The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-06-04
CITY'S SANITARY
CONDITION Is BAD
General Cleaning Up VIII Be In
augurated at Once.
FILTHY LOCALITIES EXIST
New Garbage Contract Will Be Let
and More Wagons Put in Service
The Police Department
Will Take Hand
FILTHY LOCALITIES EXIST

The health and sanitary department have
awakened to Birmingham's dirty condi-
ton, and steps will soon be taken to have
a general cleaning up. In some localities
it is said that piles of trash and ash barrels
have stood for over three weeks without
attention. In many of the alleys the filth
has been allowed to accumulate until the
sickening odor which arises can be detect
ed from the streets. On the Southside
there are numerous pools of stagnant
water which can be smelled for some dis
tance
Chief OF Police Austin and Chairman
Chiles of the police commission went on
an investigating tour yesterday, and they
were astonished at the condition of things.
Mr.. Chiles said that he did not know be-
fore that humanity had gotten SO low. He
stated that in some of the tenement houses
the smell was so strong that it made the
chief sick
Chief Austin said that the north side of
Second avenue. from Twenty-first to
Twenty-second streets was especially dirty.
81 had no idea that such conditions ex-
isted,' said he, until went into some of
those houses and into the back yards. In
these yards filth had accumulated to such
an extent that the odor sickened me and
1 had to leave"
Continuing, Chief Austin said: 81 think
within a few days 1 will have a card pub
lished in the papers warning all persons
that if their back yards are not kept in a
good sanitary condition that the occupants
of the houses adjacent thereto will be put
under arrest"
A prominent gentleman who is a resident
on Ash avenue said that the thoroughfare
was very properly named, for as long as
he lived there the ashes had never been
removed except by rain.
Contract Has Expired
The contract for, removing garbage eX-
pired on June 1, but as yet no new contract
has been made. Messrs. Dunn and Leande,
the old contractirs, are doing the work un-
til other arrangements are made. Under
the old contract eight teams and five carts
were allowed, but this will be increased so
that there will twelve teams and seven
carts used in removing trash. The city
advertised for bids for the new contract
about May II, but as yet no one has been
given the contract.
The committee on police and sanitation
which has this class of work in charge has
been unable to do anything for the past
two weeks on account of a slight disagree
ment as to who was at the head of the
committee When Mayor Drennen notified
the aldermen as who should hold places
on the committees he stated that the APP
pointments went into effect Immediately
Alderman Pearce, the old chairman, said
that he was not chairman, and the new
appointee claimed that he could not act
because the committee had not been
t1tY, nod III,
arranged, however, and Alderman Jones
will assume his duties as chairman and be-
gin work at once
Chairman Jones said yesterday afternoon
that though he was not asprant to the
Craftsmanship, since Mayor Drennen had
seen fit to appoint him he was going to
give him the best of his efforts.
II fully realize the bad sanitary condition
of the city, and we are going to work at
once said he. 81 intend getting the COM
mittee together before the regular council
meeting next week, and we will map out a
plan and present it to the city council. All
that can possibly stand in our way is
money on which to run. We will have to
ascertain exactly how much money the city
can furnish for sanitary purposes and then
we can begin on cleaning the city.
Conference Held
During the afternoon of yesterday a con-
ference was held between Chairman Jones
and General Thomas and DR.. Gotten, the
two health officers. AS a result the health
officers went on rigid investigation Of
certain parts of the city and it is supposed
that they will make a report to the SAM
tary committee when it is called to meet.
1t is claimed that the city of Birming-
ham is not alone in its unclean condition,
but some of the suburban towns are like
wise suffering. On the road to East Lake
many pools of stagnant water can be seen
from the cars, and the alleys around the
negro quarters need cleaning.
An Evening With Robt. Burns