The morning times., 1895-08-27

The announcement was made yesterday,
though not officially, that the District
Commissioners had approved OF the Smith
garbage crematory, and that instructions
had been given the contractor, Mr.. Joshua
Warfield, 80 have plant OF that pattern
constructed here at once.
Inquiry into the merits of the system, how
ever, does not demonstrate that it is as
good a selection as the Commissioners have
been lead to believe, and it is possible
that upon further investigation and reflec-
ton the board will reconsider its choice,
provided the accounts obtained of the incffi-
cheney of the method are not disproved
tits conceded that the Commissioners and
The Health Officer have made a personal
inspection OF the smith method, in com
pariSon with numerous others, and are evi-
IDENTIFY satisfied OF its superiority and its
adaplabIity 10 the needs Of Washington.
But it has not given satisfaction i'll Phila-
delpha nor in Atlantic City
NOT AN ORIGIN AL INVENTION.
1t is said that there is 10 such thing as
a Smith crcmatory now under patent TIE
system, il is claimed, is the product OF an
expert furnace builder named SemCnS
whose contrivanCc was originally used for
melting iron and other metals, and is SO
old that The patents have run out IL was
considered 10 be, for that purpose, one of
the best Inventions known. As applied To
the consumption of garbage, however, il
is described TO be very unsatisfactory.
II is alleged that a Philadelphia plant on
the So-called Smith plan, which has been
in operation about fourteen months, has
been closed five times, due TO Fome radical
defect in The operation of the furnace This
defect. it is claimed, is inherent in the sys-
tenn, against which there is TO possibility
Of guarding in advance
An investigation. made IN Philadelphia
The other day, Is alleged TO have discovered
two thousand tons OF refuse in one dump
which the cremaiory was unable 10 con
sumo and the papers of that city have
made public the statement that scows
loaded with the crcmatory's surplus are
sent down the river every night, as a means
of Kidding the city Of the nausoating odors.
The plant at Atlantic City is also unde-
stood 70 have been unsatisfactory in its
operation. a telegram. received yester
day, is said 10 have conveyed the infonma-
tion thai tu= plant has been closed ami that
the garbage is being deposited IN the public
dump.
SICKENING IN THE EXTREME.
The Philadelphia Ledger of Saturday last
thus describes what its reporter saw at
one OF the cTematories:
Great clouds OF smoke We're issuing
from the four high stacks, and strong,
nausealIng odor was noticeable two squares
away. Stll closer it was decidedly dis
agreeable. If not sickening. Going under
meath the furnace, in the rear of the plant,
Tie reporter gained an insight into the
manner IN which garbage is destroyed
by these contractors. The workmen had
Just raked out the contents OF the furnace.
and there lay upon the ground a mass OF
smoking, Smoldering. half-burned gar
bage, that gave off an odoT which, by the
greatest stretch OF imagination, could not
be termed sanitary.
in some places small jets OF flame shot
up from the pile, and the place was filled
with smoke Plainly distinguishablc were
cornCobs only blackened, not burned or
even scorched. and CornhuSks, a material
easily destroyed, that Were simply Curled
up and IN some places barely singcd An
old rubber shoe lay on top of the smolder
ING pile, evidently none the worse for
having been in the furnace.
Here and there was 40 shovelful of
matter that appeared to have been re-
duced 10 ashes, but by far the greater por-
tion Of the heap was a long way off from
being destroyed"
T-npn ctr,r,,cf4i,,, ,I,, ,.,.e+.,,,,
condemned in Philadelphia and the one that
has been found to be unsatisfactory is
Atlantic City, are one and the me, and
that both are recognized as the Smith
crematory process, it is a fair conclusion
that 1t viii not meet the Washington re-
quirement. Every newspaper in the former
city is demanding the substitution of a
better method.
WAKEFIELD WANTS THE BEST.
The specifications under which the gar
bage e0ontract is dra wnrequire the contractor
10 establish cTematory Of the Dixon
pattern. OF some other that shall I've accept
able to the Commissioners, for the destruc-
tion Of the city refuse 1t is understood
that Mr. Wartied desires only that the best
obtainable system shall be adopted, in
order that there shall BE- no disappointment
upon practical test.
The loss will be upon the contractor,
should ii be necessary after a trial of any
method 10 abandon it and introduce an
other. TheeXpense eincurrcdby bysuchc cbangc,
especially if three Crcmatories are con-
structed. as contemplated will be no in
considerable item, and it is TO avoid this
expense that he is now directing his at
tention
The whole subject viii doubtless be
again Canvassed before the Commissioners,
with the prospect that the later develop
ments will have the effect of at least caus-
ing further inquiry into the merits of the
Smith system.