Evening star., 1898-01-19
JAMES CREEK CANAL
Senator Kyle Presents Petition From South
Washington Citizens.
He Believes 1t to BE Menace to
Northumberland to District
Committee.

The James Creek canal and all the filth
it contains received very prominent atten-
ton in the United States Senate this after
neon. Mr.. Kyle introduced the subject by
reading petition from citizens Of South
Washington, which, he said, was of the
greatest interest not only to the people of
that section but to the entire body of cit
liens of the District Of Columbia, and
pecially to senators and representatives,
whose health was constantly endangered
by the filth allowed to accumulate and fes-
ter in the sun throughout the James Creek
canal. The petition stated that the canal
had existed for twenty-five years; it was
1920 feet long. GO feet wide, with 474,OOO
square feet of surface. every inch of which
was a mass of fostering filth. On January
this canal averaged a depth of two and
one-haf feet.
His Personal Observations.
Commenting on this canal, Mr.. Kyle said:
Last summer, during the extra session of
this body, the committee which has sent
this petition to the Senate asked me to
visit the James Creek canal with them.
That canal was in the same condition then
that it will be during the coming summer.
when will probably he compelled to sit
here in Washington and legislate for the
country. AT that time it a great body
of water mile and a half long and only
1,50O feet south of this Capitol building. 1t
flowed like great river of moving filth,
and from every cubic yard of the mass
there came little bubbles from the bottom
to the surface and there was such a stencil
as to compel one to Immediately leave the
bank of the canal. l thought of microbes
of every description, not microbes in en-
tryo. but microbes with wings, and l could
see in my mind a stream of them leaving
the canal, making their way to the Capitol
and into the Senate chamber. Gaughter)
q opnoSp1 in times 10
sion of streets and the issue of bonds for
the construction of large sewers for the
purpose of building up private property of
owners in the suburbs of this District.
But 1 am ready to cooperate in order to
secure some relief from the injurious eff
fects of this dealing canal. and L
will do anything in my power to change
that filthy stream into a covered or archeG
sewer"
Mr.. GnlIinGer's Inquiry.
MIR. Gallinger, a member of the commit
tee on the District of Columbia arose and
asked whether this matter brought up by
Mr.. Kyle had previously been called to the
attention of the Senate. and especially
whether it had come before the committee
On the District of Columbia.
Mr.. Kyle said the committee on the Dis
trict of Columbia of the Senate had its
attention called to the canal in general
way, but heretofore no concerted action
Oh the part of the South Washington Citi-
Zers Association with respect to this mat
ter had been secured in order to lay the
question fully before the committee
MIR. Galinger remarked that he had been
member of the Senate committee on the
District of Columbia for a number of years
have not seen that canal" said Mr.
Gallinger, 'and know nothing of it, 1t
Is most extraordinary thing if such a
condition exists. If so it ought to be sup
pressed. Every senator will agree to that
and L am sure every senator will join in
correcting 1t. An unfortunate thing is that
senators are sent here ostensibly to repre-
sent their constituents and to transact
the business of the country but they are
called Upon to serve on what is practical
ly the common council for the District and
to investigate its sewers, leaks in its gas
pipes, us gas lights, electric lights and
SO forth"
District Committee Will Look Into IT,
Mr.. Gallinger continued to say that he
had the greatest confidence in the chair
man of the District committee, Mr.. McMil-
Ian, who had always been prompt to take
cognlZance- Of such abuses as the one to
which Mr. Kyle had called attention. He
said he was sure every member of the SEN
ate would cooperate with the District COM
,nittee to abate this nuisance.
Mr.. Kyle said that he had had ii talk
with the chairman of the District COM
mittee, who had assured him that the mat
ter of the James Creek canal would be
taken up.
During five or six years. said Mr.. Kyle.
Il have heard more complaints from men,
bers of both houses of Congress about i'll
health than could well be accounted for.
My judgment is that the cause of this i'll
health is nothing more nor less than this
death dealing river of filth, the James
Creek canal. and L hope we will be able to
get rid of it,
The petition introduced by Mr.. Kyle was
then referred to the committee the Dis
trict of Columbia.