Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-09
THE RECORD is BAD
The District Building is Believed to Be
Unhealthy.
Large Number of Clerks Are Sick
and the Com Ssioners Have Or
dered an Investfgation.
Is the District building unhealthy?

Is the District building unhealthy?
That Is the one absorbing topic Of con-
versation among the clerks, and they are
getting scared. During the present winter
there has been an unusual amount Of sick
ness among the clerks, and even now the
sick list numbers a good many.
The Commissioners have taken the mat
ter up. and Plumbing Inspector Robinson
will begin a careful examination Of the
building tomorrow. He will be assisted by
Health Officer Hammett.
Not day passes but several clerks are
reported sick. At present Commissioner
Parker. Secretary Tindall Property Clerk
Beckett, Plumbing Inspector Robinson. As
sistant Assessor Griffin and several clerks
are on the sick list
Commissioner Ross, when asked by a re-
porter Of The Star what he thought of the
situation. said: There Is no doubt in my
mind that this building Is unhealthy. 1
have thought so for some time. The best
evidence is the sick list, and am informed
our percentage of sickness is larger than
any other department in the city. 1t seems
to me most likely that the old Tiber sewer
which flows under this building. is respon-
sible for II all. Day and night 1t flows,
bearing with It, the filth of the city. 1t is
no wonder there is sickness. The Commits
sioners realize the Importance of the mat
ter. and a searching investigation will be
AAoec' - - ZIG hAOSl POtchl al All
a new building"
Commissioner Powell said YES. it is
true that We are going to investigate the
sanitary condition of this building. While
am not prepared to say that the sewer
gas from the Tiber creek sewer Is respon-
sibe for the sickness 1 believe the crowded
condition of the building, together with the
poor ventilation and sanitary arrangements,
are partly responsible for it,
An Investigate ton Welcomed.
Health Officer Hammett told The Star
man yesterday that he would assist in the
investigation. The sewer under the building
would be explored, and careful tests made
to find out If any noxious gases were es-
Gaping. 1t did not need an expert, he said,
to appreciate that sewer gases were dee
FERROUS to health.
During the past year there have been sew
eral instances of typhoid fever occurring.
Col. Robert, when Engineer Commissioner,
was taken Ill with typhoid. and confined
to his home for many weeks. When the
report was spread among the clerks that
the Commissioners had ordered an investi-
cation, regarding the sanitary condition of
the building. they were overjoyed. AS one
of them said:
What could we do? Every now and then
one of us would b. taken sick. But we did
not complain. L have lost eleven days
through sickness since the 18th of "anu-
airy. This means SD 10 me. for | am one
Of the per diem clerks. We all want to get
out of this building. 1t is a disease breed
ing place"
Tests Made to Day.
The faint and pungent odor of peppermint
pervaded the rooms and quarters OF the
District building today. 1t was the result
Of the test being made by the inspectors of
the health department as to the sanitary
condition of the District building.
The test began at 9 O'Clock, with In
spectors Hird, Shepperd and Welsh OF the
health office and Assistant Plumbing In
spector NJ. ]. Fennell. All of the rooms and
closets In the building were visited and a
careful inspection made of the plumbing
and ventilation. The peppermint showed
conclusively. the inspectors said. that nox-
ious odors We're escaping and the sanitary
condition OF the building was bad. The
ventilation of the building, the inspectors
agreed, was highly deficient and the over
crowded condition of the rooms menace
to the health OF the clerks employed in the
building. The tests made on the ground
floor brought good results and showed a
bad condition of affairs. On the second
floor, where the District triumvirate holds
forth. II was discovered that sewer gas
escaped from the closets in large volume,
and the inspectors all agreed that this con-
dition of affairs was not conducive to good
health. After the inspectors had conclud-
ed their preliminary investigation they ap-
peared before the Commissioners and made
a verbal report in which they stated that
they were convinced from the cursory ex-
animation made that the District building
was an unhealthy place. The Commission
ers notified the inspectors to embody their
views in a report. Before submitting their
final views upon the situa ton an exanina-
ton will be made of the old Tiber sewer.
which flows under the District building.
and which the inspectors believe is respon-
sible in a large measure for the contamina-
ton of the District building.