Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-28


Recently complaints have been made 70 th'
health officer that garbage was being dumped
ashore by Garbage Contractor Clark just below
Shepherds Point nearly opposite Alexandria
| in such quantities a. to poison the air and en-
danger the lives OF those residing in that neigh
borhood and Of those employed by the Balti
more and Ohio railroad at Shepherds Point
The complaints alleged that Contractor Clari
would run his ga-bage-laden boats ashore anc
there they would remain until unloaded bv the
person to whom they were consigned and theii
filthy contents carried ashore and spread
upon the land. later to be plowed in
In answer to these complaints Health Officer
Hammett yesterday directed sanitary Inspector
| I. VI. shepherd and DR.. G. ". Birdsall of his
| Office 20 proceed to Shepherds Point and In
vestieate the matter At the invitation Of the
health officer a reporter of The STAR accom-
panied his officers, and, boarding the police
boat Joe Blackburn. the party steamed 10 Shep-
herds Point. On the way down a sunken scow
fully loaded with garbage was noticed living
lust above the United States naval magazine.
| The wind and waves had removed some Of the
disgusting mass. but the great bulk Of 1t lay
almost in the very path Of passing steamers,
offending alike the eyes and nostrils Of their
passengers.
THE STENCIL ALMOST UNBEAIABLE.
Arriving a. shepherds Point, Station Master
Hurley Of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad was
seen and he kindly hitched up team and drove
the pnrty first along the river shore to the truck
farm of Mr.. Sweeney. Mr.. Sweeney, it WIS
said had during the past two weeks received
eight or ten scow loads of garbage from Mr..
Clark. and after spreading it upon his ground
had ploushed it in. No fresh garbage was seen.
but the odor from that already ploughed in was
far from pleasant. Mr.. Hurley informed the
party that the stencil from the garbage while
lying of the shore and also when spread upon
the land was almost unbearable, comp cling
residents to close their windows and sickeni' &
the railroad men handling the trains at the
point. One of Mr.. Sweeney's employees stated
that the garbage made excellent fertilizer
and that it ploughed into the land imme-
dia.elv after being spread upon it although he
admitted that it sometimes remained on the
ground day or night before all Of 1t was
turned in.
From Mr.. Sweeneys place the party was
driven 20 the L. :. magazine grounds. Gunner
Missingcr in charge of the magazine had gone
up to the navy ward, but his vile and
she stated that they experienced little discom-
fort from the landing Of garbage at Mr.. Swee-
new place, because OF Its distance, but that
the garbage landed at Mr.. L. II. Grimes farm,
adjoining the magazine grounds on the north.
created considerable trOlbls. About month
ago a loaded scow, spr;nging a leak. had been
pulled ash re directly in front of their resi-
dsnce. and. despite their protestations, had
been allowed TO remain there day and a Laif
before II removed.
An IMMENSE PILE OF GARBAGE.
Visiting the farm Of Mr.. Grimes pile Of
garbage about IT'S feet long. l5 feet wide and
about 6 or fee, deep was discovered short
distance from the river side in full view of
ato ted hat -
had been living there about week. that there
were seven boat loads Of it and that he paid Mr
Clark Sl0 load for il. The pile was visited
By the party, although it required the stoutcst
kind Of "A stomach TO successfully Withstand the
horrible stencil which the rotting maggot-
infes'ed mass Of filth emitted. The shore on
which the garbage had been landed was thickly
streSn with the disgusting matter and the
stencil YVES hardly less offensive. II was Just
opposite the point where the sunken scow
rested. Mr.. Grimes stated that he had no per-
mis- ion from the authorities to land the gar
bage and did not know whether or not Con-
tractor Clark had such permission.
Leaving NJ. Grimes plIce the party wa s
driven back 10 Shepherds Point, where the po-
lice boat WIS boarded for the return trip. Pass
i;.s; the suEken scow on the way back a crew of
men landed from the tug Jos H. Richardson
were Uncovered humping he scow out. The
caPtai OF he tug stated that the scow would
be run ashore and unlOaded. and being asked
by whose aE hJrity garbage was landed there
replied: BY authority Of Mr.. Clark
At the wharf OF Mr. Pat Mann a short dis
lance above. ano. her scow load of garbage was
discovered. and 1t WAS learned that il was in
tended for n truck farm in he neighborhood.
Henry Matthews, coiored farmer. living inst
below Gie-boro Point, found on The wharf,
and he 81. ed ,ha; SATURDAY, las: Sir. Clark had
landed three load for him. he paving Sl2 per
SCOT load. lie said h. hal 40 permission TO
land a Al - Esf- Ns.rh Nv III
had
Another garbage -lsd4n scow was found
anchored cio-e u tha -h-re just above Gi.s-
boro Point. di-ectl, across fsom the Cri-ed
states arsenal- IL had j1-t been Sowed here
and small bow stated tina, II vas for liz Wa.
B.ggs. a tru, farmer of thai Lei, bb.rho ID.
Edn.Ind Iolbcr;. one Of Mr. Eggs la II hands
laid several load hal be 81 landed there during
the pa-t ten DAYS. HI wis told lhal MIR [ larL
s-ked go lead for it lie said thet aholt
if;s loads were u-od in that neigubochovl
during a season. He told the of1cers he knew
Of no permit to lard The garbage.
EI-TER'yG MASS.
The boa; was then headed .or home. but az
ths suggestion OF The STAR reporter the gar
bage dump at the foot Of South Capitol and ;
streets was Syst visited. 1hls place was de
ssrlbed ia Inv STAR several DAYS ago and al
though the authorities had been fully Informed
If ia. di~grac,.Ul condition o! affair .he"e il
"a. discovered Yesterday tina, matters there
s;Ooo almost precisely as tLey were pictured il
IFE STAR nearly two weeks ago. Ike s'cnch
wa- simply inGe-cTibable. ard atoC. the .hore
and VI5er She wharf garbage fCated uadis-
tlrbci. A: :he whIrf ~ OH scow, unable to
bear the imiIense load Of garbage which
dumped into il. hid grounded
Neverthelesr. cart after cart .till dumped
their contents into il. That is. thcy dun. ed
bI' rar, 0. their filthy contents into 1t. for
no li;tle portion fell iEto tie river because Of
the narrow gang plank and the after ind Ser
elce of the drivers. Garbage inSpector RroCke.
IN charge of the dump. looked or. never once
Insisting that the garbage should be thrown
into the scow instead OF into the river This
aaGered DIR. Birdsail. and. springing a.ho-e, he
nsked OF Mr.. Brooke Are YOU in charge here!''
Inspector Brooke replying that he Vas The
doctor inquired: Then. in Gods name, VIII
don't you stop this? Don't you see tina. a grea,
part of thi, garbage is falling into he riyer?"
Mr. Brooke stated tina; he did the best he could
BOTH OFFICERS SAY IT is AN OUTRAGE
Both DIR. Birdsa,l and Inspector Shepherd
stated to the reporter of The STAR tina. the
condition of affairs at the dump wa an out
rage. and remarked that they could not under
stand why, after The STAR had called the
attention Of the authorities to its condi ion.
some immediate and decided remedial action
had not been taken.
Speaking Of the landing Of garbage bv Con-
tractor Clark at points along the river he two
officers stated that the health officer had been
informed that the Commissioners of the Dis
trict had given him permi sion to land it only
upon Mr.. Swecneys place, Just below Shep-
herds Point. Mr.. Clarks contract. they had