Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-25
Sewer Deposits Removed and Carried
Uncovered Through the City.
DANGEROUS and DISGRACEFUL
Operation Now in Progress Near
the Botanical Gardens.
VIGOROUS VIEWS EXPRESSED

Primitive methods IN the management -
municipal affairs are popularity supposed 70
be things Of the past in the capital city of
the United States, and il H. everywFera
held up as a model for Other communities
to follow. The most ardent champion Of
this idea, however, would ne compelled TO
hang his head in humiliation if re should
pay a visit to Sd street whore il makes the
eastern boundary OF the Bota lcal Gardens
On the south side OF that thnroughfarc, a
few feet north of Maine avenue a gang OF
workmen are engaged in filling carts with
black reeking filthy deposits which have
accumulated in the big sewer underground.
The Shiny mass is brought to the surfaces
in tin buckets, raised by windlass sup.
ported by a tripod of wooden scantlings. u
is placed in the bucket by men working
down IN the sewer. AS each cart is loaded
IL Is driven of through the streets withouc
covering to prevent its stencil and malaria--
breeding germs from filling the atmosphere
and the lungs of the people who happen to-
bres the 1t.
Within fifty yards of this pest-breedinssi
spot is the office of Superintendent w r.
Smith of the Botanical Gardens and with
in less than hundred yards his residence.
In the immediate vicinity are residences
and dwellings.
In the cold weather as now prevailing
the stencil is not noticeable. but In warm
weather. according to Mr.. Sraith and nu-
n erous other residents in the ncIghbor-
hood. it is unbearable.
Confluence of big Sewers.
The great Tfber sewer which runs underi
a portion of the Botanical Gardens meets
at the point where this filth is being ex-
posed two or three other sewers. and pe-
riodically at the point of confluence there
aocumulates a great mass of sewer de-
posit.
There is necessity for describing its
character Suffice ii to say that estimates
OF an official character are to the effect
that the sewers converging at the point i'm
question carry the refuse OF about 60,001
people In the main sewer. formed of all
these at a point near Maryland avenue,
there is depression which fills up when-
ever a heavy rain comes, and the conse-
quence is the sewer becomes choked with
the deposit mentioned. In removing it tha
men below ground work in scows. The
scows are brought to the point Of work
from the mouth of the sewer.
No Notice of Protests.
A Star reporter after watching the oper-
ations as described. this morn ng called On
Mr.. Smith at the Botanical Gardens ana 7
had an interesting talk with him.
The removal of that sewer filth cut
there on I'd street is an OUTRAGE" said Mr..
Smith. Il was nade sick by the stencil
and given chills and fever by the miasm1ss
arising from ii, and since the when thu
work is in progress keep all the windows
Commissioners on the subject "A year ago.
but no notice was ever taken Of ii or ac-
tion either. That letter is now in the pos
session of Senator Mcmillan OF he ScEata
District committee. 1t WAS a vigorous let
ter because the conditions demanded Ian
guage of that sort.
1T has been a source of trouble for years.
4 Remedy Suggested.
"Once al the request of the committee on
public buildings and grounds, the practica
was discontinued, but it was begun again.
1t would be just as easy in my opinion To
remove the accumulauons through tho
mouth of the sewer instead of lifting up
through that manhole and carrying IL i'm
open carts through the streets. | know this
the sewers once with Lieut.. HoNie and them
with Mr.. Harries of The Star. Everything
he wrote and published in The Star about
that investigation was true.
IF it's a question of expense TO take the
deposits out through the mouth OF tha
sewer II would be eminenuy wise to put
the chain gang at it. Common sense would
suggest that the work should begin at tho
sewers mouth and continue up to the con-
huence of the other sewers and the T1ber
sewer The present practice is disgrace
to modern progress and a menace to health.
In warm weather the stencil is simply
awful
Several residents in the vicinity made tha
same statements regarding the stencil, and
Mr. Benjamin Madss the son Of the pro-
prietor of Mades' Hotel, at the corner OF
Sd street and Pennsylvania avenue, stated
that in warm weather when the deposits
were being removed the stencil was plainly
noticeable at the hotel. This Is two blOcks
from the point of removal.