The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-04-28
The Improvement OF Shockoe Creek.

iH' iufiVNh's nBumtub WAS Intenueu Dy
DR.. II. q. Cabell 10 be delivered in the
Board OF Aldermen, but owing TO the late.
ness OF the hour he failed 10 deliver II. II
Is here published by request OF many Of his
constituents:
l propose 10 call the attention OF the
Board OF Aldermen To a most important inn
| proyement, and one which will benefit The
general interests OF the city. IL IL the i'm
! proyemcnt OF Sbockoe creek from Franklin
TO Marshall street; and according TO the
I estimate made by the City Engineer the
work can be accomplished for about 800, 600.
AT the first aspect this appears TO be large
sum, but in view Of the benefit resulting
the amount Is small and insignificant, and |
hOpeto demonstrate that it will be money
most judIciousIy expended. In the first
place, desire, gentlemen, TO consider the
condition Of affairs in this section OF the
city where This Improvement is proposed.
a vast and dosolate cbasm extends along
the bed Of Shockoe creek, in the very CEN
TIRE OF the city, which may be utilized, and,
instead OF deformity, become fit place
for private residences and stores. The city
was originally divided into two geographic
cal sectiOns-ylZ., Church Hill and ShOckOe
Hill. Church Hill took precedence in com.
mercial transactions, IN manufactures, in
DopulatiOn, in fashion and wealth. Ii was
the site Of the dock, where vessels received
and discharged their freigbls, and OF Rock
ettS. the der0; Of trade and importation.
Stately mansions, churches, and hotels
graccd the scenery, and IT, hnrbOr was
whitened by vessels laden with the trade Of
distant States and foreign nations. The
( historic events Of the war OF The RevOlu-
ton bad consccrated the scene, and the elo-
quence Of Patrick Henry rang through the
hall OF The House OF BuTgeS>es OF virginia,
and even alarmed the Parliament Of Great
Britain. Il was . scenes OF this kind that
population was attracted. aud Church Hill
and lis nciehbofhoOd were noted for Thrift
and abundance. But nOw how changed j.
I the condition. This part Of our city is
now on tue ware and going sadly. to
decay. There are no palltial mansions. no
busy and thriving ayOcltions, but families
happy TO he able tO pay their taxes and
make, many OF them, precariOuS support.
What, we naturally ask, is The cause of this
melancholy transformation: Why are the
warchOuscs'and houses generally going TO
decay: The dock. the WharYes, the river,
laden with The products OF northern ana
southern cline still bring TO the city tue
products Of the world. The depOt> Of ,eve-
raj railro9d-, stretching their Briarean hands
to the East. the West, and the South, bear
to this part Of the city the products OF the
field, the forest, The mine. The people are
industrious, and apply themselves 10 their
various occupations. And yet large por-
ton of the ciiy-JetifrsOn, JIck>On, and
Marshall Ward,-are steadily on the De.
cline How alc we TO explain this mean-
ch0ly state Of atiarsf II. solution i, mani
! fest, and the cause transparent. II i the
result Of faulty municipal legislation.
I THIS part Of the city has been over
looked and neglected. RecoIect that JET
/ ferson Ward has for Il series OF years
contributed largely to the finances Oi
the city. Her contributions and assess
ments for number Of yeIrs exceeded that
OF any ward with the exception Of Madl-
son. She has borne the burden OF taxation
and poured her tribute in the Golfers of the
treasury, but The expenditures have been at
remote and distant points and liberalIy
( given 20 sister wards. Or she may be COM
pared 20 an af'.clonate parent who, to in
Gulge and benefit his offspring, crcum-
,cribes his own enioyments ana leads lie OF
restraint and self denial. She now calls on
| her sister wards, aS an act Of Justice, sim
ply TO return 10 her some portion OF the
| large amounts they have heretofore received
OF her hands. \ hOrrid hiatus or chaSm in
! the channel OF ShOckOe creek in the centre
OF the city, like a Chinese wall, separates
one portion OF the city from the other. II
! is public nuisance. preventing social ln-
| tcrCOur>e oi the citizens, and prevents
the erection Of private and public edi-
fees. In addition TO being blur and
/ a defOrmity to the city, it is objection
able 81 detrimental to health, and is the
prolific source OF deadly milsma and cpl
! denIc diseases. The vale through which
this stream flows 10 the river is the Iecepta.
/ Gle and deposit Of everything OF noXiOus
/ and offensive nature. Il Is huge cloacl-
| the receptacle Of dead animals, cast-Oii "ar-
mcnts, dccaying vegetables, and all eilete
! bodies eXhalin. a deleteIiOuS eXhalatiOn. II
| is a remarkable bu. IN established fact that
| this stream, dlain!ng every ward OF the city,
and loaded with pestleniial tflluyia, l., ac-
cOrdng TO reliable authority, no, more than
three or four feet above the level OF tide
water. Everything and all crcumamblent
! surroundings make 1t like the POntlne
marshes Of Italy, the prOliii. source OF dis-
case. MAY not the frequent inundatlon OF
/ this portion Cf the city account for the I'M
/ heaihincss Is gathered from the weekly
mortuary reports Obtained from the Board
Of Health? The percentage Of mortality
/ in city of ordinary health should
/ not exceed Is or 10 in the thousand, but the
| bill, Of mortality Of Richmond make The
average 2G and in the case OF the colored
| population il mounts frequently to the ap-
palling number oi i03 per thousand. Bear
/ i'm mind that the influence OF malaria eX-
tends, according to the best authorities,
/ from three 10 four mile.. In this view,
even if the immed date vicinity should show
no great mortality, the influence Of un.
healthy emanaiiOr> may pcrmcale through
| the length and breadth Oi the whole city,
bearing on rs fuueIell wings the predis-
posing ana exciting causes Of disease. |
am firmly Of opinion that the bed and bahk>
Of ShOchOe creek, 20 often submerged Wi,h
water, and left on subsistence 10 the iniiu-
encc Of high solar heat, y the prolific cause
Of discasc. Def ctivc sewage in other parts
OF The city May contribute lis influence in
the causation Cf disease, but that lnfu'
eGce j. OF minimum amount when
compared TO Tie obvious nursery Of
malaria proceeding from ShOck0e creek.
call the altCntlOn-the solemn atien-
I lioG-of the Board TO these stubborn
| facts. History repeats Itself with wonder
! inl consistency and uniformity. The epl-
denies OF the past and remote ages arose
from the neglect OF hygienic or sanitary
rules and faulty municipal legislation. |
will enumerate a few OF these national
cl.amties, coDdning myself to those which
have more severely scOurged mankind. The
historian Thucidides tells us in graphic
language OF the plague which desoated
Athens. The population Of Florence, ac-
cordlng to Bcccals, in his Decamerop. was
, more than decmaied by malariOus soil, and
that beautiful classic city mourned the loss
Of 100. 900 OF It's inhabitants. Marseilies,
in the southern part OF France. has been the
victim OF criminal neglect, and the pIigue