The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-13
10 HAVANA

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Washington. January s.-(sunday.)-
The war department made public to-
day a very full synopsis Of the lat
Colonel George A. Warnings report Of
his visit to Havana, under the special
instructions of the war department, to
inspect h sanitary condition Of the
city and to make such recommended
tions for the future improvement Of
the city as might be suggested by his
inspection
Colonel Waring says he found the
street cleaning without adequate or
~ganization or funds and the markets
offensive and dangerously dlthy for
hi distribution Of human food, with
hi 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 requiring it to
be set out in proper receptacles. The
work Of h contractor was all done
in the latter part of the night and alb
solutely in b dark.
Foul pools were found in the streets,
in which rubbish and filth had been
deposited, which the contractor was
not required to clean. This filth was
turned over to the buZZards. Some Of
the streets in b compact part of the
city are paved with large stone blocks,
others with Belgian blocks and the re-
mainder are unpaved. These streets are
filled with dirty holes, which in turn
are filled up with house garbage. There
is practically no seweragage. In many
cases households connect their private
vaults with loose brick or stone drains,
just under the pavement along their
frontage.
Slaughtering pens, while superficial
ly clean, are brutally disgusting while
the work is going on Blood and offa1
are washed by copious floodings 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 de-
posted on the place 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 till the buzzards pick them to
the skeleton. All this is done under an
intense sun.
CONDITIONS OF DOMESTIC LIFE.
Bad as these conditions are, they are
not comparable with the disgusting
conditions Of the domestic life. There
are fewer han twenty thousand houses
in the city, Of which sixteen thousand
W.
three stories, and a very few are of
foul stories, and M higher. At least
twelve out of every thirteen of the in
habitants live in one-story houses, the
total population being ever 200, 600. The
average population to the house 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 is
quite commonly the standing room of
the carriage. It opens into the parlors
at it's side and into the reception room
at it's rear. Beyond this is a court,
then the dining room, then a smaller
court, the kitchen, stable and private
vault, practically all in me-. 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 private vault, and some times
a second vault for kitchen wastes.
These vaults occupy a space practical
ly under and almost in the kitchen. 1t
is rare, indeed, that these vaults have
a ventilating pipe, so that they belch
forth nauseating odors throughout the
house, which pervade the streets.
Lest the conditions above set forth
should fail to do their appointed work
of destruction, the broad marshes at
the southerly end Of the harbor are at
hand to furnish their quota of malaria.
Into these marshes flow a number of
water courses, which bear upon their
surface the off-scourings of a very o o
quarter Of the town. A large portion
Of the fiat is used as a dumping ground
for garbage.
EXCELLENT WATER SUPPLY.
The water supply of Havana, says
Colonel Waring, is of the purest and
most excellent character. This, with
the winds of the gulf, save the city
from being absolutely and unqualified
ly bad. The city is a veritable plague
spot. It's own people, largely immune
though they are to yellow fever, which
has prevailed in Havana without in
terruption for 163 years, fall constant
victims to the pernicious malaria and
depressing influences to which they are
always subjected. It needs only the
immigration Of fresh material, which
h enterprise of an American popu-
laticn is sure to bring in, to create a
sacrifice such as has not yet been
known. Commerce, says Colonel War
ing, will carry the terrible scourge of
yellow fecer to our shores, until we
rise again in a war of humanity and
at all costs wipe out IN enemy with
which no military valor can cope.
In conclusion Colonel Waring says:
Would it not be wise to accept at
once the fact that we are confronted
with a danger compared with which
war is insignificant and proceed to
meet it and conquer it while we may?
We cannot afford to wait until we
have fed n strengthened it with the
lives Of our people. The necessary re-
forms will call for costly works even
now. But every months delay will
make them more costly and more i'm
perative. We can set about these re-
forms now calmly and .judiciously.
Later, under the impulse of panic, we
should work at far greater disadvant-
age"
NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS.
Colonel Waring suggests the follow
ing improvements as absolutely essen
tial to make Havana a healthy place: |
First-Organize Immediately a de-
partment of public cleaning under the
full control of a single commissioner
experienced in the conduct OF such
work n with authority to do all that |
the occasion may require. This depart |
ment, Colonel Waring urges, should l
have for its chief function the main
tanning OF i constant state of cleanli- |
ness in al. streets and public places. in