Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-08
Doctors Say Some Alarming Things
About the Commonweal Camp.
FRUITFUL FIELD FOR DISEASE GERMS
Separate Reports and a Combined
Effort Submitted Today.
BROWNE EXPECTS TO STAY

commonwealers will probably receive nouces
to abate the nuisance.
Mr.. Peters of the health Office had charge
Of the inspecting party of eight physicians
to the poor and two medical sanitary in
spectors. When the party returned to the
health office yesterday afternoon Health
Officer Hammett had talk with them, tell
ing them that he wanted report made
from a purely sanitary standpoint and he
wanted the matter treated the same as any
citizen of the District would be treated.
The physicians who made the inspection
made short reports of the inspection, as fol-
lows:
DR.. Osman. medical sanitary inspector
The camp is located in the most unhealthy
portion of the District. The drainage is bad
and do not believe 1t can be made good
without great expense. labor and time. The
place as 1t is is In a bad sanitary condition.
DIR. Hughes, medical sanitary inspector
The location of the camp Is decidedly bad.
The surface Is below grade, forming a basin
for the collection of surface and foul water.
1t Is now covered with trenches made in
angles partly filled with surface washings,
and for this drainage there is no outlet and
no escape except by absorption and evapora-
ton: surface marshy and damp, and in a
portion horses are stabbed. Men sleep on
straw laid on bare ground Absolutely unfit
place Tor habitation. and is a menace to the
health OF the surrounding neighborhood.
Dr. Hannah, physician to the poor I'm
sanitary condition at present and the sur
rcundings are of a germ producing char
acter likely to cause all forms of contagious
| and infectious diseases. OF the opinion that
it is positively an unfit place for camp.
DIR. Birdsall, physician to the poor Sur
| roundings of the camp inside and outside
| of germ-producing character. There is
! no sanitary drainage. I.or can there be any,
/ nf dc af .arl
lars. The hospital tent is located in a mud
| hole. The earth is spoDgy at all points al d
is composed of decomposed animal and
| vegetable matter throughout.
| DIR. Goodall, physician to the poor-In as
bad sanitary condition possible. Pools
of stagnant water, horse and human urine
low, damp place; digging, which will cause
malarial fever.
DR.. Russell, physician to the poor Not
fit for dog II live in. Uninhabitable.
| DR.. johnson, physician 70 the poor No
drainage from stable. Matter from stable
oil aims into pools and bitches. No means of
/ drainage except by evaporation. UNIT for
habitation and all sorts of diseases likely to
4 occur.
DR.. Mudd, physician to the poor Decay
| ing vegetable and other material. No sani-
| tary advantages.
DIR. Price. physician to the poor One of
the most unsanitary places in the District.
Hospital under canvas surrounded by stag
nant water.
DIR. Pettys, physician to the poor -Unin-
habitable in any respect whatever by rea-
| son of its low condition and miserable sur
reundngs
The Combined Report.
These reports were embodied in one re-
port by Mr.. Peters and signed by the ply
sicians. as follows: In compliance with
your request We have this day visited, in a
body. the camp occupied by the so-called
Coxey army on square 5y5. between LIST
Alayx
streets southwest. for the purpose of max
ing a thorough inspection and report upon
| Its sanitary condition.
In accordance with your instructions
We inspected all parts of the so-called
camp and respectfully submit the follow
ing report
Our first observation upon entering the
| Enclosure was that Ii appeared TO be the
| lowest point in the fiat grounds of this sec
| ton, near the James Creek canal, without
| drainage therefrom and no water facilities.
| except hydrant on the outside of the
| fence which surrounds the camp. on the
| southwest corner of Nj and LIST streets be-
| ing one square from the entrance to the
| grounds. Pools of stagnant water and
human and horse urine were found stan ling
inside the fence, as well as in numerous
| small trenches intersecting the grounds
| At one point the earth was being thrown
| up beneath large tent, which, seemingly,
| had just been paced there which appar-
| entity was for the purpose of raising the
| ground high enough to prevent water from
er tering the tent during rain storms. This
earth was of the foulest character. being
! composed of all sorts of filth, consisting
of garbage, vegetable and animal matter
recently deposited there.
erns-BreetIing Possibilities
THE surroundings of this square, includ-
| ing the premises inside the fence are so
| far the suface indicates. of a germ
| breeding character, likely to cause all
| forms of contagious and infectious dis
| cases. The hospital tent is also used for
commssary department and is located
in what might be termed a mud hole. The
| earth In nearly all portions of the ground
| is spongy and is composed principally of
| decomposed vegetable and animal matter.
| THE horse stables are located in one Of
the upper portions Of the square and the
| flth naturally generated in such places,
| flows on to the ground, lodging in the
| trenches and pools. At present there is no
| outlet for this. except by evaporation and
| absorption, making the surface marshy and
damp. The men composing this so-called
army sleep on straw laid on bare ground of
| this character, which makes II necessarily
| injurious TO their health.
In view of the condition of this square, as
we have described II, We are of the opinion
| that IL is entirely unfit for human habita-
ton and that II should be vacated at once
to avoid a possible epidemic of disease to
the people Of the surrounding neighborhood.
as well as to the Inhabitants of the whole
| District. 1t Is menace to health which
cannot be overlooked and we would recon-
mend in the strongest language that i'm
| mediate steps be taken to have Ii vacated
In the interests of the public health of the
people OF the District of Columbia"
Today DR.. Hammett forwarded to the
| Commissioners copy of this report, to-
gether with copy of his report made the
day the army took possession of the square
as printed in The Star at the time.
| Speaking to a Star reporter today DR.
Hammett said he had not fully determined
| exactly what course he would pursue as
| he would wait to see what action would be
| taken by the Commissioners. He thought
1t probable that notices would be served in
| the usual way, and IL they were not COM
piled with the case would be taken into
| court.
| Browne Intends to Stay.
The commonweal camp at LIST and NJ
streets southwest is rapidly assuming the
appearance Of a permanent abiding place
| for the 500 or 600 mea who occupy 1t. The
scenes this morning were a repetition of
those of the last three or four days. Gangs
of men were hard at work improving the
appearance of the ground, and the discipline
that had almost disappeared when the army
reached Brightwood was again restored SO
that there Is regular routine Of camp life
which appears to satisfy the commonweal-
ers and simplify their mode of life
| AS heretofore stated in The Star the
commonwealers have not the most remote
| l~<A af xrsrer thA;-