Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-05-13
THE EVENING STAR

{ Is, 1882 DOUBLE SHEE
In the vicinity OF the mats He had, as member
OF the board Of health, examined the hats and he
found that when the surface was exposed to the
showed that ali the sewers ev ems rom
18th street TO Rock creek emptied into the locality
ses Tee
produced was all Of that character caused by
PLANTATIONS FROM PoILUTED GROUNDS.
Those diseases were more particularly In the
neighDorhood OF the fats and there was no doubt
that the fats caused them The locality most af-
fected was from the Long bridge up to Georgetown.
The people who lived near the fats he had found
were much more liable to the malarial diseases
than those residing in other parts Of the city He
had observed that people moving into that locali-
ly cured cases OF fever by simply removing the pa
tients from the vicinity OF the fats The cause OF
He had no doubt that the fats had been the source
OF disease to the city. He was as absolutely GER
tain OF that as any man could be. The southern
the summer, he said, waited the poisonous gases
from the fats over the city and spread malarious
life, animalcula, which are raised in the air by
the breezeS and dying poison the atmosphere. He
had examined
MAJOR INNINGS PLAN
Tor retaining the flats, and he considered that
city from the emanations of the flats He claimed
| that earth itself is great disinfectant, and In
covering the fats the earth would absorb and de-
stroy large proportion Of the poisonous gases.
The value OF the reclamation would be Increased
Dy growth OF trees and grass The flats should
be covered and the reclaimed ground made into a
park. The reclaimed ground should be well pro-
vided with subsoiEdrainage. Dr. Verdi explained
| that the Duke of Tuscany reclaimed large tract
OF marshy land in his dominions by filling with
clean earth and planting eucalyptus trees upon it
poses because Of its rapid growth; that any Kind
| Of trees which grow rapidly would 40; that vege-
thus tends to purify the atmosphere. Referring
again to Major Twining's plan, Dr. Verdi said, as
to that part Of the plan which contemplates the
SMALL LAKES IN THE RECLAIMED GROUND
for the purpose OF having the tide, when coming
In. fill them, and using the water thus obtained to
| flush or wash out the channel OF the river, that
so long as the water in the lakes is changed often
enough, say twice day, so long as there is no
Stagnant water the lakes Will do no harm. That
is matter for the engineers to attend to. II the
engineering Is well done no trouble can come from
the lakes. He would say that the proposed system
OF lakes, and the flushing OF the channel through
them would be O benefit and an advantage In
cleaning up the river channel and keeping it Clean
| the whole. The idea OF flushing or washing out
the channel he regarded an excellent one. in
deed. DR.. Verdi next spoke OF the sewer system.
| He said he had plan in his mind he was anxious
to see adopted. It was to construct great receiv
ing or intercepting running through the city
which would receive and carry all the sewage into
pool or cana, from which it would be pumped into
the river at sufficient distance from the city to
prevent its doing any harm. This was the plan, he
| said in use In London, where four pumps OF 1900
horse power each are used. and by this means the
sewage Is carried way out and theThame5 river kept
clean. He said, taking all seasons around, the
mortality in Washington is, In spite OF local
troubles, very favorable. There was no reason why
world. The causes of disease are local and pre-
ventable. He repeated his positive opinion, and
said there would be no question about it that the
mats are the principal source OF disease here and
it was the duty Of Congress to remove this great
source OF disease. 1t was as much the duty OF
| the government to remove the causes Of disease
OF this character as it the duty OF the head OF
family to remove causes OF sickness existing in
his own house. There was no difference OF opln-
ion among medical men and SanttarianS as to the
deleeriouS effects OF the fats and that they should
be reclaimed They stand as reprOach to the whole
nation, and every human interest demanded their
removal
Views Of DIR. Busey.
DR.. Samuel c. Busey was the next witness; came
here in 1913, and had been resident OF the Dis
| trict since that time. He was familiar with the
flats, their location etc. The fats have increased
vastly since he came here, and are constantly In:
creasing, and there Is question of their Injurious
effect upon the health of the city. He didn't think
the hats were the cause OF all diseases here though
ture and Imperfect sewerage also contribute to
disease. He thought the Twining plan OF reclama-
ton would vastly improve the health Of the city.
-
There could NO doSot tnas ne 'hs ass
al men tSae they ought so s.
reclaimed. Malarious diseases prevail most among
those who are exposed TO the influence OF the flats.
He thought the statistics presented by Dr.. Town
shend to the committee clearly demonstrated that
the flats generate malarial poison and produce
disease. The reclamation Of the fats, he said, is
the first and most important sanitary measure to
be adopted: but there also ought to be system OF
subsoii drainage put in force In the city to make
nc hnc1f nr,rrl,f In
low parts of the city are all injuri9usy affected by
excessive soil moisture, and that thorough sys-
TEN OF sub-soll drainage would remedy this
able to malaria poison, most OF those diseases
are durable. The mortality here from diseases Of
that the colored population do not protect them
selves from such diseases; and another fact, that
many persons affected with such troubles come
here seeking relief and die. Excessive soil moiS-
ture produces pulmonary diseases.
THIS VALLEY IN WHICH WASHINGTON IS SITUATED,
he said, is subject to marked fluctuations Of tenn
perature. II it is hot within radius OF 800 miles,
it is excessively hot here and If 1t Is cold within
similar radius, 1T is excessively cold here. These
changes In temperature caused some sickness also,
but the chief causes Of disease were remediable
He had prepared some statistics, which he pre-
sented. In the nineteen months beginning with
very az anf e1n Wa wi ianuay S 1nere
or 1854 per cent, were from pulmonary diseases
He had compared the mortality reports OF Wash
York, Philadelphia, Boston and other cities, and
found that the number Of deaths from lung dis
eases greater here than in either OF the other
cities. He attributed this TO the effect of soil
moisture. He would also advise an amendment to
the building regulations which would require the
ground floor and foundation walls OF every house
to be imperviouS to water
A Word for Capitol Hill.
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR:
In writing Of old times and places in Washing
ton, subjects so full Of interest now that modern
improvements are fast celebrating the homes and
hauntS replete with historic association, it
seems that in some instances the writer's have
been misinformed in regard to facts, and so fall
into error. OF late Capitol Hill has had its share
OF notice, and amid regrets at our being cut of
with the smallest modicum OF expenditure in the
way OF improvements we hear the oft-repeated
story that If the original landowners had been
less graSpin3 and avarcouS, ali these miles OF ave
nues. grand with asphaltum and shade trees, and
Queen Anne architecture. would have been
here instead OF at the new ''West End"
cannot say what may have been the case
with Law and Greenlesf, but the children
OF Daniel Carroll still live. and have the
record in account books and letters and legal pa
perS OF all his business transactions and they
not but feel annoyance at the constant repetition
OF this story In regard to his greed In the matter