National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-07-25
OBJECTIONABLE SMELLS.


40 me LtUOfs
Your editorial Of yesterday headed "Clcon
the City" was well timed. Permit me to sug.
gest Il matter Of grave Importance that do
mnnds immediate attention. Half million
dollars was appropriated by congress to com.
plctc the sewers according to pluns on file In
the office of the engineer commissioner"
The health officer and tho engineers well know
that Rock creek Is damned ut It's mouth, and
IN consequence is n filthy, stagnant pOol-a
nuisanCe-CausCd by receiving the deposits of
at least ten sewers between L street bridge
and the dam.
What Is being done 10 abate this nulsnnco2
How much of tho $4,000 appropriation viii DO
expended In carrying or continuing those
sewers down along Rock creek Into the chan
mel of the Potomac as originally planned by
Gov. ShcphOrd2 Who Is responsible for the
dam ~ the mouth Of Rock creck2
Is lis retention more important than tho
protection Of the lives and health Of 10000
people that live near the creek? II We must
have the dam, the sewers opening into the
creek, and, IN consequence, the Vile pool, can
tnot be regularly flushed or purified In some
way2 WEST WAsuIHCTON.
A reporter of THE REPunMCAN undertook ia
find answers for some Of tho questions in the
above letter Capt Il. l.. Hnxic, senior ussl,t-
ant engineer of the district, In charge OF the
sewerage system, water works Sc, was asked
how the dam came to be erected across the
mouth of Rock creek.
1t was done by the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal company years ago, mud Is used To ac'
cuInulatc water for a basin for the boats"
IL would not be practicable to remove II
them"
mo, not without congress should give tho
necessary authority. But thcre is very little
soworis the only onS except few twelve.
inch ones, that cmptioS regular sewage into
the creek. The Boundary sewer carries storm
water enough from the county to thoroughly
a. AL al ava lYnn La
Is II r,tnstOrm. Then the water fairly boil.
and PUSHES down the creek like a mountain
torrent"
''ls there no remedy for whatever of evi
there may be In the situatiOn?
Certainly there IS; and made the plans
which are upstairs now, years ago for the con
structiOn of conduits on either side of thu
creek 70 carry of the sewage
"ls that included IN the work contemplated
under the half mil ion appropriation
mo, because congress cut down our cSti
| mates by $4,000, and the rest can We think, M
| applied TO better effect upon improving I'll,
| general drainage of the city II will be dom
| Just MS soon ~ wO are able 10 do II withuu
prejudice TO moro necessary work"
Mr.. j. q. Rock, chief clerk In the same Office
was very emphatic In his declaration that tn
dam did no damage. He SaId II was a well
known inct In hydraulics that the under cur
| rent was the strongest, aud therefore any INIT
| ter that might be deposited along the bottom
| of the creek or basin would be washed owe
the dam by slight increase In the flow q
| water.
Tho sewerage of the district is improving
| every day" he added, "by the increase of tn
watershed caused by the erection of new
houses and the paving of new streets will
| asphalt This leaves less surface for absorb
| ton by the earth, all the rainfall being thu
| thrown into the sewers and increasing thei
flow. The proportion Of water to solid matte
| i also increased, and the sewers thorough
| flushed ut every good rain Storm"
| Another pitiIpn Df WugninUtpn NVritqQ
| what ieelingly about sewer traps and NOR
| especially about the perforated covers OF mai
holes leading TO the main sewers. He write
"1hc first, second, and all days before Z
after II storm of any kind In spring, summe
fall, or winter the pedestrian whether con
PEELED to bo out on business or walking out f
pleasure. Is continually coming In contact wit
the most disgusting and sickcning odors ari
ing through the perforated covers over tn
| manholes leading direct 10 the muin sewer
| do not understand why the poisonous gusC
| arising through these covers arc any NOR
conducive to health than those coming frUr
| sewer traps | do not understand why +
| much ado Is made about the sanitary plumb
ing inside of houses, compelling the putin
In OF pipes for the. escape of foul gases, ne
only from water closets, but kitchen sink
and even chamber wash basins, aud then ope
the very fountain head Of all filth directly l.
front OF the doors of respectable people.
81 do not understand why 50 much prccat
| ton istakcn, and care exercised over the cor
| dltiOn of traps ut the corner of streets TO prt
vent the escape observer gases, and then dc
| libcrately give vent TO the same gasC
through the cover of manhOlos IN the center {
| sidewalks, rendering II impossible for any pei
| son In the vicinity to walk square from HON
without being compelled to iuhalc the siCl
| ening fumes which are continually arisin
| through the perforated covers.
"FOur fthcsc death dealing fountains ma
be seen within the limits ofa single squur,
on " between Thirteenth and fourteent
| streets, and they arc scattered all through III
northwestern part OF the city, with the
smoke ascending high in air imprcgnating III
around"
This gentleman further states that these pc
| fOrutcd mauhole covers arc being Put over n
| new sewers. lie recently saw one over IL
walk, directly in front of u handsome res
| denCe.