Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-23
HEARING BEFORE THE COMMISSIONERS
The Latter Indicate That the Ar
guments Will Have No Effect.
SOME OF THE SPEECHES

| OF that section of the city lad asked a the
| hands of the Commissioners. There was a
delegation present numbering upward of a
| hundred. ana large enough to completely
| fill the board ROOM In the gathering were
| a. number Of the members of the West End
League, which was recently organized to
look after the interests of that section Of
the city. Besides these there were many
| others who had not allied themselves with
! that organization. but were residents or
| property holders within the portion Of
Washington which would seem to be af-
| fected hy the location of the crematory on
oath street just above N
The Commissioners some time ago
| lected a site near 23d and Water streets,
| but this was abandoned, owing, it is gen.
| orally believed, to the opposition of the
| Secretary of the Navy. At the hearing this
morning 1t as pointed out that a circle,
| with the center at 2ith and n streets. and
a radius equal to the distance from the
first site to the residence of Secretary Her.
| bert, would include a vastly greater
| amount of property than would be affected
| had the original site been adhered to.
Among those present at the hearing today
We're DR.; A P Pardon, Mr.. Ross Perry.
| Charles c. Glover w. Corcoran HID, VIM.
| Bramhall, John B. Wight Maj. Goodloe,
w. F. l.. King, C. Ulrich Kennedy. George
w. McLanahan, Thomas Hyde, Corcoran
| Thorn, Robert W. Mcpherson, Mrs. Wash
ington Matthews, Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Peet,
Mrs. w. H. Mcdonald, Mai Waterbury,
| j. l. Stoddard, George B. McLillan, Mrs.
John b. Tilford, Senator Stewart, d. H.
Kent and A. b. Ruff.
DIR. Fardon's Argument.
DR.. A. P. Pardon began the remarks with
| a brief address, in which he stated be voiced
the sentiments of all those present in op-
posing the location of a garbage crematory
at the point now proposed or in any other
populous section of the city. He presented
"a petition signed by more than 800 resi-
dents of the West End. Among others, 1t
was signed by Mrs. Grant, who has re-
Gently purchased a handsome home in this
| city. The location of the crematory at this
| point is an important question, he said,
not only because 1t is a central site, but
because it is between Washington and
Georgetown and viii necessarily affect both
cities. 1t is near the weather bureau, Co.
lumhia Hospital and within one block of q
public school.
Powerful Petition.
WI. Bramhall presented petition, pre-
amble and resolution adopted q meeting
of the West End League December Is pro-
testing against the location of the creraa-
tory.
The petition was signed by the following:
DIR. Pardon. Maj. Goodioe, w. c. Hill, B.
Robinson, Chas c. Glover, John w. Thomp-
son. F. p. B. Sands, W. A. Maury. r. w.
Mcpherson, G. w Linkins, Corcoran Thorn,
Admiral ]. A. Greer, Judge Ord, g. l..
| Sheriff, w. z. Titcomb DR.. John p. Fran
els, F. w. Stone, Willis L. Moore, G L.
Kennedy, c. j. Hillyer, Thos. Hyde, c. A.
]. A. Wineberger, V. T. l.. King, Commo-
dore Robey, Ellen Clarke, Chas. A. Max
well, W: F. Dillon. Commaa Ter Waterbury,
]. H. Meline, r. F. Shepherd G. w. Nc
| Lanahan, W. H. Mcdonald, j. b. Wight j,
]. Stoddard and c. d. Galloway.
Details of the Protest.
This document referred to the fact that
| a o ba nd
| of the opposition of the Secretary of the
| Navy, as the crematory was. by inference
admitted to be a nuisance to his home and
| family. Yet his house is more than 1000
| feet away from whore the Commissioners
sought 10 locate the crematory. a radius
| of the same length from the present site
would take in Dupont Circle, Washington
| Circle. 10Th and Q streets on the west, and
| would include many of the finest and
| handsomest homes in the city, a number
of foreign legations, churches and school
| houses. TO locate the crematory al such
point would be to depreciate the value of
property in all that neighborhood as we'll
| as 20 set up menace to the health of the
community. In conclusion, it urged the
abandonment of the site in favor of some
other where 1t would not affect such a
| large and considerable section of the best
part of Washington.
Mr.. Sands Speaks.
Mr. F. p B. Sands said that he had been
| asked to appear to protest against what
| his neighbors and friends characterize
an outrage. He would speak especially OF
| the duty which the authorities of a mIni-
cipality owe to the health Of a community,
hut any question which affects the health
at once and directly affects the property
interests of the community. The citizens.
the richest and the poorest. have an equal
right TO pure and unpolluted air, and the
courts have decided that an odor, to be a
nuisance, must not necessarily be a menace
| to health. 1t is sufficient that it shall be
offensive and render life less enjoyable.
He raised the point that the taxpayers of
| the city are giving their money to have the
garbage of the city removed and not SIM
| ply gathered and carted into their very
midst. Justice Comegys of Delaware had
decided that a municipality had no right
to create or maintain nuisance, and that
the duty devolves upon those in authority
| to remove every objectionable institution
| to the very fartheSt limit over Which they
have jurisdiction.
A Vivid Picture Given.
| Mr. Sands drew a vivid word picture Of
! the Objectionable features of the crematory
plant, and asked whether the wealthy
classes would ever have invested their
money in br:lding handsome houses and
| otherwise beautifying that section of the
| CITY il they had ever dreamed that such an
| institution was to be established in their
| very midst. Would 1t be an attraction TO
1
| their home to say nothing of the consider
| alton which is due to the people who al
| ready live here? He did not believe that
| there was any such thing as an odorless
| crematory, and even If there were, carts
| loaded with garbage and offal traversing
| the streets in the most populous part OF the
| city would of themselves be nuisance
| which could not be described In too strong
| words. He did not think that an opinion
| on the question from the surgeon general
| or any other person in authority should be
| taken as of more Importance than the
| unanimous expression of feeling on tho
part of all who are materially Interested
| and affected.
| Points by Lawyer Perry.
| Mr.. r. Ross Perry discussed the question
i from a lawyers standpoint. He said hs
| realized the difficulties under which tho
Commissioners labor and how often they