Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-05
A Concentration of Nuisance..

Under the accurately descriptive title of
"a Concentration of Nuisances" cor
respondent, Wit se letter is printed in
another column. calls attention to the de-
plorable condition of that section of the
city lying just east of the confluence of
the Potomac and ARacostia rivers, termin-
ating at the south in the malodorous Buz-
Yards Point and traversed by the open
sewer called James Creek Canal. There is
unfortunately no denial possible of the
picture of wretched conditions painted by
The Stars correspondent. Unquestionabiy
one of the first duties of Congress to the
people of the District upon its reorganiza-
ton this winter is the enactment of legis-
lation providing for the thorough cleaning
out Of the nuisances of that section. The
James Creek Canal, it has been commended
by The Star fer years. should be covered
and provided at the mouth with some mod
ern system of tidal flushing that will pre-
vent the accumulation of filth between it's
banks. The flats of the Eastern Branch
should be reclaimed. just as those of the
Potomac have been transformed from ma
larial marshes into the nucleus for a beau
tiful park. In the matter, too. of the loca
tion at this place of a garbage disposal
plant there is every reason why the in
nant and resist. There is some force in
the contention of the authorities that If
the garbage is to be treated at any point
within the city limits no more appropriate
place could be found than the foot of South
Capitol street, where the already existing
conditions cannot be aggravated to an ap-
preciable extent by well-conducted, mod
ern garbage crematory; but it is not
necessary to locate crematories anywhere
within the city. The only argument for
such location is found in the greater cheap
ness AMI convenience of garbage Transport
tation to crematorieS close at hand, and
If this consideration is to prevail site in
the heart of the business or residence sec
ton would be preferable to a distant To-
cation like that proposed at the foot of
South Capitol street. The ideal condition,
for which The Star has ever contended and
still insists, is to locate all such establish
meats beyond the range of habitations and
outside the urban boundaries. There is no
natural obstacle within the District of Co
lurbia to such an arrangement, yet the
contract Is now signed for a system of
garbage disposal that will cause the loca-
tion of a crematory at the foot of South
Capitol street and the consolation, if any,
to be found in the situation lies in the fact
that if the expectations and the promises
of the contractor are fulfilled. the South
Capitol street plant, when in full operation,
will be less Objectionable than the present
system, or lack of system, which beyond
question makes the southern extremity of
the city a menacing nuisance. The almost
odorless consumption of garbage by fire
cannot be as offensive as the present plan
of allowing cargoes of the stuff to accumu-
late on the wharfs and scows there 10
Gated. and great masses of it to fall into
the river, there not only to pollute the
stream. but to putrefy and befoul the air
in the immediate vicinity of the wharf. If
other crema tories are erected the amount
OF garbage hauled to this one will be cor
respondingly reduced. and the garbage cart
nuisance decreased 1t is, however, very
slight consolation that one evil is less than
its predecessor. when the struggle of the
afflicted section is to be rid of both.