Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-16
FOR A NEW MORGUE
Efforts Of Commissioners to Secure
an Appropriation.
APPEAL 10 TEE HlUsE COMMITTEE
The Condition Of the Present
Structure Described.
A PROTEST FROM CITIZENS

~
AS stated In The Star Of yesterday, the
Commissioners are anxious to have retain
ed in the District appropriation bill the
Item added by the Senate providing for the
equipment of new morgue. Commission
er Wight addressed a letter to Representa-
tive Pftney Of the House committee on APP
propriations urging that he use his in
fiuence to prevent the omission of the item
when the bill should come up for final con-
sideration. Mr.. Nights letter is as fol-
lows:
In the appropriation bill making provis-
ION Tor the expenses of the District of Co.
iumbia. now pending. the Senate has In
serted on page II, line 3, a provision for u
morgue keeper and assistant and for re-
pairs, equipment ETC., ETC., of the morgue-
in all, s., 100.
Il am so very anxious that this item
should remain in that l beg to call your
special attention to it, and present to you a
few facts. hoping that you may appreciate
the necessity of equipping this city with
something that will be adequate and allow
Tor the proper carrying on of this important
function OF large city, especially in view
OF the TACT that the number of bodies to
De cared Tor In the morgue is rapidly in
creasing.
fnciose herewith photographs of the
present small room which is used as a
morgue, but which will hardly give you an
adequate impression of it's utter unfitness
for such purposes.
on SATURDAY there were three bodies in
the morgue. There is no receptacle for
.nem other than small box, in which
Two or three bodies must be placed at a
time. There Is no room in which the phy-
slcian can change his clothing when making
an autopsy; there is no provision whatever
lor nololns 1nquests; there is no provision
Whatever for keeping a body in an ice
chest. me only way for heating the build
ing Is with stove which makes the heat
30 unbearable that when the physician ia
ssnsaeeu IN making his autopsy on a badly
aecomposed body it is absolutely inhuman.
Offensive in Summer.
In summer the offensive odors prevent
'he poncemen from getting their much
heeueo rest-the morgue being situated Just
oack OF the police station on New Jer-
sey avenue ard being part of it-as We'll
as being very Objectionable to the entire
nefghborhood
Heretofore. as you know, the Commits
sloIers have asked for an appropria tion
with which to build morgue The re-
cent provision Of Congress for the enlarge
ment and equipment Of our fire DEPART
ment has provided in, the central part of
the city three new houses. The old en-
CINE house on D Street is now occupied by
the chemical company, which was moved
hown from l4th and G streets in order
to protect that part Of the city, while the
engine house on Sth street was being
built. This new house will be completed
within few weeks, and the chemical com
pany can easily be moved back to Truck
house. This engine house on d street
Is capable of being made, with the very
small appropriation asked for an ideal
morgue. and l very earnestly beg of you
not to strike this item out if you can pos
sibly allow it to remain in.
Il inclose you alspe herewith petitions
signed by persons residing in the neigh
borhood of the little room now used as a
morgue, protesting against its further con-
tinuance. ,. Ia
The Present Morgue.
The present morgue is located in what
was once small brick stable on the lot
on which stands the sixth police precinct
building. 1t is hardly morgue except in
name, and has practically none of the
modern equipments of such an institution.
1t stands within few feet of the police
precinct building. and because of the lack
of proper facilities for preserving bodies
held for Identification or for medical ex-
animation, the odor from the bodies, par
ticuIarly in warm weather, is simply I'M
bearable to the officers who are required
to be present at the station, their sleep
being interrupted and their health seri-
ouSly endangered.
With his letter Mr.. Wight, as indicat cd
transmitted a petition signed not only by
the members of the police force connec. ed
with the sixth precinct, but also by the
citizens residing in the neighborhood, set
ting forth the really horrible conditions
resulting from the use of the old stable
building as a morgue. This petition was
Endorsed by a number OF the local news
paper reporters, who declared that the
present morgue IS disgrace to civillZa-
| ton.
prOuOseI Channea.
The old engine house on d street near
10Th, which the Commissioners propose to
convert into a modernly equipped morgue,
| is at present occupied by Chemical Engine
Company No l of the District fire depart
ment Should the appropriation be made,
| the chemical company would not be re-
moved from the ID street house until after
| the house intended for engine company No.
H. on 9Th street just above D, Is completed
and the new engine company put In service
The engine which will be placed on 9Th
street is the largest In the District fire de-
partment. this new company having been
provided for by Congress for the better
protection of the central portion of the
! city. The engine is now used by company
No. ., located on d street between 18th
and 18th, but when 1t Is sent to No Il
| company No. 9 company will be- supplied
with lighter engine. 1t will thus be seen
| that the removal of the chemical company
| to the house of truck will not decrease
| Of the city, for the reason that 1t will be
| replaced by a steam engine Of the largest
size in the department..
DIR. Carr, the coroner, and his assistant
DIR. Glazebrook, as well as DIR. Woodward
the District health officer. strongly indorse
the efforts of the Commissioners to give
the District a modern morgue They have
repeatedly pointed out the inadequacy of
the present morgue. DIR. Glazebrook being
particularly active in furthering the propo-
sition to provide Il new morgue. 1t devolves
upon DIR. Glazebrook to make the autopsy
on every body brought to the institution.
where there is any question as to the cause
Of death, and he is constantly experiencing
the greatest difficulty in properly making
the autopsies. 70 "a
ModerA Facilities.
The D street engine house, Mr.. Wight has
been informed. caH be,eonverted into quite
a modern morgue with the money sought
to be appropriated. The morgue, when
completed. will not only afford the latest
improved facilities, for preserving bodies