The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-14

CONDITIONS or THE DISTRICT.
Uunlseaa Llvisg IN nesses Which
Re<k wSsh FILTH anA DssathinE
Foai yapers FFOa the In1sained
GressA en which Their Homes
Ress-An Isaasa Sea - ssl.e-A
visit with . sanftary lsspecter.

order of the health officer inst all houses
In the district be vacated or or before
March Ig Aa already stated in the Post
JutsIigeHcsr this action was taken at the
last regular meeting Of the board OF
health. on the representations OF Sanitary
Inspectors Fraser and Emery as TO IN.
unheaithfu1 coadjsion Of the district Full
u ~ people are affected By the order. II
Involves ali buildings on the east side OF
Sixth avenue south below jackson street.
aeound on King street 10 Eleventh. avenue,
the entire block known as Biackchapel
proper. on the south side Of King street.
ard bounded By Seventh avenue sotlth Oh
the east and s.ae eynbankrnent Of the Co
Igusf.A 4 Puget 60arsd railroad on the
south ard west the block east OF black
chapel block. bouEded b. King street.
Maynard avenue. Weller street ard Sixth
avenue soufb.
This part Of the city was formerly
washed by the tides ard Was kept.an
heaithfui condition by natural sewerage.
but the filing In of the upper portion of
this tide run by the Columbia * Puget
Sound railroad and the raising of an en-
ba nkment for the enmnauyts tracks, cut
of a patch Of stiited skacks from drain
age by the waters Of the bay and LEFT,
them standing high above al inland sea
Of slime.
Vast cesspooi.
Under the changed conditions there was
no natural means TO carry of the refuse
OF the houses which had before depended
on the tide. and as n result the ground
oyer which these houses stood soon be-
came u vast cesspooi. a basin OF alta.
above which hundreds Of people Gwelt
In an atmosphere iudescrshabie. And
there they set dwell, and daily breathe the
doors which arise from this reesing foam
dation Families af fige and six in a
single room little larger than an ordinary
closet. are living Ives that would seem
impossible, Homes OF poverty and abodes
Of crime. strange structures which stand
on their rustinE stiits. In rickcty eonfu-
s1on. without order or arrangement, form
ing dirty alleys. which break of suddenly
like FaiiIess bridges over placid pool of
DISEASED mud. a collection or colonies
where spoken words are 81 babel OF all
languages, and whare . stranger suddenly
transported would believe himself in
foreign and weird smelling land. Such Is
thr Backehapei of the city in It's wors;
aspect.
And soon the summer sun Viii Gene out
and the hslmors that Bow cling In the
a0xgy ground will he sucked up la clouds
Ut steam and the iVatiaSosue FApors Will
Secp through the floors and wallis of these
usieefabIc abodes. Rui they Will be ten
shtiess then and the people who now
curse thp removal edict viii he safe from
this plague OF fcserish Ills.
There Is better p0rtinn Of the district.
In which are grocery stores. meat mar
kst. second-is stores. barber shop sa-
iooue. stable. cooperare and black smith
shop and the Salvation Army shelter
some Of these now have signs OF removal
eaies posted ON their fronts ard in all are
psspara ssa se Tor me exodus shat y to
the good OF these citizens; this Is apprs.
ciased by the intelligent business men Of
tho district. hut by majority II r. felt To
he an nnwarranted interf~fence This fees-
sng IL manifested In many ways toward
the sanitary inspectors. whore daily visits
10 the houses and inspections OF the sani-
taiion have been regarded with eyes any
thing hsH friendly
Inspecting the District.
On his rounds yesterday Inspector
Frasch was aecuenpa sfed by a Post-intei-
liEencer reporter:
Like sentry on the tsssi skirts of the dis
srict stards the angc gas tank on Jackson
street The oior hanging about Ii Il a
warning of what Is to Gene In the heart
OF the district the inspector encountered
ssserai men Of ,ae better c.nss. property
SIN as be PASSED. Before tow -brewsl
iosigine house stood a roauna Frcnchmasl'
Got To move. eh'' he asked
les. said The inspectef- VASE viii
Here" dsrlaf.,sr she rfsuchnsn. nol,f.
sng 10 the dirty frnnt OF hfs houge ard a.
81. snssecepr moved away be laughed DE-
rssi.ely-
A secondhand msn. standing uocrevy ned
on a throne Of rags. bottles ard sseEe
iscked abusive when the inspector passed
through his premises 10 the s.lns.tg in fnse
rear. In 'sie. AR ~ere still ecnocS al ths.
explosive language used bs sas merehar.
when the nNsce was first served The
women N several barren looking lodging
houses We're aol 50 unkia1iy s;tsnssea
They pailed t',enlss ives. they Raid ht,t n
tncy mist move, WY there wef. nfheg
roots tine lodging house With many small
rooms WAS tenan;ed almost entirely ~
men. An average OF three 81 fnur slreY. II,
g room ~ monthly rental of e. ar a
sometimes. said one nf the Rodgers a,ss,
q fsssai beam In his .se Their uess
Nnks IN one Of tins. rooms Bat ,.tlmksss
came not often, for stag PARTIES viii. isassI,i
resfesninsnss sses, Money. ana money Is
4 STICK Wamnn
In osie fnoF. a nisr assa 4 woman .r~a
PLAYING cren can v lsaie sH au sssslnss,-
apartment an old lady, her fa~r tsks
mask OF death, saf er In bed trying IN. cat
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