The times., 1899-07-18

Coroner Carr submitted his annual re-
port for the fiscal year ended June 80 last
to the District Commissioners yesterday.
In it are detailed the amount of work ac-
complished during the year. the amount
of money expended, and the needs of the
present year. The most important part
Of the report is that relating TO the con-
dition of the mOrgue.
Coroner Carr states that several needed
improvements were made last year. plac-
ing the work on much more satisfac
tory basis. The morgue was remodeled
and refurnished during the year with the
appropriation of 81 600 made by Congress
for the purpose. The building has been
vastly improved in appearance as well
as utility
The addition of five ice boxes has made
it possible to keep bodies for a reasona-
BILE length of time without offensive de-
composition. The keeper was relieved dur
ing the year of all duty except the care
of the morgue, A suitable wagon was also
purchased for the exclusive use of the
morgue, and the former serious difficulty
relating to the removal of bodies overcome
A wel-equipped wagon and driver are al
ways ready for any emergency now There
is no longer any complaint from persons
living near the morgue of Objectionable
odors and much less objection on the part
of friends and relatives to having bodies
sent there. EltS
The Coroner, however, lays great stress
upon the fact that with all Improvements
and added facilities the present morgue is
far from being a suitable one for a city
as large as Washington. While 1t answers
the purpose he says it compares very un-
favorably with buildings in other cities.
The recommendation of the Coroner in
this regard are the feature OF his annual
report. He says, in part, in this connec-
ton:
The need of a new morgue is the first
and most important consideration under
this head. The present building is situated
in the rear of police station, was origi-
nally a stable, and is now adjoining a sta
BILE We should have in Washington as
| in all large cities, a morgue where the
bodies of respectable and well-to-do people
may be carried, as frequently becomes de-
! sirable or necessary, without shocking the
lsensibilities of Tel5tivls, frien1s, or the pub
! lie. Judging from the steady increase of
| cases that come to the Coroner, the new
building should provide accommodations
for at least twenty bodies. and should have
suitable rooms for holding autopsies and
! inquests and for keeping the records of
/
| structure, resembling a chapel or small
church, and should contain room suitable
! for holding funeral services. 1t should
/ be surrounded by a neat plot and conven-
iently located in a decent part of the city.
Now that the Government has gained
a clear title to the river front, and is going
TO improve that part of the city. | would
suggest that ii is the most suitable place
| for the morgue for several reasons, and
! bot in MIA 70 nlliin
| the river front the construction of
morgue might be considered. An appro
priation of $4,000 has been asked by the
! Coroner every year for the building of
morgue, and in my opinion that amount
| of money could not be spent for better
purpose. A suitable building may be con-
structed for less sum, but when the long
desired and h-asked-for morgue does
come hope to see a $4,000 building
Detailing the work accomplished during
| the past fiscal year, the Coroner states that
the total number Of deaths investigated by
| him is ISL, or an increase of 143 over the
preceding year. The increase is attrib
uted in a very large measure to the great
care on the part of the Health officer in
referring all certificates of death to the
! Coroner for investigation where there has
| been the slightest chance that death was
due TO any criminal cause. The number
of suicides was only twenty-three, or de-
crease of almost 60 per centa During the
| preceding year there were fifty-three sui
| cides. There were nineteen homictdes, or
three less than during the preceding year.
THE report contains a table showing the
causes OF violent deaths as follows
Accidental injuries, G6; steam railway acei-
dents "a; street railway accidents, Z; burns, 81;
drowning, u; gunshot, 4; electric shock, J.
| Total I57.
Accidental poisoning by opium, 6; gas, y;
wood alcohol, .; phosphorus, /; chlorotorm, l.
suicides by gunshot, IL; drowning, 3; inhal-
ing gas. 3; cutting throat, i; jumping, l. opium,
3; carbolic acid l. Total, o.
! Honliadcs. 70.
The total number Of violent deaths was 22l.
The total number of inquests was "a.
The number of autopsies in criminal cases
was 81 and in District cases 49, making a
total of 10. There were 131 stillbirths.
| The number of bodies cared for in the
morgue was 165. The number OF natural
deaths investigated by the Office of the
Coroner was 429 classified as follows:
| Abscess l, Addison's disease l, apoplexy
29, alcoholism ;, appendicitis l. atheroma
3, aneurism l. bronchitis 7, cancer 2, cir
rohsis of liver /, congestion of lungs !,
congenital debility 29 cerebral thrombo-
! sis ) childbirth l, ceTebro-splnal men
| ingitis / difficult delivery 2, diphtheria .,
! epilepsy l. gastritis 3, CASTRO -enteritis "a,
heart disease 10S. heat stroke g. icterus
neonatorum 4, infantile commissions IA. in
auenza ., malaria 3. nephritis %, obstruc-
tions of the bowels !, pneumonia "A, pre-
mature birth 8, pertussis l. pye salpinx
l, pleurisy l. senile debility /, syphilis A.
starvation /, tubal pregnancy l, tuberculo-
sis 80, typhoid fever 6, unknown !. vom-
iting of pregnancy l, yellow fever /, and
natural causes |.
The Coroner concludes his report with
an estimate of current expenses for the
next fiscal year ending June 30 1901. as
follows: Salary of Coroner, $1.S0O; record
ing testimony, 5000; jurors fees. $40; au-
topsies, $3.50; livery, S240; ice disinfect-
ants. and sundres for morgue, $3.50; pho
tograhing unidentified bodies, $50; total,
$4,000.
FUNERAL OF COL. C. H. BROWN.
The Interment VIII he Made at Ar