The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-09
DISGUSTING CONDITIONS
: VI hnblic and Domestic Life In Hava-
ia us Found by the Jntc Colonel
Maring-A Feeding Ground for

BiiZZarus.
WASHINGTON. D. c., Jan. s.-The
war department. division OF customs
and insular affairs. made public to-day
very full synopsis OF the late George
a. warnings report OF his visit to Ha-
Vana under special Instructions OF the
war department, given him early last
autumn. 10 thoroughly Inspect the san
itary condition OF the city. and to make
such recommendations for the future
improvement as might be suggested BY
said inspection.
Col. Waring says he found the street
Cleaning department without adeuuate
organization or funds. and the markets
offensive and dangerously filthy for the
distribution OF human food, with tho
exception of two, the Tacon and Colon
markets. He also found the machinery
used for sweeping the streets inerrec-
tive. the garbage being thrown into the
streets In entire disregard for orIi-
nance requiring to be set out in proper
receptacles. The work OF the cortrac-
tor was all done In the latter part OF
the night. and absolutely in the dark.
ANY obscure sidewalk was used for the
purpose OF defacation. and no attempt
seemed to have been made to cover or
remove the rubbish.
Foul pools were found in the streets,
into which rubbish and filth had been
deposited, which the contractor was
not required to clean. This filth was
turned over to the buzzards. Some
or the streets In the, compact part OF
the city are paved with large stone
blocks, others with Belgian blocks and
the remainder are unpavcd. These
streets are filed with dirty holes,
which In turn are filled up with house
garbage. There is practically no sew
eragc. In many cases households COR
struct their private vaults with loose
bricks or stone drains just under the
pavement along the frontage. These
allow the liquid filth TO leak out into
the ground close TO the surface, cnab-
ling the householders to get out of as
much hiring Of night scavengers TO bail
out and carry away accumulations.
Strengthening pens. while superfcially
clean, are brutally disgusting while
their work Is going On. Blood and Of
fal are washed by copious flooding
from the water into an adjoining creek
and harbOr reeking with putrid filth.
There Is no systematic disposal of gar
bage and sweeping. 1t is deposited on
the surface In and near the town. where
the buzzards feast upon 1t to their full
satisfaction. Dead dogs, cats and
chickens are left in the streets until
the buZZards pick them TO skeletons.
DisGmstingly Filthy.
And all this Is done under an intense
sun. Bad as these conditions are they
are not comparable with the disgusting
conditions OF the domestic life. There
are fewer than 10000 houses in the city.
Sixteen thousand are one story, two
hundred are OF three stories. and very
few are OF four stories and none high
er. At least twelve out of every thir-
teen OF the inhabitants live In one story
houses, the total population being over
100000. The average population of the
houses Is over ten.
in all the compactly built parts of the
city, The entire los is-coyertd-Hish the
house. there being one isor 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 Il parlor ut
Its side and from the reception room at
Its rear. Beyond this Is court, then
the dining room, then 4 smaller court.
the kitchen, Stable and private vault all
in one. Sleeping 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 prl-
vatc vault and sometimes u second
vault for kitchen wastes. These vaults
occupy Il spuc" practically under and
| almost In the kitchen. 1t is rare, in
deed. that these vaults have n yentil-
atinG pipe, so that they bclch forth
nauseatinG odors throughout the house
and pervadc the streets. Lest the con-
ditions above set forth should fail to
do their appointed work of destruction.
the broad marshes at the sOutherly
edges of the harbor are on hand TO fur
nish their quota Of malaria. Into
these marshes flow Il number of water
courses. which bear upon their sur
face the off scourings OF n vtcy poor
| quarter OF the town, the eilluents OF
| the Strengthening pens and other foul
| establishments. while large portion of
the fiat is used as Il dumping ground
| for garbage.
The water supply OF Havana. says
Mr. Wuring, Is OF the purcst and most
excellent character. This, with the
winds of the gulf, save the city from
being absolutely and unQualilledly bad.
The city is Il reritable plague spot. Its
own people, largely immune. though
they are not to yellow fever. which
| has prevailed in Havana without in
terruptlon for one hundred and sixty
three years. fall constant victims to the
| perncious malaria and depressing inllu-
cnces to which they are always sub
| jectcd 1t needs only the immigration
| of fresh material. which the enterprise
| l,t Inv, ic In
| bring in, to create sacrifice OF life
| such as has not yet been known. Com
merce. says Col. Waring. viii carry the
terrible scourgc Of yellow fever TO out
shores until we rise again in a war OF
| humanity, and at all costs wipe ont
m enemy with which 10 military val
| or can cope.