The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-01-06
THE PROBLEM
OF SAN JUAN.
The Question Of the City's Sanitation
is a Most Serious One.
NEGRO IS THESTUMBLING BLOCK
His Habits in Porto Rico are Like
They Are Elsewhere. and Nothing
Can be Done Unless lie Can be
Made TO Live i'm the Country

Correspondence Of the Associated Press)
SAN JUAN, PORTO RICO. Dec 1s.-In
tho matter Of cleanliness. this city is de-
oeptivc. II one comes from other island
towns 10 San Juan. or, better yet, If one
comes from the average West Indian
port 20 San Juan, San Juan will at first
seem clean IN comparison. This because
the streets OF Porto Rico's capital arc for
the most part very well paved and are
kept actually fairly clean. A comparl-
son can be made TO shiny, steel tire
on very muddy wagon wheel. The city
streets then are arc for tho most part
clean, but tho houses and tho numbcrloss
interior courts and connecting alleyways
are indescrlbably dirty. II you ask what
should DE done for the sanitation of the
city, you will very likely bee answered
everything" There is no doubt but
that ihe question needs very thorough
handling. and one can well say that
everything must bee done. FOR nothing 20
speak 0f has been done I'm the past and
of their own wlli-the people viii do
nothing to-day.
WE'LL LOCATED.
San Juan city is built on tho western
end of long and narrow island that
runs almost duo east and west across
the northern side of san Junan haFbor.
Tho northern side Of this island is the
highest being sixty on seventy feet above
fca-level. and from this ridge the land
slopes evenly Co tho south, or harbor side
OF the island. The harb0r is large, and
has an eastern and n western entrance;
we. ff.f. no
/ by ships. the eastern entrance is shallow.
but there is a fair current OF wator
/ through the harbOr with each slight rise
and fall of the tide. The prevailing winds
are from tho North.
A noticeable feature OF the city streets
is that the first floors I'm cases where
the houses have two stories, are
either given over 90 Offices and ware
houses or are inhabited by the poorer
classes. Every ono knows that 20 is
healthier 10 live above the ground floor,
consequently an those who can afford TO-
do live there.
a doctor of this city. q man who has
studied the question Of the city's health.
has declared that in order 10 make the
city stay clean and healthy. these poorer
classes, mostly composed of negroes.
should be driven away To- tho country.
! This action De considers Imperative for
| the lasting success of amy measures TO-
ward city sanitation. AS one walks
through tho streets one catches glimpscs
of interior courts that seem alive with
people. enter these courts and you are
impressed with the great number of peo-
pie WHO live in small spaces and de-
priYed Of air and light
LIKE sARDINEs.
Americans have wondered how this ci,y
could house the thirty thousand iuhahi-
tauts attributed to DO visit to the
interiors OF the houses would quickly in-
form them. In these tcncmcnts the SAME
tary arrangements are practically MIL
There are uo puhlic laNatories 300 town.
and the vast amount of clothes mat Is
wee'Ny washed n this as in all Central
American cities. is done in these houses.
Aueyways. halls and crowded rooms are
forever hung with damp clothing. dirty
water stands fn foul tubs. and so cmpticd
into drains that probably do not drain.
The houses are crowded with naked chile
dren. food is cooked over charcoal ires
iu any corner and aIl water comes form
UNDERGROUND reservoirs in the yards chat
catch the rain from the roofs. AT me
water that the city has to-day is cIsicin
water The NAL 0d0rs from these many
tenomeuts blow 0ut into the streets ana
rise % the people who live above ll is
almost impossible 90 find to-day in san
Juan ID second story for living purposes.
under which there do NOT reside several
families with habits such as IS here de-
scri5ld
WILL THEY co?
Whether these people can be driven 10
the country is question The negro
would perfor 90 live on eight square feet
of dirt iu the capital than in the iresh
air of the country. and such tenement
property is highly profitable TO the
owner here as ewhere. You cannot
drive Che negro to tae open fields unless
you there provide shelter Tor MIN. ana
even if you told him he must move Witi-
in three or Sis months he would maze
no effort to hnl hin if quarters ei.e-
where II would Doe necessary I'D o'll
houses for him ln the country and tH're
make him remain. ANY such mOfcm. 1t
would he strongly opposed by the prop
erfy owner.
While theoretically obs aclon Woul1
bring the best lasting results its pace
teal application viii be found dhh1llf.
In case DO cannot be done. the clean ing
of the city must be considered with these
people stlll in their homes. The natural
conditions of the town make 81 good
drainage system possible. There. is nm
pie fan from ail points mo the hdin'i.
Whether there is sufficient hm1or flow
90 carry away the matter thus drained
has never been determined d. there is
not. The eastern entrance might be sufi-
GENTLY enlarged To- bring this about
The Spaniards long ago started work
on system of water supply % be
brought from The country through aque-
ducts and this system was very nearly
completed when the war came on. bn-
fortunately the Spanlards obtained for