Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-09
FOUR CENTURIES OF FILTH
Col. Warnings Report on His Inspection of
Havana.
The City is a VeritabIe Plague spot
Saved by Pure Water and
the Gulf Winds.

The War Department has made public
a synopsis of the late Colonel George A.
Warnings report of his visit to Havana, I'M
der the special instructions of the War De-
partment to thoroughly inspect the SAM
tary condition of the city and to make
such recommendations for the future i'm
provenent of the town as might be sug-
gested. Colonel Waring says he found the
| street cleaning without adequate organize
ton or funds; and the markets offensive
and dangerously filthy for the distribution
of human food, with the exception OF two,
the Tacon and Colon markets. He also
found the machinery used for sweeping
the streets Ineffective; the garbage being
thrown into the streets in entire disregard
of the ordinance requiring it TO be set out
in proper receptacles
Four pools were found in the streets in
which rubbish and filth had been deposited.
which the contractor was not required to
clean. This filth was turned over 10 the
buZZards. Some of the streets in the com
pact part of the city are paved with large
stcne blocks, Others with Belgian blocks
and the remainder are unpaved- These
streets are filled with dirty holes. which
in turn are filled up with house garbage.
There is practically no sewerage. In many
cases households connect their private
vaults with loose brick or stone drains just
under the pavement along their frontage.
These allow the liquid fifth to leach out into
the ground close to the surface, enabling
the householder to get out of much hiring
of night scayengers to bail out and carry
away accumulations.
Strengthening pens, while specifically
Clean are brutality disgusting while the
work is going on. Blood and Offal are
washed by copious fioodings from the water
supply into an adjoining creek and harbor,
reeking with putrid filth There is no sys
tpmatic dismissal garbage and SweeDlngS.
1t is deposited on the surface in and near
the town, where the buzzards feast upon
it to their full satisfaction. Dead dogs,
cats and chickens are left in the streets
Until the buzzards pick them to the skele
ton. And all this is done under an intense
sun.
Conditions of Domestic Life.
Bad as these conditions are, they are not
comparable with the disgusting conditions
of the domestic life. There are fewer than
20 900 houses in the city. Sixteen thousand
of one story, 200 are of three stories
and very few are of four stories and none
higher. AT least twelve out of every thir-
teen of the inhabitants live in one-story
houses, the total population being over
200 900. The average population of the
houses is over ten
In all the compactly built parts of the
city the entire lot is covered with the
house, there being two courts in
Guided in the building. In the better class
of houses the entrance hall is quite COM
monty the standing room of the carriage.
1t opens into the parlor at its side and in
to the reception room at its rear. Beyond
this is a court, then the dining room. then
a smaller court, the kitchen, stable and
private vault practically all in one. Sleep
ing rooms are in the rear of the parlor and
at the side of the court dining room The
conspicuous feature of every house is the
private vault and sometimes a second vault
Tor Kitchen wastes These vaults occupy
md. a 81.
Kitchen. 1t is rare indeed that these vaults
nave d ventilating pipe, so that they belch
forth nauseating odors throughout the
house and which pervade the streets
Lest the conditions above set forth should
faii to do their appointed work of destruc-
tlon, the broad marshes at the southerly
edse or the harbor are at hand to furnish
their quota of malaria. Into these marshes
flow number of water courses which hear
upon their surface the offscourings of a
very poor quarter of the town the offuent
OF the Strengthening pens and of other foul
establishments, while a large portion of the
nat Is used as dumping ground for
garbage.
Excellent Water supply
The water supply of Havana says Col.
Waring, is of the purest and most ex
cellent character. This, with the winds of
the gulf, saves the city from being absolute
iy and unqualifiedly bad. The city is a YER
liable plague spot. Its own people largely
immune though they to yellow fever
Whlch mas prevailed in Havana without in
corruption for 163 years, fall constant VIC
inns under the perniCious malaria and de-
pressing influences TO which they are o.
ways subjected. 1t needs only the immf
sfauon OF fresh material, which the enter
pIise oI an American population is sure to
orilS IN, 10 create sacrifice such as has
not yet been known. Commerce he cor
thues, Will carry the terror and the terrible
scourge of yellow fever to our shores untiI
NE rise again IN war of humanity and at
all costs, wipe out an enemy with which no
military valor can cope.
III conclusion. Col. Waring says: 'Would
II not be wise to accept at once the facf
lhat we are confronted with a danger com,
pared with which war is insignificant
ana proceed to meet il and conquer IL while
We may? We cannot afford to wait uptil
we nave fed il and strengthened with the
hves OF our people. The necessary reforms
VIII call for costly works even now Rnt
every months delay will make them more
costly and more imperative. We can set
about these reforms now calmly and IN
diciously. Later. under the inpuIse of
panic We should work at far greater disad-
vantage
improvements Suggested
Col. Warning suggests several improve
ments as absolutely essential to make
Havana healthy city:
First Organize Immediately department
OF public cleaning under the full control of
d SiiSe commissioner experienced in the |
conduct OF such work and with authority |
to do all that the occasion NAV require |
rms department, Col Warning urges should |
nave Tor Its chief function the maintaining
OF a constant state of cleanliness in ali /
streets and public places in all Duhlic
buildings and places of public resort and in |
all about the public markets and abattoirs.
1t should also control the disposal of ali /
wastes except sewerage by cremation and |
otherwise.
second Construct system of sewers to /
receive the liquid wastes of all houses of /
the main city as far as Belascoain.
Third. Fill up all the private and kitchen
waste vaults and supply every house with /
an adequate watercloset connected with
the public sewerage system.
Fourth Pave repaye all the streets in
the best manner with asphalt
Fifth. Provide completely appointed alb
attoir for large and small animals ade-