Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-17
A PLAGUE SPOT.
Garbage Dumped Into the River and Len
fostering in the Sun.

fostering In the Sun.
STAR REPORTER VISITS THE DUMP AND DE-
scRIsEs THE FILTHY CONDITION OF THINGS
HE sAw-A LOCALITY DIFFERENT FROM THE
REST OF THE wELL-cLEANED DISTRICT.
With the purpose Of placing every portion OF
the city in the best sanitary condition, and thus
assisting in the work of Health Officer Ham,
NETT, THE STAR today makes known to the au-
thorities a condition of affairs which requires
immediate attention in order to make uniform
the excellent general sanitary condition of
the city. In doing this The STAR
is continuing the labor of assisting the authori-
ties which 1t inaugurated some two weeks ago
in calling attention to the bad condition of a
number OF alleys of the city. Those matters,
the health officer says. were promptly attended
to. and such a result, It Is confidently believed,
will follow the publication Of today.
WHERE THE GARBAGE Is DUMPED.
At the foot of South Capitol street, at its inter
section with street, Is dilapidated wharf, ex-
tending a short distance out into the Eastern
branch. The neighborhood Is sparsely in
habited and q great distance from the city
proper. At this wharf the garbage carts of
Contractor Clark dump their contents into
uncovered scows, which, when filed, are towed
down the Potomac to Broad run, about nine
miles below the city. There the contents Of
the scows are taken ashore, and they are then
towed back to the wharf At this wharf the
wagons Of the Odorless Excavating Company,
now the property Of Mr.. r. V. Rusk. it is said,
also deposit in large barrels the night soil col
looted by the company.
To this wharf yesterday afternoon q reporter
Of THE STAR was directed to proceed for the
purpose Of personally investigating a plant
made to The STAR by gentleman residing in
that locality respecting the condition of affairs
existing there.
HORRIBLE STENCIL.
Long before the spot was reached a stencil
horrible beyond description was borne by the
breeze to the nostrils Of the reporter. As he
gradually approached the spot the stencil more
horrible grew, until at last when the wharf
was reached it had become q matter be-
yond human endurance for any great length
Of time. To the right an old time-worn shed
stood upon the wharf, and in 1t was discovered
perhaps forty or fifty empty barrels belonging
to the odorless company and twenty filed
ones. The caps of both the filed and
empty barrels had been removed, emitting
a stencil needing no description. colored en-
ploye Ct the company informed the reporter
that the moment the barrels were deposited in
the shed their caps were removed, leaving an
opening four to five inches in diameter.
WHY THE CAPS ARE REMOVED.
"why are their caps removed?' asked the re-
porter.
"Cause de barrels would bus II you didn't,
sab" was the suggestive reply.
"And how long do the filled barrels remain
on the wharf before they are taken down the
river2" inquired the reporter.
GENERALLY til de mex mornin'. sah."
"Then the barrels collected one dav are al
lowed to remain here open that day and through
the night?"
"Yas, sab; dat's bout how il is"
"And are the barrels towed down the river
open like this2"
"Yas, sah."
SIN an open scow?"
"Yas. sab"
GARBAGE IN THE RIVER.
At the end of the wharf an old scow was
moored, into which many loads of garbage had
already been dumped and more was being
thrown into it by two colored men from a great
pile which Lad been dumped upon the wharf.
The old scow was about thirty or forty
feet in length, fifteen or twenty in width
and perhaps five in depth. Its appearance
indicated long years Of hard service
and raised a serious doubt as to its seaworth-
ness even SO peacefula stream az the Eastern
branch. In fact. one of the colored men in
formed the reporter that he did not believe it
would float long enough to get it to the dump
ing place down the river. Later information
showed that the sinking of these scows was by
no means an infrequent occurrence.
Between the wharf and the old scow was a
distance of four or five feet, it being impossible
ness Of the water, which was then about four
feet deep. Two or three gang planks not over
four feet wide. ran from the wharf to the scow,
and the reporter was told by the colored en-
ployes that the garbage carts backed
up to these planks and dumped their
them Ia IN hat
owing to the narrowness Of these planks no in
considerable amount of the filthy, loud-smeling
contents Of the carts fail to fall upon the planks,
falling into the river instead. Such an amount
had already fallen into the river at the end of
the wharf that the shallowness OF the water
there was due to that fact.
A scow AND ITS DIsEAsE-BREEDINa LOAD.
About 100 yards south of the wharf one Of
these scows had sunk with its load, and the re-
ferring the load to another scow Mr..
Clark's men had deliberately thrown the
greater part into the river But a
great mass still remained aboard and
the scow being below the surface Of the stream,
the food tide. which at the time Of the re-
porters visit making in, was gradually
working the filthy stuff off into the river. Some
Of it sank, but much ioated of to the shore.
MASS OF GARBAGE ALONG THE SHORE.
Al w Hho AoPoA eoi AhHoAAACb oiic VI
the colored employees stated that during the last
ten days four Of the loaded scows had sunk a
short distance from the wharf and their con-
tents either sunk or foated ashore. In corrobo-
ration Of the mans statement the reporter
found that along the shore far the eye
could reach below the point was mass Of
garbage two or three feet deep and running
out into the water perhaps twenty or
thirty feet. That this mass of rotting filth
had long hung along the shore could be
from the thick green scum which foated
over it This mass rose and fell with the in
coming tide, and thus constantly stirred up, q
stencil almost beyond human conception
poisoned the air and was taken by the south
wind mp toward the city.
NO OFFICER OR INSPECTOR AT THE DUMP.
The reporter saw no police officer at the
dump. nor did he find the sanitary inspector
who is supposed to be on duty there. A police
man. the reporter was told, seldom made his
appearance there In that Out-of- the-way place,
although 1t was stated by those about the wharf
that the police boat had made its appear
ance there the evening before, and its officers
had witnessed the sunken scow and 1t was sup
posed had noted the washing Of its contents
into the river. The reporter was also informed
that when scow sank near the wharf Mr..
Clark's employees waited until night to pitch its
load into the river.
A representative Of the health Office was found
seated in the shade Of a tree on South Capitol
street just around the corner from the wharf.
This officer. Sanitary Inspector I. II. Brooke.
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