The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-07-22
THE HOMELESS CREMATORY.
Committee on Health and Relief Of Poor
Examined the Lot
BUT THEY DID NOT TAKE ANY ACTION.
The Entire Matter VIII Again Go Before tho
Council, Who VIII Determine Where
the Furnace Shall BE Located.

the garbage Of the city is still matter OF
doubt.
Since the residents and property owners on
Buchanan street. in which locality the Health
Committee first thought of placing the Gre
matory. have raised such serious objection to
the location Of the furnace in that neighbor-
hood, the committee has been considering
other spots where the plant might be located.
One of the places suggested to the COM
mittee is n lot nearly in rear Of the City Aims
house. which is the property Of the city.
Yesterday afternoon, at o'clock. the Com
mittee on Health met the Committee on Re-
lief OF the Poor at the Council Chamber, and
the two committees drove out 70 the aims
house TO inspect the proposed lot
The two committees were accompanied by
Dr. ". T. Oppenheimer. president Of the
Board or Health. and Mr.. ". +. Moss, the
contractor who will erect the crematory.
At the almshouse the committees were met
by r. A. Carter the superintendent, who
piloted the party to the lot in question.
THE ALMsHousE LOT.
The lot is certainly an admirable location
for the plant and is in neighborhood where
there are few residences and where many
buildings are not likely to be erected for years
TO come II is on q hillside that slopes
with a gentle descent TO Bacons Quarter
branch or Shockoe creek, and is about
two hundred yards, in northwest
direction, from the wall Of the almshOuse
inciosure As it is near the creek bottom, It
is Mt least seventy feet below the almshouse
and 10 feet, or Whereabouts, below the crest
Of the hills on the north side of the creek.
The lot nearly abuts on the north end OF
Second street and is. therefore. about three
hundred yards west Of the fifth-street VIA
duct.
The best feature of this location is the facil-
ity with which access 20 it may be had Gar
bage carts from the western end of the city
can get to it by the streets beyond Duyal
street and through Second street, while those
from the lower district can reach it by way If
the Twelfth street extension and Seventeenth
street The great advantages presented by
these avenues of approach will be appreciated
when it is remembered that the chief disad-
vantage to the other proposed site was that
there was only one way to reach 1t, the great
est and most reasonable objection 70 the Gro
matory being the passage of the carts loaded
with garbage.
THE COMMITTEES CONSIDER.
The two committees examined the lot and
its approaches very thoroughly, and dis
cuSsed the matter very freely. All Of the
gentlemen seemed to think that it was much
better location than the other one.
After spending three-quarters Of an hour
on the lot they adjourned TO the almshouse to
hold a meeting and come to some definite
decision
Wien the almshouse was reached and the
committeeman were seated in the parlor,
however. difference arose between the conf
mittees The members Of the Committee on
Health were OF the opinion that the commit
tees had been called together TO meet IN JOINT
session while the members Of the Committee
on Relief of the Poor said that they came as
q separate committee with the other commit
tee as their guests.
Finally Mr.. Glover. chairman OF the Com
mittee on Relief of the Poor. called that
body to order, and they proceeded to discuss
the question.
house and the city property adjoining thereto,
and. therefore. while the crematory can be
located on the almshouse lot If the Council
wishes it. without regard 10 the committees
wishes in the matter, their opposition to the
plan would defeat it or, ut least, delay it.
WILLING, YET NOT WILLING.
The members Of the Poor Committee
seemed generally willing that the Health
Committee should Lave the lot, but were OPP
posed to committing themselves IN any way.
Mr. Glover stated his reasons for not wish
ing his committee 10 take action very frankly.
He said that while he favored the plan at
present. good and sound objections might be
raised TO II by property owners Of the
neighbOrhood which might constraln him
to oppose il when the Council took final &C
ton and he would not like 10 be- placed in
stack Of the furnace should be as high as the
apex of the amshOuse roof. so that all gases
from the furnace would escape at height
above the almshouse.
The members Of both committees fully con-
Cured in this last proposition, and Mr.. Davis,
of the Health Committee, said that his com
mittee would be perfectly willing TO add sixty
or eighty feet to the eighty-fye foot stack
they had already contracted for.
The committees then. on the suggestion of
Mr. Glover. went up to the high porch at the
rear of the building, which overlooks the Gre
matory site, to see Just how high the stack
should be to come up 10 the level Of the aims
house roof.
While they were up on the porch il was re-
marked that in any case no gas from the
stack could get 10 the noses OF the almshouse
people, save when west wind was blowing.
From the porch it was plainly evident that
the stack would have to be at least hundred
and twenty feet high to reach the required
elevation.
MORE FRUITLKss DISCUSSION.
When the party returned TO the parlor the
Poor-Reief Committee was called 10 order by
Mr.. Bowden, b-chairman. at the request Of
Mr.. Glover, and the discussion proceeded as
frultessly as before.
Another hitch now occurred. Mr. Hughes
asked why the committee had been called to-
gether. Mr.. Glover said he had called 1t to
consider the location of the crematory, but
Mr. Grimes said that the committee had GER
tainly come only TO view the site, and that as
the committee had no authority from the
Council nothing that II might do would
amount TO anything.
Nir. W. l.. White. who earnestly favored
the almshouse site, finally offered the follow
ing resolution, which had been originally
offered by Mr. Hughes but withdrawn
Resolved That the Committee on Relief of
the Poor will oher no objection 10 the loca-
ton of the cremat )ry on the city property at
the foot Of Second street. behind the a ms
house provided the stack shall be as high as
the crest of the main building of the aims
house, 80 far AS II relates 10 the almshouse.
Mr. Glover reiterated that he thought the
committee should take action in the matter.
Mr.. White then asked him the direct ques-
ton. You'll admit that no place Is better
fitted for it,"
YES: it is a good site" replied Mr.. Glover.
Mr. Hughes then remarked that he was OPP
posed TO the resolution. lie thought that 1t
wond embarrass the members OF the com
mittee, and that their individual expression
Of a favorable opinion was all that the Health
Committee could ask for.
THE HEALTH COMMITTEE.
At this iuncturo most of the members of the
COMMITTEES on Health who had been present
during the discussion took up their hats and