Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-22
THE KENslNGToN SEWER
Mr. BENJAMIN Makes Rsioinder to General
Boynton..
He Thinks There L. Room for Differ.
ences of OpiniOn-The Rock
Creek Park.

/ The controversy regarding the proposed
/ sewertng Of the. town, Of Kensington into
Rock creek goesion. The. enterprising town
and its thrifty inhabitants ara making the
/ best Of the opportunity to spread abroad a
knowledge of the attractions of the village.
Whatever seriousness there. was in the pro-
pesal to drain Kensington by means of q
sewer dischargtng into Rock creek, the
danger that such a plan would be carried
Into execution appears to have been
avoided. as, the neighboring property own
ers through whose land the run that emp
ties into Rock creek flows have practically
given notice that they will. not permit such
processing.
/ Mfr Benjamin. whose views given through,
The Star called out a vigorous reply from
Gen. Boynton Of the Rock Creek Park
commission, has. sent to The Star a. re-
5oinder to Gen. Boynton's reply. Mr.. Ben
iamin says:
My object In stating that Kensington is
an Incorporated town Of Maryland was to
give notice to the uniformed that it was
not within the Jurisdiction of the District
OF Columbia, position that might easily
nave been assumed after reading the
threats aimed at her by the Rock Creek
Park commission and others. AS one Of
those interested In the 'erty confiscated
for the uses of Rock Creek Park I am
fully posted as to the Inauguration of that
scheme and its history up to date. fully
approve of the plan Of setting aside this
beautiful section as public park, and will
go as far as Gen. Boynton, in protecting
h this park from anything likely to impair its
usefulness or mar its beauty. But my zeal
|! IN this direction would be tempered by an
intelligent appreciation of the conditions
AFFECTING the park. and of the rights of
others in matters affecting health and pos
sibly. life itself. The issue between Gen,
6oynton and myself Is a. matter of opinion.
: as ftot
tenn for Kensington which would carry its
sewage to Rock creek would pollute its.
waters to the extent of injuring Rock
Creek Park, impairing the health of the
people of Washington, and incidentally.
injuring the nation 1 deny this assump-
. tion."
Mr.. Benjamin then states his various
grounds for believing that the proposed
sewage plan could not in any way iniure
Rock Creek Bark
Gen. Boynton," he says, need not 20
to Great Britain for evidence as to the eff
feet of polluting streams. Our own Phila-
delphia furnishes complete example of
an extreme case, park and ALL Twelve
towns, each many times larger than Ken-
sington- and hundred factories of various
Kinds empty their sewage and concentrated
NTH into the SchuYlkill river above Phil
adeiphia and Paramount Park, and this
water Is not only used for ordinary do
zens of Philadelphia. We have not heard
that Paramount Park is ruined by having
tho befouled Schuylkill coursing through its
limits Here Is small and comparatively
shallow stream which Is an open sewer for
a dozen large towns within twenty miles of
Philadelphia, and lined with factories
which pour their offal directly into the
stream, conditions which are thousand
fold more aggravated than anything pos
sible at Kensington or along Rock creek,
and, while We do not commend such condi-
lions. and woul1 not have them even approx
mated around Washington. we do not hear
that Paramount Park is anything but the
most beautiful place OF public recreation
in tht; country, and the healthfulness of
Philadelphia COMPARES favorably with that
OF Washington. There has been no effort
to suppress the towns that use the Schuyl-
Kill as an. open sewer, or compel them to
bottle up their sewage. This Is only one
instance Of the kind: There are numerous
Others all tending to prove my assertion
that the action of moving water and the
air on sewage matter rapidly and effective
ly dissipates gases that may be formed
) from foul organic matter.
1T will be difficult" he adds, "for even
. the general to convince Congressman, who
do not seem to care enough about the park
to properly police it and prevent the pos
sible destruction of its trees from fires
built by tramps. that a stray bacteria from
Kensington floating on a wavelet of Rock
creek will inturiousy affect the health of
the mlnnows and the eels, the rabbits or
the muskratS that now find safe refuge in
the park. will join the general and other
citizens proud Of our beautiful country in
hoping that at some time not entirely re-
moved from our personal enjoyment Con-
gress may have another fit of nberality,
; when the condition of the treasury war
rants 1t. and there may be an appropria-
ton for park purposes which will make the
commissioners something more than GUS
todians for purposes of litigation and news
paper controversy only, but when that time
comes Kensington will be part of greater
Washington, and its sewer problem will be
solved. In the meantime. Kensngton will
protect her own, with malice toward none."