Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-02
QUESTION OF CREMATORIES
Some Inside History Relating to the Present
Garbage Situation.
The District Com missfOners, the Con
Furnaces Do Not Agree.

Some inside history leading up to the
present situation regarding the selection of
new garbage crematery for the western
section of the city leaked out today
Several months ago, when the Commits
sioners first ordered a garbage crematory,
they stipulated as one of their selections
II at the contractor was to erect the one
known as the Smith crematory. They did
this after careful investigation of the
subject by themselves. The contractor was
permitted to erect a Brown crematory, but
the Commissioners insisted upon their Sc
lection as the one to be erected later, when
1t was demonstrated that cremation was
effcctual
The contractor thereupon erected
Brown crematory, which, it seems after
lew alterations, has proved its efficiency
anc IS now disposing of over half of the
| cfty's garbage. Believing that the Com
HissonerS would insist upon Smith
crematory. a contract was entered into be-
tween the contractor and the Smith peo-
pie. That contract is still in force al
though 1t is claimed that the Smith peo-
! pie nave gone out of the crematory bus
T! mess.
| A short tire ego the Commissioners call
ed Contractor WaIfield before them and
tcld him to proceed with the erection of
tbat cremation was practicable, and in
their order to him specified Il crematory
Al TINS hearing it was brought out that the
Sfnlth creTatory was no longer ava lila BILE
ne Commissioners thereupon, il is said
tcld the contractor that if this was so the
Dixon cren2tory WIS the one they Thought
| best adapted.
There was no trouble about the site
Contractor Warfeld already had the OBJ
serVatory site. and Secretary Herbert
Wculo rot be on hand by the time the new
cfematury was erected to protest. The
contractor heard all the Commissioners
bad to say, and then told them it is said,
that he was not satisfied that the Dixon
crematory the best one suited for the
work He called attention, it is stated, to
the failure of this system in Atlanta, and
Icinted out the adverse report of the
health officer upon the system.
Then 1t was brought out that the Dixon
system had been greatly improved, and
under its new construction was competent
| to do the work in satisfactory manner
Meanwhile the Dixon people were active
Every defense of their system was made
ana every influence, it is understood. was
Drought to bear upon the Commissioners
Today Inventor Brown of the cremat tory
now operating at the foot of South Cap
| itol street appeared before the Commits
Sioners to discuss the situation He ex-
planned to Star reporter that the Brown
cfematory now in operation here was doing
| the work of cremation in a satisfactory
manner. The plant was sanitary and no
one could object to its workings Ii woulG
| be unfair for the Commissioners to select
any other crematory than his own for the
one 10 be erected in the western part of
the city. He had been put to great eynepsa
| to make his crematory work satisfactoriIy
ahG now he was ready to challenge the
world In competition. He did not fear com
parsons On the contrary he rather court
| ed thorough investigation by competent +
committee
Are9dy the health officer OF the District
nad reported against the Dixon system. If
~ mad been improved since that report
there was no practical illustration of il in
oPerauon The Commissioners. he said
could not afford to experiment If up1n
lliNestisa'loh 1t was found that The Dixon
system was better than the one he r,nrc
scented, ne mad nothing further to saw He
had no doubts. he said, as to the result of
an investigation of the merits of tn. Two
systems He said that the Can1der oIant
OF the Dixon people was perhaps the hes;
II mad During the first year 1t had been
round necessary to expend $500 i'm r.p,irs
upon 1t. pun
The Commissioners did not make kno1,p
their final decision.