Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-01-03
CITY AND DISTRICT.
A SENSATION OF LONG AGO.


The Alleged Attenipt TO Poison PreSi.
dent.Elect Buchanan and Others.
rHE STRANGE SICKNESS AT The NATIONAL HO
TEL IN THE WINTER OF 1885, HOW PoLITi.
CAL CIRCLES WERE GREATLY AGITATED AMI
HOTEL. PROPRIETOR WAS DAMAGED BY
SEWER GAS.
"Wasnt there q story afloat OF an alleged at
tempt TO poison PresideIt-cect Buchanan and
some of his prominent advisers Just previous to
his inaugurationf" ask STAR reporter Of DR..
j. NJ. Toner the other day
Yes; there was such a story abroad" was
the reply. and it caused quite political snnsa-
ton. The matter was thoroughly investigated
and all suspicion set at rest. In the meantime.
however the public mind was greatly excited.
and party suspicious and recriminatons spread
Ike wild-fre."
What were the circumstances" asked the
reporter.
THE trouble occurred at the National hotel.
which was then-the winter Of '56-'57-the most
attractive hotel in the city, and was known as
the headquarters of the incoming admnstra-
ton. Mr.. Guy, the celebrated cater of Baltimore,
had taken possession Of il the year previous
mad put In steam heating apparatus. and had
lifted 1t up In an unusually handsome manner
throughout. Nevertheless the drainage from
the closets was very imperfect and this was
finally proved to be the cause of the general
sickness which prevailed there in the winter
previous to President Bucbanaa's inauguration
1t will be remembered that the CITY had no sys-
tenn OF sewerage. and such rs there was emptied
into the now abandoned and filed up canal at
the point where the Baltimore anu Potomac
uepot stands. The early part Of the winter wGS
severe, and during that period the hotel which
was well patronzed, was well heated but the
windows were rarely opened to permit ventilG-
zion. lt was then that sickness began TO il.an-
Test itself among the guests and employees. y
break In the cold weather occurred, however.
which lasted over two weeks, during which
time the doors and windows were kent
open a great deal. Nearly all the sick
ness then ceased and confidence In the
healthfuiness OF the hotel. which began to
be shaken was restored. Farther on i'm the
winter. when the severity of the weather COM
PEELED closing Of doors and windows. the sick
ness returned and became More general and
somewhat alarming. There were even one or
two deaths among gentlemen of prominence
after returning TO their homes. 1t was i'm Feb
ruary. think. that Mr.. Buchanan became a
guest OF the House. and il was then suggested
by some political alarmists that the sickness
proceeded from an attempt to take the life of
the Presdent-elect. The sickness in the early
part OF the winter was forgotten entirely by
those who entertained this suspicion. and tie
matter was OF such sensational character that
calm discussion was out of the question. Vague
ruHors and reasons for the diabOcal act On he
one part and the most positive denials on the
Ia.
great experience, carefully superinteBded and
examined his culinary department. bothin season
and out and was fully alive to the i'm Importance of
preventing the sensational runors from the
coming current. He called upon the leading
medical men who were attendant upon the
guests in the house. as well as employees 10
give the most careful attention to the matter
with the view of ascertaining the cause"
What was the nature of the sickness" asked
the reporter.
ssTn nearly all paspz III manifested itSaf hy
irritable stomach and bowels" was the reply
There was generally diarrhGa. which. when
checked. would return with even greater
severity, and had tendency to become chronic.
DR.. James C. Hall was the principal physician in
attendance upon the leading statesmen i'm
Washington at that time. His attention was
early directed to an examination of the sewer
age OF the house, and he reported the result of
his observations to Mr. Guy. The closets were
Oyerhauled and it was supposed that ali defects
were remeded, but the Improvement did not
establish drainage beyond the street. and it
was found that the outlet into the canal was so
blocked up and filed with sediment that but an
insignificant delivery of sewerage took place.
An examination made year later showed the
presence of leakage beneath the floors
and paTements go as to render ex-
trenely foul nearly the whole of the cellar
part of the house The theory of the political
alarmists was that the sickness was caused by
mineral poisoning in the food. but the SANTA
rians and physicians after the most exhaustive
Investigations attributed it positively to the me-
phific gases generated from the wretchedly
drained closets. In the meantime. however.
the prominent guests departed the hotel be-
came almost deserted, and Mr.. Guys business
was ruined. 1t is estimated that he lost over
$l50.00O. AS / said, the examinations were
most exhaustive. The CITY board of health at
the time investigated the matter. made personal
inspection. questioned the employees. clerks and
guests. and did all they could to unravel the
mystery. Their conviction was that faulty sew
erage was the cause. DR.. Robert King Stone.
then q member of the board of health made a
report which was published in the city papers,
setting forth the result of their examination.
A letter from DR.. James G. Hall to
the board Of health giving his views
was also published at the same time. DIR.
Thomas Antiseil, leading chemist and exam
liner in the Patent Office, was invited to Coop
crate, and made a chemical examination of the
prepared food. kitchen supplies the cooking
and drinking water. and nearly everything that
was suggested No poison, mineral or vegeta-
bic. was found. and he Joined with the others in
atrributing the sickness to detective drainage.
The correctness OF this theory was nearly COM
pletely substaLtiated by what occurred after
wards. The hotel was closed late in the spring
or early In the summer. and persons holding
deeds of trust forced sale OF the furniture in
the establishment For.siy weeks or two months
the house was entirely closed. except the part
occupied by watchmaa from the marshars
office, and there was no eating drinking or
cooking. The sale took place in midsummer
when there was but little demand among local
dealers, and vas attended mainly by dealers
from Baltimore. Philadelphia and Richmond.
The result was that great many of those in
attendance were taken sick. presumably from
the gases which had generated while the house
was locked up. Out OF justice to the parties
concerned IL was necessary to occasionally adj
journ the sale. so meager had the attendance
become through sickness among purchasers. 1t
was finally acknowledged by the most doubtful
that there were no real grounds for the suspi-
cion OF poisoning. but IL took some time to set
their doubts at rest, and all was excitement
while the Investigations were being conducted"
That the sickness was occasioned altogether
by defective drainage ia shown by the fact that
since the reconstruction of the National Hotel
and the construction OF the general system OF
city sewerage by which good drainage has been
secured for the hotel it has regained all its pop
ularity and prosperity. and has for some years
maintained the reputation of being one OF the
oes. kept and most successful hotels in the city,
POLICEMAN y. =. cox.
How the Sibilanf Name of the New
York Congressman VIII be Perpetu-
ated-A Singular Coincidence in No
menc,afure.