The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-09
Overflow from Vaults Runs in the Gut
ters and Atmosphere Laden with
Deadly Emuvia.
$1O,00O,OO0 HOUSE CLEANING
EXPENDITURE NECESSARY TO STAMP
OUT ROTTEN CONDITIONS.
Houses Need OverhauIinG and Closets
Removed to Prevent Spread of yell
low Fever to This Country.

WASHINGTON, Jan s-The War De-
partrnent, division of customs and insular
affairs, made public to-day a very full
synopsis of the late Colonel George A. War
ing's report of his visit to Havana under
the special instructions of the War Depart
ment, given him early last autumn, to in
spect thoroughly the sanitary condition of
the city and to make such recommendations
for the future improvement of the town as
might be suggested by said inspection. Col.
Waring says he found the street cleaning
without adequate organization or funds
and the markets offensive and dangerously
filthy for the distribution of human food,
with the 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 disregard of the ordinances requir-
ing it to be set out in proper receptacles.
The work of the contractor was all done
in the latter part of the night and abso-
lutely i'm the dark. Any obscure sidewalk
was freely used for purposes of unloading
and no attempt seemed to have been made
to cover or remove the rubbish.
Foul pools were found in the streets, into
WHICH IuUDlSH anu IllH Ildu Deel uepOS-
tied. which the contractor was not required
to clean. This filth was turned over to the
buzzards. Some of the streets in the COM
pact part of the city are paved with large
stone blocks, others with Belgian blocks
and the remainder are unpaved. Those
streets are filled with dirty holes, which in
turn are filled up with house garbage. There
is practically no sewerage, In many cases
hOuseholders connect their private vaults
with loose brick or stone drains just under
the pavement along their frontage. These
allow the liquid filth to leak out into the
ground close to the surface, enabling the
householder to get out of much hiring of
night scavengers to bail out and carry away
accumulations.
SIaughtering pens, while specifically
clean, are brutaly disgusting while the work
is going on. Blood and offal are washed
by copious foodings from the water supply
into an adj 1ining creek and harbor reekfng
with putTid filth. There is no systematic dis
posal of garbage and sweepings. 1t is de-
posted on the surface in and near the town,
where the buzzards feast on it to their full
satisfaction. Dead dogs, cats and chickens
are left in the streets until the buzzards
pick them to the skeleton. And all this is
done under an intense sun.
DloGOSIING FILTH IN HOUSES.
Bad as these conditions are, they are not
comparable with the disgusting conditions
of the domestic life. There are fewer than
twenty thousand houses in the city. Sixteen
thousand are of one story, two hundred are
of three stories, and a very few are of four
stories, and none higher At least twelve
out of every thirteen of the inhabitants live
in one-story houses, the total population
hot,
age population of the houses 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 hall is quite commonly the
standing room of the carriage. 1t opens
into parlor at its side and into the recep-
ton 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 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 private vault,
and sometimes second vault for kitchen
wastes. These vaults occupy a. space prac-
tically under and almost in the kitchen. 1t
is rare indeed that these vaults have a ven
tilating pipe, so that they belch forth
nauseating odors throughout the house and
pervade the streets.
Lest tho conditions above set forth should
fail to do their appointed work of destruc-
ton the broad marshes at the southery
edge of the harbor are at hand to furnish
their quota of malaria. Into these marches
flow number of water courses which bear
on their surface the offscourings of a very
poor quarter of the town, the effiuents of
the saughtering pens and of other foul
establishments, while large portion of the
fiat is used as dumping ground for gar
bage.
The water supply of Havana, says Mr.
Waring is of the purest and most excellent
character. This, with the winds of the gulf
save the city from being absolutely and un-
qualifedly bad. The city is a veritable
plague spot It's own people. largely i'm
mune though they to yellow fever,
which has prevailed in Havana without in
terruption for one hundred and sixty-three
years. fall constant victims to the per-
nicious malaria and depressing influences to
which they are always subjected. 1t needs
only the immigration of fresh material,
which the enterprise of an American popu-
lation is sure to bring, to create a. sacrifice
such as has not yet been known. Commerce.
Bays NoioileA w al ms VIII carry tlS tttIible
scourge of yellow fever to our shores. until
we rise again in a war of humanity and at
all costs, wipe out an enemy with which no
military valor can cope.
A TIMELY WARNING.
In conclusion Colonel Waring says: would
it not be wise 10 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 nave fed
it and strengthened it with the lives OF our
people. The necessary reforms viii call for