Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-07

pollution extending up to WITHIN less imam
a thousand yards of their walls II you
wish an object lesson go to the B street
canal south Of the White House, at low
water and cast a stone into its murky
depths. You will witness an eruption of
gaseous bubbles, followed by an upheaval
of Shiny ooze that will astonish you. Along
this river frontage are located a large pro-
portion of our typhoid and malarial fever
cases.
That the sewage disposal system will very
largely cure this evil is, 1 think plain.
When 1t is In operation no sewage will be
allowed TO enter the river at our water
front: The James creek and the B street
eanai purihed can be converted into slips
Tor shipping or made ornamental features
or the landscape. The privies and vaults
can be abolished. and this. with the closing
OF the wells, the introduction Of Potomac
water into houses, will extend to all parts
or our city the same immunity from pre-
ventable diseases that is shown By that
best-sewered. best-watered section of our
city lying west of 18th street to Rock creek
and north of the Potomac to Florida ave-
nue., with its $1,000 inhabitants, which in
1875 suffered death rate from typhoids of
but IL to 10000 Of population, while the
suburbs and the northeast, where resort to
box privies and wells is had, showed a
death rate Of 3.44 and 6.76 per 10000, re-
spectively. Thesrate in this northwest sec
ton In 1895 let 1t be said was but one-tenth
behind Lynn, Mass. which heads the list
OF cities as regards exemption from typhoid
fever. If you need evidence from beyond
the seas that proper sewage disposal large
~ reduces the rate or mortality from pre-
Ventabie diseases let us take one or two
cases out Of many examples that present
themselves In Berlin there was shown one
case of typhoid fever to every nine houses
without sewers, and but one case to forty
nine in houses connected with sewers to
the 10000 population.
Duty of Board of Trade.
In Dantzlc. with a wretched system OF
privies, there were ten deaths to each 5000
Inhabitants from typhoids prior to 1872. In
1869 an abundant supply of water was in
troduced without affecting this death rate.
In 1872 the city was severed, and in the
following twelve years the average NOR
tally was "a, and in the past five years it
was reduced to Is per 10000. With these
facts before us 1t would appear the part of
wisdom for the board of trade to drop all
non-essential matters and concentrate it's
energies on making this the healthiest as
well as the most beautiful, city on the face
OF the EARTH To do this it is but necessary
to require Of Congress two things-a pure
supply of water and an adequate system of
sewage disposal; Of our CommssionerS-the
closing of all wells and Of the rigid enforce
ment of the law requiring house connection
with sewers. Until this is done all else will
not avail to rehabilitate Washington in the
eyes Of the nation as its most desirable
residential city. But do this and thus
place its name at the head of the column of
American cities having the least number of
cases Of preventable diseases and all else
will follow. The wealth and culture of the
country will flow to us and the other bless
ings SO ardently desired will follow in their
wake.
Gen. SternberE Uurges Action.
Gen. Sternberg emphasized the necessity
for the sewer system proposed in the bill
under consideration and said no better in
vestment could be made by the District of
Columbia. 1t had been shown conclusively,
he said, that typhoid fever and other COM
plants of children were directly traceable
to insanitary conditions, such as exist to d
large extent In this city. He spoke of the
danger Of infection in various ways when
there is lacking means for carrying off sew
age. Flies alfght on decOmposed masses
of filth and then enter houses and con-
taminate food the family is to eat. The
sources of this contamination, he said,
should be disposed of.
The report Of the committee was then
adopted, as were the following resolutions:
Resolved, That the board Of trade .Iere-
by reaffirms its unqualified approval of the
immediate issue Of sufficient amount of
low Understanding bonds, payable jointly
by the United States and the District of
Columbia, to complete and put in operation
the system Of sewage disposal and protec-
ton against floods recommended by the
board of sanitary engineers in their report
to Congress upon the sewage of the Dis
trict of Columbia in 1890.
BE it further resolved, That the board Of
trade, through its officers and the commit
tee on sewerage, use Its utmost endeavOr
to procure from the Congress of the United
States during its present session such leg
islation for the issue of the required bonds
as may be necessary"
The board then adjourned.
Members Present.
Among members of the board present
were Job Barnard, Henry L. Biscoe, Dr.
Samuel g. Bond, Chas. s. Bundy, A. s.
Caywood, Loring Chapel, Samuel w. Cur
riden, e. G. Davis. VIM. F. Downey. E. F.
Droop. John Joy Edison, DR.. A. P. Pardon,
VIM. J. Frizzell, Edwin N. Gray. Edwin w.
w. Griffin, Frank L. Harvey, George H.
Harries, Henry B. LOCKER, Josiah Willard,
John Miller, Daniel Murray, w. ]. Newton,
Theodore w. Moves, N. g. Ordway,
Owen Owen. William H. Rapley. Albert
M. Read, Henry L. Rust, N. H.
Shea, Thos. w. Smith, Thomas Somerville,
Matthew Trimble, T. N. Tyssowski. VIM.
p. Van Wickle, VIM. H. Veerhof, VIM. T.
Walker, N. 1. Weller, Chas q. Kern, J. T.
Petty, n. n. Darneille. DR.. Evans, w. L.
Bramhall, Gen. Sternberg, 8. T. Brown, H. |
H. Twombly. VIM. g. Henderson and DR..
J. T. Winter.