Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-10
The Garbage Question No Longer
Worries Householders.
INTERESTING COMPARATIVE STATISTICS
Supt. Stevens Secures Early Open
ing at the Bathing Beach.
OTHER DISTRICT AFFAIRS

In the midst Of the present torrid spell
1t may be timely to note that very little Is
heard in the way Of complaint regarding
the disposition Of the garbage Of the city.
In view of the condition Of things in sum-
mers gone by. this fact is interesting. for
it demonstrates clearly an improved sys-
tenn of removing the refuse matter from
Washington households. Under the pres
ent contract Contractor Warfeld is re-
qu!red to visit $1,000 houses daily. and of
that number of possibilities but three COM
plants were recorded at the health Office
Saturday last.
The garbage complaint book shows that
Notwithstanding the excessive heat during
the last week the summer Of 1896 Is far
in the lead in this matter so important TO
the health Of the community. According
to the record the complaints during the
p, esent month have been as follows: August
I. five; August 3. three; August 4, seven:
August s. six; August 9. three; August q.
two: August s. three. and August ID, two.
Last year ten complaints were registered
August 10. sixteen August II, thirty-two
August H. thirty-seven August IA and
thirty-three August 15 In 1894 the show
IA, thirty-four; August Il. forty-seven. and
August IT, forty-nine. One day In August
five years ago $50 complaints were regis
tered.
Wagons and Carts Engaged.
In the garbage service in 1891 were seven
teen carts. while today sixty-three single
and double wagons were engaged in the
work 1t is estimated that before the labors
of the force employed by the contractor
cease this evening ITO tons of garbage will
have been incinerated or removed from the
District as representation of the work of
the day. In this connection the new gar
hage crematory comes in for a share Of at
tail,
present site was SO vigorously opposed by
tie South Washington Citizens Associa-
t!'n and residents of the southern section
OF the city generally. July y 65k tons of
WI lie 90 tons were taken down the river on
sccws. August 5 tJA tons of garbage were
burned. including 40 dead animals August
9 the quantity Of garbage burned was II
tons. including 30 dead animals.
Where the Residue IN Taken.
After the capacity of the crematory Is
taxed, the remainder of the refuse matter
Is loaded into scows and towed down the
rivas to the farm of Mr.. KentZ, Just beyond
the District line and there deposited as
fertilizer. 1t is the boast Of the contractor
that not one particle Of the garbage is al
lowed to get into the water. The garbage
wharf Is surrounded by nets and such mat
ter that may chance to get overheard is
promptly fished up.
While do not consider the Washington
garbage crematory the model of its kind
III the United States" says Health Officer
Woodward, 1T is accomplishing very salts
factory work, indeed 1t consumes its limit
sixty odd tons per day, In complete and
sanitary manner, ard there Is no objection
to be made. The garbage service Of the
CITY TINS summer Is very complete. and a
vast Improvement over anything we have
bad in the past, and it is being bettered
every day.
System Of the Health Bureau.
Il attribute the good work 70 the new
contract with the garbage collector. 1t
gives the health officer greater power, pro-
vides for the imposition of fines for neglect.
and for the collection of garbage by the
health officer In cases Of neglect, the cost
tractor. Then we have detailed an in
spector whose duty it Is to only look after
complaints and watch the carts and the
collectors at work. Another feature is that
only for the center of the CITY while nou,
corrections are made, or are supposed to be
mace, from every house every day in the
year with the exception Of Sundays"
Complaints Against the Crcmatory.
Health Officer Woodward several weeks
ago received many complaints from persons
VINO resided In the vicinity of the crema-
tory, setting forth that the furnace worked
beautifully during the daytime. when II
was nkeiy that an Inspector might be in
the vicinity, but after nightfall the odors
that emanated therefrom were disagree.
apie. II not unbearable. In view thereof
Health Officer Woodward made en- arronra'
ment with the South Washington Citizens.
Association, promising to send an insnectnr
or visit the locality in person al anY ,i,oa
ne might be notified that matters were mot
as they should be. Only once ACCORDING tn
Dr: woodward. has he beea Summoned
and then the trouble was too much smok =
Of
when complaint about 3arba ga 10 70
ceived at the health Office it is entered on a
blank FORM This Is placed in the hands of
an inspector, who conducts an investigation
ana reports thereon promptly. II the
contractor Is judged to be at fault the ma
per Is forwarded to him for further report
and then the health officer disposes of the
matter. " ashinston, SO the contractor de-
ciares, enjoys a superior garbage service
TO that OF any other city in the country.
Good News for Bathers,
The free bathing beach is doing a rushing
business these hot days. Yesterday was a
red letter day. when the record of the beach
was broken, 7!s persons entering the water
In view of the condition Of things Superin-
tendent w. x. Stevens this afternoon SUBJ
niitted the following communica ton to the
Commissioners:
Ladies' mornings at the bathing heacb
are growing more and more popular daily.
and as the attendants are now paid to keen
open only after 10 am, Officer Brown and
myself have to do the whole service Of
opening houses, making entries on the book
taking charge of valuabies and reopeninr
the houses as each bather comes out. and
as the ladies expect us to be in the water
teaching them to swim we find 1t impossible
to do al. There is also a demand for early
opening to the public generally. 1 there
lore recommend that from this time for
ward the beach be open for entries from Z
a m TIL pm. excepting one hour at noon
and half hour at p.m.: the ladies' morn
ings from to on Mondays, Wednesdays
and Fridays to be continued, and that the
Fay Of the employees be raised
The suggestions contained in the forego-
ing were approved by the Commissioner.
Fine and RepriAand.
The Commissioners this afternoon order
ed that Private J. A. Noone of the fire
department. tried July Is for violation of
the rules Of the department, De fined SO.
and that he be severely reprimanded by the
chief engineer.
Protests Against ImprOvenents.
The Commissioners today gave a hear
irg to several parties who desired to enter
objection to the making OF certain i'm
provements. consisting Of the laying of
cement sidewalks on Connecticut avenue
between @ and Goth streets, 10th street
between Connecticut avenue and r street:
the laying of cement sidewalks and setting
new granite curbs on o street between 9th
and 10th streetS. 18th street hetween T.