Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-03-08
OUR Spring CLEANING
DISCUSSED IN TIE HEALTH COMMITTEE LAST
NIGHT.
Health Officer Mccoy Points Out Some Things
to The Body = The Regular Annual Talk
Of New Crsmatory.

The Council Committee on Healt b
met last night, with Health Officer Nc
Coy and Superintendent Dunn, OF the
crematory, in attendance, and an hour
or more was spent in discussing health
matters.
There was the regular annual talk OF
a new furnace, and that other chestnut,
the inability OF the garbage contractor
to do the work in proper manner, at
the price the city allowed him to take
it at, was also brought out for an air
ug, with the usual reference to It's haV-
ing been "the lowest and best bid"
The new crema.ory talk was started
by discussion upon the question OF
ordering something like Thousand
dollars worth of repairs to the hilltop
furnace, there being an estimate OF $50
for needed iron work, and guess
at brick work TO cost 5000 or $500 more.
This matter was placed in the hands OF
a subcommittee consisting OF Chairman
Caddle and Messrs. Farrell, Israel and
Richards, with power to act.
When the new furnace matter came
up one or two member OF the Commit
tee we're inclined to dismiss it, with the
remark that it had better be put off for
another year, as Council would not look
upon the expense with favor. When
he got a chance to be heard, Health
Officer Mccoy, said he thought new
furnace was absolutely necessary.
THE present furnace can't handle
onehalf or one-quarter of the garbage,if
the law is enforced, and If the cholera
scare-which is not a scare at all-ls
kept up, and we take hold OF the city
to clean it up as it should be cleaned
up, we can't burn half the stuff. There
are now hundreds of tons OF the stuff,
all over the city, and some OF 1t has lain
in boxes and barrels for months, undls-
turbed. Last year 1t was not half COL
lected. In some places the collectors
have not been seen for weeks.
Another thing is that the crematory
is In q very inaccessible place. II we
had another furnace on level ground,
it could be used TO much better advant-
age. Now half the time Of the garbage
collectors is taken up with long hauls
from the Fifth, Sixth and Eighth wards
to North Wheeling and then around to
the furnace on the hill top. With
furnace on the South Side half this
time would be saved. The capacity OF
the city to generate garbage and
offal is now greater than ever
before, and is increasing, and there
ought to be an increase in our capacity
to destroy it, The only solution OF that
T., an
not get it, and the cholera comes we
will not be able to handle 1t in general
cleaning up OF the town.
81 have statement Of the garbage
hauled in 1890, 1891 and 1892. In 1891
there was one-third more hauled than
in 1890. but In 1892 there was Il great
falling off, nearly one-half. Now, no one
believes there was really any less gar
bage last year than the year before.
The probability is it was not so careful
ly gathered up.
ssThls talk Of cholera the coming sum-
mer is not scare. This winter there
has been an epidemic OF what has been
termed winter cholera. Every third or
fourth person has been afflicted with
diarrh9a, and this looks like an ad-
vance Of cholera upon US. 1t is not
usual to have so much of such sickness In
the dead of winter, but it has been very
prevalent this winter. Ihave had many
cases of pronounced character in the
southern part OF the city, and other
physicians have had the same expert
ence. Should it be necessary 70 adopt
more stringent sanitary measures the
coming summer, new furnace Will be
absolutely necessary. 1t will be better
to spend So, 600 that way than to allow
the city to be dirty and perhaps lose
valuable lives. The garbage contrac-
tor also tells me he cannot do the work
at his contract price, that he is losing
money every day, and that he thinks
Council ought to allow him $1,000 or
90 OOO tn tide him over this season. You