Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-20
E GARBAGE QUESTION
Result of the Trip Of Health Officer Wood:
ward
and CrematOry Plants I'm
ms to Cost and Efficiency.

Washington may yet have a garbage plant
Of it's own. and then complaints Of non-col-
lections will have to be piled on the Shout
ders Of the District officials instead of be-
ing heaped upon a paid contractor. Health
Officer Woodward. who has given this ques-
ton much consideration. has been on a tour
of inspection in Pennsylvania, Delaware
and New Jersey. With him was Mr.. s. p.
Bayly, superintendent Of the National SAM
tary Company. They returned home yester-
day much pleased with what they had seen.
Different plans of garbage reduction and
cremation were seen. and there were two
practical demonstrations Of cremation with
able figures. On the whole. DIR. Woodward
found that the garbage in this city is col
lected and disposed Of at a very reasonable
figure. compared with what Is paid in
other cities.
Fines for NOn-COllectiOn.
One thing of interest to citizens wss
learned. This is a provision Of law ,mpos-
ing fine on the collectors for non-collec-
lions where the fault rests with the collec-
tors. In one city the penalty is fifty cents
for each well-fouEded { omplaint. while in
another the penalty may be as much as
five dollars. Health Officer Woodward IA
vors the reduction plan IL 1t can be done in
u
for he thinks the farmers should get the
benefit Of the fertilizer, If possible Thus
far, however, he has found the crematories
working In a more sanitary condition than
the reduction plants. In Philadelphia there
Is an exhibition Furman reduction plant
where the garbage and night soil are both
reduced. Ea CHI ton of garbage or night soil
furnishes about one-fourth Of a ton of fer
tilizer. and the cost is about 1850 per ton.
while the product sells at about s., making
a net cost Of fifty cents a ton for the reduc-
ton. Then. too, there Is q crematory of
the American Incinerating Company. attach
ed to which there is no unpleasant odor, and q
Smith crematory similar to the one in use
In Atlantic City Is being erected in the
heart Of the city.
Atlantic City's CrematOry.
Both DR.. Woodward and Mr.. Bayly were
deeply interested in the Smith crematory in
Atlantic City. where the plant is owned by
the city, and operated by the board Of
health. At this place the garbage is de-
stroyed at once, gas being used as fuel
The gas Is manufactured at the plant, and
the garbage Is dumped from the carts di-
rectly into the large tanks in which it is
incinerated. This plant has been in opera
ton since June. and no repairs have been
found necessary. One feature of this plant
which attracted especial attention was the
small amount Of labor necessary to operate
1t. In the destruction OF nearly forty tons
Of garbage day only two tons of coal are
all the work. In connection with this there
Is also a chamber In which dogs are killed
by gas, only ninety seconds being required
to kill them. o1gs
A Reductibh Plant.
In Paterson. N. j., there is a modified
Merz reduction plant with all the essential
features of the Merz system left out The
Merz system consists hi the drying process
by steam, a great amount of benzine being
used This present plant was erected after
the destruction by fire Of the Merz plant.
The present plant was found Objectionable
III that there was an offensive odor connect
ed with the work. r-t
In Paterson the contractor seems to have
good paying business. The city pays
$2,3oO month for the garbage and ash SER
vice and collections are made only twice or
three times week. and in August the high
est daily record of garbage collection was
forty-three tons.
In Wilmington. Del. a Brown crematory
was found. which is owned and operated by
the city. While this was found in an excel
lent sanitary condition, the cost is more
than that of the Smith process. Crude pc
troleum Is the fuel used, and about sixty
tons OF garbage are destroyed a day
with the exception OF the Paterson plant
which Is by no means the Merz system, the
plants were all conducted in a good sanitary
way.
1t was the intention of the health officer
and Mr.. Bayly to go to Boston and Proyi-
dence, but the plant in the latter city had
smut down, and in Boston a plant similar to
the one recently destroyed here Is being con-
structed When this plant gets in opera ton
DR.. Woodward will visit Boston and make
an inspection Of it.