Evening star., 1898-09-17
DEATH BY ASPHYXIATION
New Method Adopted for the Disposal Of
Stray Dogs.
1t Is Officially IndOrsed by Health
sOhfcer Woodward as Preferable
to the Old Way.

Hereafter all dogs not reclaimed and
| those remaining unsold at the District pound
will be destroyed by asphyxiation. Hereto
| fore they have been shot, method which
| not only, it is believed, caused the unfortu-
nate animals mere or less unnecessary suf-
| fering but which was somewhat revolving.
| The District authorities have been consid-
| ering for some time the adoption of a more
| humane method of destruction, and DR..
VIM. c. Woodward, the health officer, now
believes he has. in the introduction of the
new methcd, adopted one which will be
| most satisfactory in every way.
Tried for the First Time.
This new system was tried here for the
first time yesterday in the presence Of DR..
Woodward, who has reported on it as fol-
lows to the District Commissioners:
The trial by the new method was a sue
cess. and the men who We're formerly COM
PEELED to shoot the dogs are much
pleased as 1 am myself. and all who wit
| messed the killing. for they will now be-
spared the revolving task of shooting the
animals
During the past fifteen years. which is
as far back the records of the pound
exist. 44,373 dogs were impounded. OF these
$4,000 have been killed by the shooting pro-
cess. During the past year, for instance,
2,635 dogs were destroyed. The method
tyfive years has been by shooting the
CANNES. A man whose work it vas to
destroy annually from $500 to 1900 dogs
became in time SO expert that the work
was accomplished by him without much
suffering on the part of the dogs
THE work was, however. necessarily very
repulsive and disagreeabe. change in
the method sought whereby the pain
for the animals to be destroyed, if any.
could be minimiZed. and 1t was decided to
adopt the metfCd in vogue in Baltimore.
Philadelphia, Brooklyn and elsewhere: that
is, the destruction of these animals by the
gas given off by smoldering charcoal This
method of destruction, it will be remem-
bered. has been frequently adopted by the
French for suicidal purposes. Efforts have
been made tor the past two years to pay
for the apparatus out of the contingent
fund from which the pound is supported
but the demands upon that fund made ii
impossible to do so.
Apparatus Worked Well.
1.-THE fund at the present time seemed 20
be sufficient. for the expense and the ap-
paratuS has been ordered and installed
The new method was given its first trial
today, and thirtytwo dogs were killed
The apparatus worked admirably, and nifty
dogs could have been killed just as well,
while the expense was only about 10 cents
We have formerly paid 1 cent for the kill
ing OF each dog, as the bullets cost ] cent
each, and the new method will be econom-
more agreeable to the men of the pound.
The apparatus consists of an air-tight
chamber, large enough to hold fifty or
sixty dogs. and also Of a small charcoal
stove, which is connected with this cham
ter by about twenty-five feet of galvanized
iron pipe. This pipe contains several valves
so arranged that in starting fire in the
charcoal stove the smoke and fumes pass
out of the chimney. When the proper con
dition is reached, and all smoking ceases
the valves an be II rned SO as to throw
the poisonous gas given off by the smolder-
ing charcoal into the chamber occupied by
the dogs. The length of the pipe between
the stove and the chamber is sufficient to
allow all vapors to cool before entering
The chambe-' itself is provided with valves
to allow the escape of air as the gas en-
ters, and with windows so that the con-
d.uon of the dogs may be observed, if de-
sired After thu chamber has been filled
with gas the dogs are introduced They
fal over almost without cry in about a
minute, and are dead very shortly after
ward, but to avoid any recoveries owing to
a premature opening of the chamber all
are allowed to remain in it for from ten to
fifteen minutes
The cost Of the apparatus was about 500
and that is the principal expense incurred
While in the future money will be saved by
the introduction of the new method"