Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-05-03

Examination ~ Experts by the Senate
Committee To-day.


Committee To-day.
TESTIMONY OF CHIEF KNGINKER TowLK, or NEW
The Senate committee on inpro vement OF the
river front at Washington this morning continued
their Inquiry about the proposed improvements
stevenson Towle, chief engineer in charge OF the
bureau OF sewers, department OF public works.
New York city, was the first witness. He said he
had generally inspected the Potomac river 'front.'
the system OF city sewers and plan projected for
improving It; had driven over the city with Major
Twlnlng, who explained to him the system OF
sewerage and plan for improvement OF the river
'front.'
MAJOR TwININa's SEWER PLAN APPROVED.
Being asked to give the committee his views in
reference to the sewerage here and the projected
improvement OF the nats he replied: "As un-
derstand 1t, the trouble with the sewerage is the
flooding Of the low grounds adjacent to Pennsyl-
vania avenue in tine OF the flooding OF the river
and OF storms The plan OF Maj. Twining TO relieve
the low grounds Of rain fall by interceptlng storm
wa1er at higher level, Is proper one In my opin-
ION. Inis plan Is TO prevent the storm flow OF
water from entering the city and carry it on before
and necessary, and viii prevent the iioodinT % OF
the low lands in the city. But think this
system OF interceptng the storm water train
Water) hardly extends far enough, In order to be
permanent relief to the low grounds I think this
low ground adjoining Pennsylvania avenue suffers
into it and remaining there through a portion OF
every day Everything is thrown into the old T1ber
canal and sewers In the low ormade grounds, and
mains there until q falling tide. The sewage re-
mains In old Tiber 16 out OF the a hours which is
where the sewer is Covered than where It Is un.
covered. The effect OF the rising tide is to drive
the sewer air or gas into higher air."
As 10 TIE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT OF THE RIVER
FRONT,
he said, you have either got to keep these
mats submerged or to raise them up, one or the
other. The plan OF the engineers to make a chan
mel there, and raise the d ITS up is very proper
one. A greater part OF the trouble in Washington
comes from the fats and the sooner those flats
raised the better for the health OF the city, 1t is
particularly Injurious to health in the fa OF the
year, when the vegetation on the flats decays, and,
OF course, that vegetation retains some OF the pol
S0n0uS matter from the sewers These fatS must
be filled to sufcient height, so that there will be
no harm from dampneSS arising from capillary at
traction; 1t would do more he nm than good TO only
I'LL them partially. In addition to the nlng all
the sewers should be water tight so that the rising
tlde would not spread as now, through the per-
V1ouS bottoms into the low made grounds
SEWERS TO EMPTY DIRECTLY INTO THE RIVER.
Mr.. Towle said he would advise the constru ,tion
OF tntercepting sewers built on higher grades,
with very marked descent, to carry or the sewage,
without permitting It to run through the low
grounds or into the Tber, and he would have these
sewers empty directly into the river. 1t would be
necessary to prevent the water from standing in
the T1ber. He said that the rising tide forces the
bad air ahead OF IL in the sewers and into houses,
and that the remedy against this In New York is
gases are thus very gradually diffuSed without
doing great harm. This perforation Is simply suf-
hcient to make a balance between the water and
air presSureS in the sewers, and prevent the foul
air from going through In such volume as to force
Itself into houses through the water traps. Mr..
Towle, in reply to questions, said he had been
Tor more than twenty years
sURGEON-GENERAL WALES, OF THE NAVY,
was next examined. He said his experience had
been that OF practical character as physician.
He had encountered a great many cases OF malaria
here, due, he believed, entirely 10 the nats He
produced table conveying an idea OF the pro-
portion OF malarial diseases. He took four sta
tions-the naval hospital, navy yard marine hos
taer ana Wer hayaa s az ss In 1879 ,an and 1850
1879 there were 6O5 cases, OF which 1O2
We're clearly malar!aL In 1880 there Were
$50 cases. OF which ia were malar1al Out or the
total cases 1886 in the two years there 26 OF
10 per cent, malaral cases At the naval hospital
the proportion OF malaria was II per cent; at the
sary, . per cent, showing the greater percentage
OF malartal diseases at the stations most liable 10
infection from the flats These figures were taken
from the ''sick rates OF the navy, and the doctor
said 1t would be good thing ii the public could
have sick rate OF Washington DIR. Wales took
statistics from the last report OF the health
officer TO show that there were more deaths when
the WINDS prevailed from the direction OF the
fats He said the physicians had endeavorei to
trace the malarial diseases analyZe the TO
see II 1t was due to animaIculB They had failed,
but had found that particles OF the plants grown
on the flats were blown to all parts or the city,
showing that the poisonous vapOrs are thus scat
tered. He declared emphatically that tine chief
cause OF malaral disease here Is the fats, and the
proposed improvement would have very marked
enect for good. 1t would nearly eradicate mala-
rial diseases. Instead then OF presenting statis-
tics for the naval dspensary OF 25 per cent OF ma
larlal diseases it would show but two or three
perhaps He said part OF the city (near the Van
Ness property is rendered virtually uninhabitable
by these fats He was satisfied that sick rate
OF Washington would show the malarial cases TO
be less frequent as one would recede from the
river. He repeated emphatically that the chief
cause of malarfal diseases In Washington was the
existing state OF the fats
DR. TURNER,
secretary OF the National Board OF Health who had
been practicIng physician here for years, and had
formerly performed the duties now done by DR..
Wales fully indorsed all the latter had said in
regard to the fats being the cause Of malartal
troubles in Washington, and the proposed improve
ment would make the city comparatively free Of
such diseases
The Straw Bond Cases.
JUDGE WYLIE'S DECISION REFUSING TO ouAsH THE