Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-18
Why Atlantic City People Complain
About It.
Observation-Disclosures OBSERVATIONS
A System Of Incineration That
Does Not lncinerate.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

prOnt Dy the experience OF Atiantlc Slty,
they would never permit the system Of gar
bage cremation to be installed there, con-
tract or no contract" was the language
used by a prominent Atlantic avenue bust
ness man in conversation with me yester-
day.
I had met him several years ago in
Washington, to which he Is frequent Wis
itor. We had been talking about the cap
ital's progress, and mentioned the trou-
blesome garbage question, calling forth
the above remark. Our conversation be-
ing interrupted, I adopted my friends sug-
gestion to go and examine the plant my
self. to see how the system, which our
Commissioners have adopted, as a satisfac-
tory solution Of the problem, would impress
layman. The crematory is located at
Baltic and Michigan avenues, on the out
skirts of the poorest section Of the city.
The description and illustration of the sys-
tenn used, which have already appeared In
The Star, give good idea of the plant,
with the exception of it's accompanying
dirt and odor-and render any further de-
tailed explanation here unnecessary. The
garbage carts. which appear to hold about
twice as much as those used in Washing
ton. drive in at the entrance Of the yard
at one side of the furnaces, over a scale,
and up a gradually ascending rough plank
walk to a wooden platform at the ton of
the furnaces. A cover of one of the fur
naces is Immediately removed by the at
tendant. the load of garbage dumped in,
the cover replaced and the cart sent for
another load Only one of the two fur
naces was In operation, the other being
broke down." as the attendant said. The
colored man In charge told me that as
many as 40 loads of garbage were brought
there in one day during the season." and
that 100 loads could be properly and easily
burned daily. Outside Of the furnace shed,
on the ground was big pile of smoking,
Sinking, charred refuse, in which tomato
cans were prominent, and which the man
said was the product" when the furnaces
We're overworked and the garbage could
not be completely destroyed. Oozing out
of doors in the lower part of the furnace
near the pile of debris were streams Of
liquid garbage.
CareleAsly Kept.
The whole place is carelessly kept. The
carts are not cleaned after dumping their
loads, but go off as they came, with par
TALLY opened lids. dropping liquid garbage
and emitting the unpleasantly familiar
odor. Connected with the top of one fur
mace where coal is fed in Is a pipe, which
conveys smoke and gas to large galvan-
tied iron box. In this box impounded ami
mails are suffocated. After death they are
thrown into the furnace. as 1 saw done
with half a dozen dogs. From the tops of
the two tall iron smoke stacks thin streams
of smoke were rising, which increased in
volume when a load of garbage was
dumped. This smoke was blown by a
strong ocean breeze directly toward some
half a hundred cottages, about two blocks
away, in the direction of the thorough
feres."
A man came while I was there, bringing
bag containing two cats, which he wished
to have killed. He told me his business
place was near by, and that at times. the
stencil from the crematory was almost I'M
bearable and suffocating. Now" he said,
he " q hQ q
away from us and over toward those
houses. When the wind is the other way
the people down toward the boardwalk get
it, and when the weather is murky and
heavy. and there is little wind blowing. We
get it here" There was a faint unpleasant
odor perceptible from our position on the
platform, and I asked my companion If it
was ever worse than that. THAT is moth
ing" he answered; but just walk out
there where the wind is blowing it and
smell it." I did so, but didn't remain long.
The odor was a sweet, heavy, sickening
one. which seemed to get into ones nos
trils and lungs and stay there. I asked my
informant, who was still waiting to have
his cats placed in the death chamber.
then. more unpleasant from the furnace
than from the unconsumed 4arbage.
II would rather" he SAID, smell that
(pointing to load of garbage which had
the other. We don't mind the garbage
odor at all any more"
DO the residents and business men
around heres object to the presence Of the
crematory?" I asked
They do, very decidedly" he said. 1--WE
are circulating a petition now to have it
removed five miles out SO that the odors
may not reach us. and the question Of its
removal will be very prominent one in
the next election here. Yes" in answer
to my question, 1.-The people on the board
walk and the hotel and cottage keepers
are annoyed by the odors. and are signing
he Thau mot
bled by 1t as we are. because the wind blows
from the sea, but they object to it very
strenuously, like the rest of us. A furnace
like this was in use in Philadelphia before
this was built and the parties who put
this here knew before 1t was erected that
1t would not work. They said that there
would be absolutely no odor from the plant
and that 1t would give entire satisfaction.
You can see for yourself whether there is
cause for dissatisfaction. We will have
1t taken away from here before very long,
think but If the residents of Washington
have such a system thrust upon them, 1
suppose, as they have no voice in their
government, that they will have to put up
with it,
Uncomfortable COnclusiOns.
I came away convinced that if the Com
missioners of tire District of Columbia are
satisfied with this system of garbage dis
posal, as here shown in actual work, they
are much more easily satisfied than the
people of Washington will be when It is
put in operation there.
When 1t was proposed year ago to build
contagious disease hospital in the north
west section of the city, although the prop
erty had been bought by the Commission
ers, the project had to be abandoned when
well-directed protest was made. If the
residents and business men in the neighbor-
hoods of "the foo: of South Capitol street."
Rock Creek Park" and Boundary between
1st and It'll Streets" where 1t is proposed to
erect crematories could see this garbage
plant in operation, and especially If it was
sought to build one ir Mount Pleasant for
instance, I am very certain that, contract
or no contract" the plan would never be
carried out. With no interest In the mat
ter, except to see that the garbage question
in Washington is properly solved, I am
very positive in the belief. from what
have seen here that If our system is to be
the same as that used in Atlantic City, it
must necessarily prove unsatisfactory. No
indemnity bond can secure the citizens
against foul and dlsease-breeding odors
created by this or probably any other sys-
tenn, ard IL the Commissioners must have
cremation, the crematory should now, be-
fore it is too late, be located sufficiently far
in the suburbs that there will be no pos
sibility of its offensive odors reaching the
city. What is the necessity, except the
ease of the contractor, for destroying the
garbage of Washington within the city
limits? WASHINGTONIAN.