The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-09

Washington, Jan. S.@The war de-
partment division Of customs and in
sular affairs made public today a very
full synopsis of the late Colonel George
A Warnings report c his visit to Ha-
Vana, under the special instructions of
the war department, given him early
last autumn, to thoroughly inspect the
sanitary condition OF the city, and to
make such recommendations for the
future improvement of the town as
might DE suggested by said inspection.
Colonel Waring says he found the
street cleaning department without adj
equate organization or funds, and the
markets offensive and dangerously fill
thy 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 disre-
gard of the ordinance to be set out in
proper receptacleS. The work of the
contractor was all done in the latter
part of the night and absolutely in the
dark Any obscure sidewalks were
freely used for purposes of defacation
and no attempt seemed to have been
made to cover or remove the rubbish
Foul pools We're found in the streets.
into which rubbish and filth had been
deposited which the contractor was
not required to clean. This filth was
4 turned over to the buzzards
Some of the streets in the compact
part of the city are paved with large
stone blocks, others with Belgian blocks
and the remainder are Unpaved These
streets are nlled with dirty holes, which
IN turn are filled up with house gar
DaSe- There is practically no sewerage.
In many cases householders connect
their private vaults with loose brick or
stone drains just under the pavement
along their frontage. These allow liquid
filth to leak out into the ground close |
TO the surface. enabling the house !
holder to get out of much hiring of |
night scavengers to bail out and carry |
away Accommodations.
SlaughteTing pens, while specifically
clean, are brutally 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 systematic disposal of
garbage and Sweepings. 1t is deposit
ed 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 I'M
til the buzzards pick them to the skel-
eton. And, all this is done under an
intense sun.
FILTH. OF THE HOUSES.
Bad as these conditions are, they are
not comparable with the disgusting
conditions of the domestic life. There
are fewer than 20,0 houses in the city
Sixteen thousand are of one-story, 200
OF thTee-StoTy and a very few are of
four stories, and none higher. At least
twelve out of every thirteen of the in
habitantS live IN one-Story houses, the
total population being over 200 600. 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 one or two :
courts included in the building. In the :
better class Of houses the entrance hall
is quite commonly the standing room :
Of the carriage. 1t opens into par
lor at it's side and into the reception 8
room at its rear. Beyond this is !
court, then the dining room, then a
smaller court, the kitchen, stable and f
private vault, practically all in one. =
Sleeping rooms are in the rear of the =
oarlor, and at the side of the court the n
dining room. F
The conspicuous feature of every o
house is the private vault, and some =
lines a second vault for kitchen wastes. +,
These vaults occupy a space practical ~
Y under and almost in the kitchen. It ~
5 rare, indeed, that these vaults have +,
Ventilating pipe, so that they belch c,
orth nauseating doors throughout the s.
loUse, which pervade the streets.
Lest the conditions above set forth p,
hould fail to do their appointed work y,
f destruction. the broad marshes at IL
he southerly edge of the harbor are at o,
and to furnish their quota of ma al
aria Into these marshes flow a num- 81
err of water courses, which bear upon q
heir surfaces the off-scourings OF a "a
cry. poor quarter of the town, the eff er
uents OF the Strengthening pens and Of re
Their foul establishments, while a III
lrge portion of the fiat is used as a I'll
umping ground for garbage. sh
CITY a PLAGUE SPOT.
The water supply of Havana, says ga ga
r.. Warning, is of the purest and most %
zcellent character. This, with the ~
inds of the gulf, save the city from ~
eng absolutely and unqualifedly bad -
he city is a Veritable plague spot. Its e. q.
ley are to yellow fever, which has ",
revealed in Havana without Interrupt ~,
on for 163 years, fail constant vic ~
ms to the pernicious malaria and de- NC
'essing influence, to which they are
ways subjected It needs only the 81 81!
migration of fresh material, which ~, 80
e enterprise Of an American popula- bic bic
On is sure to bring in. to create a sac I ate
fee such as has not seen yet known. biS
Commerce, says Colonel Waring, Will So
FRY the terrible Scourge of yellow ~,
yer to our shores until we rise again A
a war of humanity, and at all costs s.i
pc out an enemy with which no moi
hilary valor can cope. III
In conclusion, Colonel Warning says: fn.
Would it not be wise to accept at once ~ r.
e fact that we are confronted with a ~
niger compared with which war is 81.
significant, and proceed to meet it 70
q conquer il while we may? We no,
mot afford to wait until we have H. H.
it and strengthened it with the co
IS of our people. The necessary re- ~
ms viii call for costly works even 10 -
". But every months delay Will 60
IKE them more costly and more i'm in :
-ative. We can set about these re- - =
ms now calmly and judiciously. IN ;
ter, under the impulse of a panic. IL
should work at far greater disad- sic,
ntage." u.s.,
IMPROVEMENTS SUGGESTED. ask
'olonel Waring suggests the follow o one,
improvements as absolutely essen -
to make Havana a healthy city: IN ~,
irst-Organize Immediately a de- -
tment OF public cleaning, under the w Wioi
control of a single commission ex- liz, si.s
fenced in the conduct of such work ..ol
with authority to all that the oc- a oesr,
ion may require. This department DIei
onel Waring urges, should have for W
chief function the maintaining of - ~
onstant stateeof cleanliness in all ~.
.ets and public places. in ali public ~,
dings and places of public resort ~ $
about the public markets and alb l lrIs,1l
0irs. 1t should also ccntrol the dis 80; 10