Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-01-13
Col. Warnings Report
ON the Sanitary Conditions In Havana
---the city Plague Spot---Ilis Rec
concentrations.

on the Sanitary Conditions In Havana
---tho city Plague Spot---Ilis Rec
omme ndations.
The war department has made public
synopsis of the late Col. George A. War
ng's report of his visit to Havana under
the special instructions of the department,
given him early last autumn, thoroughly
to inspect the sanitary condition OF the
city and make such recommendations for
the future improvement, of the town as
might be suggested by this inspection.
The report says that Col. Waring found
the street cleaning department without adj
equate organization or funds and the mar
kets, with two exceptions, offensive and
dangerously filthy for the distribution of
human food. The machinery for sweep
ing the streets was ineffective. Garbage
was thrown into the thoroughfares in en-
tire disregard of the ordinance requiring it
to be set out in proper receptacles.
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
filled with dirty holes, which in turn are
filed up with house garbage. There is
practically no sewerage.
The water supply of Havana is of the
purest and most excellent character, and
this, with the winds of the gulf, saves the
city from being absolutely and unqualified
ly bad. The city is a vertable plague
spot. Its own people, largely immune
though they are to yellow fever, which has
prevailed in Havana without interruption
for 1G3 years, fall constant victims to the
pernicious malaria and depressing influ-
ences to which they are always subjected.
1t needs only the immigration Of fresh ma
terial, which the enterprise of an Ameri-
can population is sure TO bring in, to Gre
ate sacrifice such as has not yet been
known.
Col. Warnings recommendations in
clude:
l. The organization of a department of
public cleaning.
,. The construction Of complete sys-
TEN of sewerage.
3. Filling up of all private and kitchen
waste vaults, and the construction in each
house, at public expense, of a closet con
nected with the public sewer.
1. Proper paving of all the streets.
>. Erection of completely appointed
abbatoir for large and small animals.
g. Erection Of an incinerating furnace
IOI Tue INSTRUCTION Ol All gdIbdSt anu ltl-
use.
:. Reclamation of the marshes near
the city. This reclamation to be made af
ter the method of Holland, 10y diking out
the harbor and the water courses and NOV
ing the water by pumping.
3. Establish an electric power plant
sufficient for this pumping, for pumping
sewerage where Necessary, and for propel-
ling the machinery of the abbatoir say
300 horse power in all.
The report states that it is not possible,
from the data then available, to estimate
the cost of all the work indicated above
more nearly than to say that it will not ex-
coed Sl0,000,000 1t has beeu estimated,
the report continues. that single epidemics
introduced into the United States from Ha-
vana have cost in the Mississippi valley
alone 100000, 600 loss to industries and
to commerce, aside from the loss of life,
amounting in 1878 and 70 tC ID oil, in
addition to the enormous cost of the sick
ness of those who recovered.
1t is said that the government has under
favorable consideration the project of car
rying Col. Warnings recommendations into
immediate effect. 1t is further said that
the revenues of the island of Cuba honest
ly administered. will pay for the improve
ments in a years time and leave a snug
surplus.