The herald., 1893-07-19
MADE SOME OF THEM VERY SICK
The Board of Public Works at
the Animal Golgotha.
A Place of Stenches and a Breeder
of Disease.
An Inspection of the Place Where Dead
Animals Are Permitted to Con-
taminats Land and
Water.

At the last meeting OF council, the
board Of health complained through a
communication that the disposal of dead
animals was not being done according
to contract, and recommended that the
contract be annulled.
Mr.. Garret, the lawyer representing
the contractor, George Tuttle, was on
hand and stated that this was the first
time his client had received notification
that the said disposal WAS done accord
ing to contract. He further stated that
the board OF health had visited the To-
cality specified, had examined 1t and
recommended that certain improve
ments should be made. The improve
ments, Mr.. Garrett assured the council,
had been made and were sanctioned by
the board of health. As the council
were in doubt in the matter, 1t was de-
cided to refer 1t to- the
board OF public works and ask
report from them.
In accordance with theae instructions,
Messrs. Munson, lnnes, Strohm, Nickel
and Rhodes OF the board of public
works and DIR. Powers, health officer,
met at the city hall at about o'clock
Yesterday morning and drove out to the
locality on the Pasadena road, about
half a mile beyond the city boundary.
Felix O'Neil, who has charge of the dis
position OF those animals which are
supposed to be diseased, and those
which, according to the ordinances of
the city, are ordered killed, was on
hand, but from his expression and gem
eral actions, it was manifest that he had
been caught of hie guard.
The members of the party proceeded
up the csfion and made thorough ex-
animation of the place. On platform
which had recently been built, lay the
skinned and partly desiccated body OF q
horse. From it's appearance it had ev-
identity been there for several days. 1t
was surrounded by multitude OF flies,
which rose, when the visitors approach
ed, in countless numbers, and the
stencil was intolerable. Mr.. O'Neill
walked around and showed his visitors
the works with the air Of man imper-
vious to smells, but nevertheless
they were go strong that two OF the
councilmen were compelled to leave,
one OF them becoming very sick. The
sight, the smell and the general sur
roundings were simply horrible. A pile
OF the viscera and other organs of de-
ceased horses and cows were imperfectly
covered up with freshly thrown earth,
hut through the earth the inquisitive
fly found an entrance, and any one ap-
preaching. by fts hasty departure and
buzzy noise knew that decaying flesh
was hidden below.
The spring above the corral was found
ia contain thelbodies of several squirrels,
all in an advanced state of decomposi-
tion, and the water from this spring is
supposed to be that from which cattle
drink and whose milk is supplied to the
residents Of this city.
Mr.. O'Neil claimed that no cattle
drank from this pool, bat the fresh im-
prints of hoofs and other signs proved
to the satisfaction of the councilmen
that cattle had been there within "a
hours. The place, as it sthhdBin the
opinion of the councilmen, is andMould
be in the opinion OF any who visited it,
an eye sore on nature, and the sooner it
is done away with the better for the
health of the locality. Naturally the
liquids, the decomposed excretions, and
the other filth which accompanies a
slaughter pen, would be brought down
by the winter rains into the Arroyo Seco
and from there into the Los Angeles
river, and from there, echo only asks
where?
The killing and boiling and other dis
position OF the bodies of these animals
takes place in caf1on or gulch, between
two sharply descending hills. The
place where the executions take place
is about 200 feet above the bed OF the
Arroyo Seco, which in winter time is o
raging torrent. Anyo the inhabitants
OF Los Angeles may, through drinking
the water, become possessed of germs
which are disease breeding.
The contract claims that the disposi.
tion Of the animals and carcasses must
be made outside the boundaries Of the
city, to the satisfaction of the board OF
health and without annoyance to the
surrounding residents.
The surrounding residents have COM
planned repeatedly, both on account OF
the odors which come down the cafion
and from the fear OF their bringing dis
ease.
The visit OF the council yesterday will
no doubt settle the matter. 1t would
have been hard to have found d more
disgusted board Of public works the
world over. When they returned to the
angel city there was q general yell for
ssweet violets" and white roee." and
tits evident that the disease breeding
cafon of the Arroyo Seco wall shortly he
a thing of the past.