Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-21
ANACOSTIA FLATS
Their Reclamation Urged by Board Of
Trade.
THE MARSHES A MENACE TO HEALTH
Report Of Committee on River and
Harbor improvement.
NEXT MEETING ANNOUNCED

The reclamation Of the Anacostia fats
ard the improvement Of the Potomac river
and the harbor Of Washington were the
topics discussed at a meeting of the board
of trade last evening at the builders ex-
change. There was good attendance, and
the speeches made were interesting as well
as effective, end at the close of the debate
resolutions were adopted heartily indorsing
the importance of these public works and
urging the immediate action of Congress.
The president of the board, Mr.. Theodore
w. Noyes, presided. The secretary, Mr.
George H. Hairless read the minutes Of the
last meeting, and, after they had been ap-
proved. he submitted several amendments
to the bylaws which had been proposed,
and which were adopted. One of these re-
lated to the reappointment of the commit
tee on transportation. The duties of that
ccmmittee were merged with those of the
committee on commerce and manufactures,
ana for reasons which have for some time
been apparent 1t was thought to be desir
able to separate the two lines of work. The
second amendment prescribed the duties OF
the committee on commerce and manufac-
lures so that there shall be no conflict.
The third makes standing committee on
mercantile interests in place of the special
&C mmntee recently called into existence,
Tut not as yet fully organized. The fourth
dueuuInent empowers the DOdrQ OF Q1reC-
tors to terminate the membership of those
whose dues remain unpaid for six months.
Reports of Committees.
The special order of business for the
evening was announced by the president to
be the consideration of the reports of the
committees on public health and river
and harbor Improvement, and as those
subjects were found to have much in COM
mon. it was directed to consider the two
together.
The president then called upon Gen.
Sternberg. the chairman of the committee
on public health, to make a report. Gen.
Sternberg said the report made by DR..
Busey, the chairman of the committee
last year. was in the hands of the secre-
tary. and he asked that 1t be read, which
was done. 1t called attention to the need
in this city for improvement in the method
of sewage disposal, as necessary to the
health of the people. Special attention
the Anacostia flats, and it was stated
that not only would public health be bene-
fitted, but there would be material ad-
vantage derived from the reclamation of
land and the increase in the Wharying
facilities of the city.
Widening Eastern Branch,
The widening of the branch from Ana
costa to Benning bridge, the report stat
ed. would add one mile to the citys river
front. Reference was made to a report OF
Col. Harris, made in 1891 favoring the
dredging of the channel. The report fur
Their advocated the making of Underwater
basins where needed.
Gen. Sternberg said that he was not a
member CT tie committee when the report
was made and SO he was free to say that
it was admirable presentation OF the
subject. He then went on to say that as
surgeon, general of the army, the reports
from the military posts at Washington
barracks and across the river at Fort Myer
came to him. and he had occasion to- know
something of this pestiferous marsh. These
Two, he said, were the most unhealthy mil
itary pests in the country, and each year
there was regularly an epidemic Of malaria
at these places. Residents of the city did
not suffer from such an epidemic, but il
they did he thought such an outcry would
be raised that the flats would soon be re-
claimed He thought it was rather re-
markable that the pest at Fort Myer should
SITTER from this cause, out such was the
fact. He then gave statistics showing a
large rate OF sickness from causes directly
attributable to these flats. Last year the
rate was less at Fort Myer for the reason
that during the months of July, August and
September, when the sickness from malaria
is the greatest, the men were taken away.
He said that army officers thought the
pest ought to be removed from its present
location: but, the speaker said, the citizens
did not change their homes on this ac-
count. He thought the best plan was to
remove the cause OF the sickness.
The Hams Report.
Mr.. Tracy L. Jeffords, a member of the
committee. spoke of the Importance of re-
claiming the Anacostia flats. He. said
that this was not new topic, and he read
extracts from the report made by Gen.
Peter Hams in 1901. in which attention was
called to the Anacostia fats, and the need
of retaining them. Extracts were read
from letter written several years ago by
Superintendent StOutenburg of the ASH
ingtOn Asylum, and DR.. Shute, jail ply
sician, in regard to the sickness in those
institutions caused by the flats.
Mr. JeffordS said that an effort made to
get the committee on river and harbors to
make an appropriation failed because that
committee did not look upon 1t as naviga-
BILE stream. The War Department also
took the same view and a resolution was
introduced by Senator Mcmillan calling
upon the War Department for Information
in regard to this proposed Improvement.
This resolution was reported back on the
14th of this month, and resolution has
been introduced requesting the Secretary
of War tn make an estimate of an aDnr0-