alone three
cases Of diphthera were report.
ed, while nearly every one had a
case or two. In the stables used for stab
ling cows, kept for dairy purposes, the
dirtiest possible condition OF affairs pre-.
vailed, and could the sWiIl and other re-
fuse led to these cows be seen by milk
consumers, it would prejudice them
against the consumption OF milk pro.
duced at city diaries. The people of this
alley had evidently not been appraised Of
our coming, a they gathered curiously
around to watch the proceedings, and %
know what was the reason ofthe invasion.
Children by the score were met every.
where here, and all OF the most wan and
Of the tainted atmosphere they breathed.
Many OF the doors Of dwellings
along this alley were OPEN. and
our curiosity impelled us to look
inside and take in the manner in
which the, people lived, and our
reflections were hat 1t Is not nee
essary. to. read Talmage's sermons in
New York on misery and Indebtedness to
get an adequate idea OF human misery
as it exists there, for nearly every
instance OF his, its duplicate can be fur.
nished here in our very midst. In this
alley the drainage is very deficient as well
as insufficient. On the south side in
many cases the yards are much lower than
the alley, and these streams Of
water and filth are permitted to