Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-10

during the year reached ASA, being SIS less
than for the previous year
The matter OF the location of the pound Is
one winch VIII probably have to be taken into
consideration at any early day. Ii is nj present
situated In the street at intersection of New
York avenue and sd street northwest. and the
rapid improvement OF the flats promises an
early demand for the opening OF 23d street and
| consequent removal Of the buildings. 1t would
probably be We'll to make provision for securing
another site and erecting suitable buildings.
The present wooden pens used to contine dogs
should be substituted 10y others made Of heavy
/, wire, which would afford much more light and
| air TO the imprisoned CANNES.
! He thinks it would be we'll also for the Com
mlSSloners to issue an order prohibiting the
herdiug of cows on the open lots or streets OF
the city in close proximity to houses. The office
has many complaints from citizens respect NJ
cows coming close to their dwellings, dropping
| filth and frightening children.
THE SICK POOR
The number of poor persons that receive
| medicines and medical attendance at the public
expense seems to be on the increase yearly, not
outstanding the fact that the strctest care is
| enjoined upon the physicians to the poor in dis
eliminating between those Justly entitled to this
charity and those not so. From II. $50 in 1851
! and l4.Sl2 in 1882. the number OF patients
treated during the past year has crept up to
! l5.6ll-5.347 white and 0.2t6 colored The
| physicians made 81, 5+2 visits during the year
| and held APP office consultations. The medi-
| cines furnished cost 50. 1868.
| TRADES NUIsANCEs
An exhaustive report is made upon the sub
iect OF trades nuisances. as they are called. IL
| Illustrations are given of the modus operandi in
| the manufacture of suiphate of ammonia, the
dstiation OF asphalt and the publication of
gas.
| He SAYS that the law on the subject of trades
nuisances is PROBABLY full and complete AS
could be desired. and since the legaliZation of
the ordinances by acts OF April "A, 1850. We have
secured decision of the Court in General Term
/ In our favor.
When the fact Of existence is estab-
| lshed, he says the authorities should
| have but little trouble in securing abatement
| OF the nuisance. However, no authority is eX-
| cusabe for abuse Of power and there are many
| Things which must be taken into consideration
In dealing with the parties responsible for nuis-
| ances arising or resulting from the prosecution
| OF trade or business. The sufferers from any
| nuisance chaie under delay and if the offender
be some great corporation or wealthy aud intiu-
entail citizen. they apt to attribute 1t to the
! moneyed or political influence no matter how
just and well intended may be the efforts or ac-
| ton of the officer responsible. OF course the
| health officer says, there are cases and great
| many OF them, were prompt and effective action
! is demanded and in event OF failure Of the party
creating or maintaining the nuisance to comply
| with the requirements OF the department. re-
| course to extreme measures would be justified
Still In many instances the office effects an abate
ment ola nuisance by advice and persuasion long
| after the real responsibility has been
shifted to the shoulders of the court
| Nuisances of this class, he saws are generally
ones that it takes time and patience to effect
ually abate. Older cities than Washington. and
older states than any in our Union, have been
| dealing with the question for years.
| Those of this class of nuisauces from which
al
and upon which this department has taken
action are such as have resulted from the boil
| ing of bones, the rendering of fat. the burning
of oyster shells, the manufacture of sulphate of
| ammonia the manufacture of illuminating gas
! and the manufacture of asphatum.
The offensive processes give rise to public
nuisances. either by the use and storage of
offensive substances. the production of often
! sive. irritating or destructive vapors or gases
or by the discharge of great quantities of dust
! and dirt. The methods OF abatement are: Con-
veying and storing in close receptacles, forcing
the gases through purifiers, condensers, &c. so
| as to fix the condenSable ones and then DESTROY
| ing the combustbe ones by subiecting them to
| incandescent heat. Ii the result cannot be ac-
/ c0mpllSiled by these means. then the works
must not be permitted in thicky populate ed
| nelgnborhOOGS, OF dwellings must be removed
from their vicinity. In the of lime kilns
and factories. where the smoke conveys Often
sive matter. then the use of tall chimneys should
| be resorted to.
| After discussing the method by which sui
phate Of ammonia is made and the intoierable
nuisance caused by the offensive sulphuretted
! hydrogen gas thrown off into the atmosphere
the report says very small proportion of this
gas, il present in the air. is offensive to the
| smell. and the Nuisance from such works may
at times be perceived at the distance of half a
| mile or more.
In reference to the statement that such effluvia
| are Injurious to the public health, the report
says: 1T is certain that exposure to the diluted
| effiuvia from suphate of ammonia works does
| in many persons induce feelings of depression
| headache, loss Of appetite. nausea or vomiting
and sometimes some oppression of the breath
| ing"
REFINING ASPHALT.
| Factories for the refining Of asphaltum have
been removed in two instances from locations
in this city where seri Gus nuisance had been
the result of the operations as conducted. The
works referred to were those Of Messrs Gram
| ford & Co, on corner B and 18th streets north
west. and Messrs. Baldwin & Co.. on North
| Capitol street. between X and l. streets north
west. The only works Of the kind now In the
! District of Columbia are those of Messrs A. L.
Barber & Co., situated on what is known as
EaSby's Point foot OF Goth street northwest.
| AT these works there has been introduced re-
Gently an appliance patented by the District
| chemist. Prof. DeSmedt. which promises to
effectually abate the nuisance by destroying the
| gases thrown off.
! THE MANUFACTURE OF ILLUMINATING GAS.
| Speaking Of the manufacture OF Illuminating
gas, the report refers to an investigation made
10y the medical officers of health in London in
1857. The report of that committee says moth
ing about damage inflicted by efiluvia, for the
reason that nothing definite was ascertained
1t was found impracticable to eliminate the
influence exerted by other more certainly iniu-
rious conditions. to which the poor populations
most exposed to the effluvia from the works
| were subjected. And the same difficulty still
exists. Vast improvements, however have
taken place in the processes Of gas manufacture
| since that time. The refuse is all cared for and
utilized, and the handling Of all the material is
| much more carefully done.
| The publication at the Washington gas works
| is by the dry lime process
The sources of nuisance from gas works are
set down about as follows: The issue of smoke
| and vapor from the retOrt house. the process of
emptying the purifiers and depositing the spent
| lime, the revivifcation of oxide, the tree expo
| sure of tar or ammOniacal liquor to the atmos-
phere, or the removal Of the various refuse mat
ters
At the Washington works the tar and ammo
niacal liquors are conveyed by underground
pipes directly to the distilleries the oxide of IRON
| is not used, and consequently there is no occa-
i =