Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-23

outdoor closets. There are no less than
1900 rrivies in the District, he added
The result is a satu1 alton of the soil with
the poisonous elements that go to fill the
air and to poison the food. If every house
had direct sewer connection the mortality
of the city would be reduced to l. DR..
BuSey closed with an appeal to the board
to work for the passage of the bond bill.
The Medical Society. he said, has worked
hard to investigate the question, and is
satisfied that if the general sewer plan that
has been outlined should be put into effect
within a few years typhoid fever will be-
| come so scarce that the physicians will
not have practice enough to properly
diagnose the disease
Mr.. Randall Hagner took the floor for
| about five minutes to complain that the
sewers now in existence are not kept clean.
There is an annual appropriation of 100000
to SGO0O0, he said, to keep the sewers clean.
This sum. he said, is not sufficient by half.
The sewers, as result, are unclean in al
most every part of the city. Mr.. Hagner
said that he frequently saw sewer traps
on Connecticut avenue belcbing forth great
volumes of filth and stencil He grew very
earnest. and intimated that there must be
something wrong about the city admins
tration to permit the sewers to become so
foul.
Capt. Beach Explains.
When MI. Hagner had concluded with
passionate appeal to the citizens to arise
and take things into their own hands,
quiet appearing man rose from the lu
dience and adGl essed the chair. He said
he was not member, but was present by
invitation, and introduced himself as Capt.
Beach of the engineer department of the
District government. He was welcomed to
the floor by President Warner, ana made
= rely to what he termed "a general as
sault upon the sewers" He said that the
sewers of the District are of two general
classes-those laid prior to 1878 by tie
board of public works, and these laid in
few NV ha IpnD rt
ment. The former are continually giving
trouble, being mainly pipe sewers, laid in
shallow trenches in the ground, without
supports, and evidently in a great hurry.
In most cases they are out of grade and
are not even in line. Sometimes the sewers
are completely choked by the roots of
trees. The engineers are replacing these
sewers fast as Congress grants money
FOR the purpose.
The more modern sewers those laid by
tho District engineers, seldom give any
trouble, and are kept clean. The sewers in
the lower part of town, where the tide
checks the flow, have to be cleaned by
hand. Capt. Beach concluded by assuring
Mr. Hagner and the board that it the
constant effort of the engineers to keep the
sewers In good condition, and he asked
them to report every case of a sewer that
misbehaves.
DR.. w. W. Johnson reminded Mr. Hagner
mat FOUL sewers do not absolutely cause
Ill health, nor do clean sewers necessarily
produce good health. AS long as a sewer
does its work, whether clean or not, it is
ell that be asked. In London where
the death rate from zymotic diseases is
low, the sewers are VIGOROUSLY foul, while
In Paris, where the sewers are kept so
clean that they are shown to visitors as OBJ
jects of curiosity, the mortality from ty-
phoid fever is very high.
What the BOnrd Could Do.
Mr.. Hagner, however, insisted that the
sewers should he kept Clean and went on
to show that he is pei jonally familiar with
the sewerage systems of Paris and London.
He was proceeding to explain the way
things are done in the latter city, when
member arose, and, apologizing for the in
terruption, said that while he was glad to
hear about sewers, he thought the board
ought to give some attention to the queS-
ton oe street extensions, and he called for
the remarks that Mr.. r. Ross Perry was
scheduled to make. Mr.. Hagner sat down
in 3 hurry and Mr.. Perry, calling attention
to the latenesS of the hour, moved to ad-
joUrn. Cries OF negation from all parts of
| tho hall dissuaded him and he made a
brief speech on the street extension plan,
preIaccd by a statement of his idea of
what the board of trade ought to accom-
pliSh iii the way of local reforms. He said
that he had wondered why such board
composed of the hest citizens, the most en-
terprising business men, and the most ener-
getlc representatives of every class and
calling, should not succeed in welding q
most irresistible influence before the Com
| mssioners and Congress. He then urged
the board not to rest, but to go ahead with
redoubled energy to secure favorable action
by Congress upon the many reform meas
ureS that needed and pending. Among
these needs he spoke of the revision of the
local laws, which, he said, are 100 years be-
hind those of Maryland.
Concerning the street extension plan Mr.
Perry declared that the city was never
meant to be confined by Florida avenue;
it was never intended that it should stop
| iron fcnlf Cfn hny
ever, apparently means to have the new
city worse in many respects than the DID,
and he spoke of how the streets begin to
crook. Immediately after they pass the
boundary. In Boston, he Said the old part
only Is crooked and that is caused by the
old plan of following the COW paths as
guides for laying out the streets. The new
portion is straight and beautiful and will
always be so as long the city grows.
The Bond Bill Reimbursed.
AS an instance of the dilatory policy of
the government, which affects Washing
ton, unfortunately, Mr.. Perry spoke of the
purchase of Rock Creek Park, which, he
said, could have been obtained for twenty
times less money had it been bought ten
years sooner. The speaker summarized the
pressing needs of the city of today into
this list: A larger water supply, an in
| creased and modern sewer system, me-
mortal bridge and comprehensive street
and park system. Speaking finally of the
parks of the city, Mr. Perry evoked APP
plause by telling of the great good done
| by them to the children of the poor, who
| learn lessons of nature from them that
| they could never obtain otherwise. This,
| he said, makes better citizens, and he ap-
| pealed for more outdoor charity work, to
| be done by the men of wealth, who can, at
| small expenditure, give untold pleasure
| to thousands of children each summer by
| sending them into the country for fresh
air and good thoughts.
| After the conclusion of Mr.. Perry's talk
DR.. A. z. Pardon urged the board to take
anew a definite action the street and
sewer bond bill, which has already been
| approved by the organization. He moved
| therefore, that the board rendorse the bill
and that it's members should use every eff
| fort to have it PASSED at this session of
Congress, ION account of its imperative
necessity for the health and comfort Of
| the citizens of Washington"
Mr.. s. w. Woodward suggested an
amendment, which was accepted by Dr.
| Pardon, charging the president to call an
extraordinary session of the board to in
augurate active measures to push the bill
| to a consideration at an early date.
| Mr. Riley Decide spoke of the need of
quick action. He said that the long agf-
| tation of the street extension system has
made the land marked out for condemna-
| ton so well known that it is impossible to
| obtain loans upon it; the plan has fallen