Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-08

D., appointed Attorney General In PrssIdsua
iElrcscd 20 succeed iseuoeu Enwood, n. o.
sElecsed 10 sucseed SAMUEL T. Cox. D.. -
pointed minister to Turkey.
ceased. -
THE ENvlR0Ns OF wAsmaxereu-
The Results 81 che n~e~~s S.us,..xs
Sey-The Condlslea 81 Eseveu of a.
Most PePuleus Suburhs.
During the past summer inspectors or the
health office have been engaged I'm MAKING an
examination Of the sanitary condition OF the
suburbs OF washington. and a special chapter
has been devoted 10 the subject In Health ON
Ger Townshends annual report
"Fhe rapid growth OF Washington IN recent
year,, " the report says, has been followed by
an even greater corresponding increase I'm thSr
population Of It's envrons. Fortunately for VA.
the probability ofsuch an Increase WAS tnken
into consideration when the health ordinances
were being formulated and the various section.
of the laws relating TO the public health nra
vide for their enforcement either throug boat
the entire length and breadth az the District or
are made applicable To the cities and their
more densely populated suburbs Profiting
10y the eNperienc. OF Older cities in Older coun-
groundwork OF preventing the pollution ot
SOIL ana water In the suburban and rural
0f District lolnmlia nv
pointing out the dangers OF following certain
practices and the safety In being guided BY san
have before me a quarto volume Of six hum
dred pages, made up OF reports presented be-
tween February, 1879. and December, 4 $50 by
spsssn, medical officers Of health 20 the local
relating 10 endemic and epidemic outbreaks OF
zymotic diseases i'm the suburban and rural
sanitary districts coming under the controlling
power of that body. In these numerous reports
the cause of the disease Is uniformly traced 10
ra.ion OF water soil, or afr 10y long continued
car oinceis do not mince matters i'm speak Ing of
lnsanttafy conditions found 10 exist and some
oi the pictures painted In these reports nre
simply horrible. II will probably 81 MANY
years before the density of population here wifi
compare with that OF England; but n Is moi Too
early now To begin ,to throw out the safeguard,
against the possibility of such a history Ssina
written OF the District of Columbia. With this
end in view
A SYSTEMATIC INSPECTION
mas been made aad facts and figures are hepo
presented relative 20 the present con iition ana
the sanitary wants oil eleven OF our populated
suburbs. The essentials to health are pure air
pure water aud pure food. La order that we
may have the two former 10 is absolutely ueces-
sary that the soil about our dwellings shall ne
protecsed against ga, every source OF consan,ins-
air and water, and in q polluted soil we must
expect TO find both polluted air and poIluIed
water.
\ soil favored by nature with eli the advau-
tages required tor a healthy site may become so
iinpregnated with impurities to be I'm the
highest degree preiud ,cial TO health. IL In the
province of the sanitarian To guard against
these dangers by pointing out the means OF
their prevention, and by suggesting the reme-
dies when the evils have already occurred"
The report then gives, at some length. q state
ment 10y Mr.. w. j. McGee, OF the geological SUR
vey- of facts concerning the geological forrua-
ton OF the District, with especial reference 70
It's bearing on the question OF soil pollution. A
table Is given, showing the general results u
the inspections i'm eleven suburbs viz: MI
Pleasant. Pleasant Plains. sherman's subdiyi-
sion, Meridian Hin, Columbia College grounds,
widows Mite, Howard University lands. Ii
Droit Park, Uniontown, Ivy City and Montelo.
The results are summarized an follows: .In the
eleven suburbs named there are SOC ho,lueS and
ass wells. Fourteen houses were found with
out proper sanitary provisions, and In ~ casss
the outhouscs were built In an unlawful InanneS
and in - cases the proper reccptacies were
lacking
THE sUBuRss INSPECTED.
Mt Pleasant has 2se houses and ~ wells -
cisterns One foul well was discovered
Meridian Hill, the report says, contains 90
houses and II wells.
shennan's subdivision. the report says, ad-
joins Mount Pleasant ON the south, and "a, like
Meridian Hill, the homologue Of the former
Ia geological ana typographical formation. Ii
contains only hve houses mt present and two
wells. II is destined at an early day, the 10
II The sa5diSision Vision Of the PSSSi oo,ers
grounds has also formed densely populated
suburb that promises 10 soon become portion
oa tue city proper. Il lies just south OF The two
Localities previously referred to, and there IL no
material difference In the geologic forma tons
sufficient water supply nom the CITY rnains -,
oepeGd upon, bui one well.
Widows Mite lies 10 the north aud west of
Coiu:nbia road, from 18th street extended. and
while IL now contains only seven houses aud
hour wells large additions OF population must
Pleasant Plains contains eighty-three houses,
an with sanitary accommodations, and thirty
Howard university lands contains q the
present time ninety-four houses and twenty
Fortunately the residents of the ty-three
houses In lie Droit Park are not dependent upon
well water. There are only three wells i'm the
park, aud the water from them has been found
upon chemical analysis 10 be good. Excrala u
removed by the water carriage system.
uniontown has 200 houses and 81 wells. The
eSeraia is generally collected In water-tight ~
ce.itacies above ground and removed by the
pneumatic odorless process. Five houses WerU
.,und without proper sanitary accommoaar
tions.
Ivy city Hes on the line OF the main stem Of the
baltimore and Ohio railroad and has al present
lave Sroner Saniisrw snv,s Ssre ,o0So ~
either had none at all or were I'm insanitary
condition. There are three wells and the water
In one Of them was found 10 he unit for use.
Montella has "a houses aud o wells. Six
houses were found without proper accommods-
in insanitary condition. The water I'm tvo Ceals
was found 10 be unit for use.
The department has not rs yet succeeded In
10 exist In the suburbs OF Washington, bur the
report says a vigorous campaign gaiust fnsoui-
tary conditions has been inaugural ed aud Will
he pushed forward with energy. The report 10
accompanied by a series OF fifteen diaGIams,
giving the ground plans OF the villages, aud the
location oil the houses, wells, &C."
Asphalt Block Pavemeats.
THE coNTRAcrs FOR THE CURRENT YEAR cor.
PLETED-MoRE WORK OF THE SAME KIND TO
BE CONE.
The asphalt block pavement contracts have
all been completed. and all the streets Of that
kind are reported 70 be In excellent condition.
These blocks were introduced I'm this city In
1873 on the residence streets of this city, and
have grown In popularity every year. They
cost less that the street asphalt, and are almost