The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-10
Breeding Spots for Typhoid and
Malaria in Lower Districts.
MEASURES TO DESTROY THEM.
Health Authorities Face the Prob
holes of sfngnant Water and
Garbagc-The Residents of Chi
uese Iodgipg Houses Violate
the Lsw-Cause of the Dimcuity.

How to purge the districts Of the city
below Yesler way Of noisome microbe-
breeding places Is the vexatious problem
confronting the health officials. and par
tculariy Dr NJ. +. a. McKechnie. the
executive officer of the board OF health
Attention has heen drawn several times
by the Pest -iufeliigcucer to the necessity
Of cleaning mp these incuhators Of typhoid
which are found between Second and
Fourth avenues south and Jackson and
Main streets. and which extend even as
far south as the Northern Pacific FIJI
along the Seattle boulevard and the Grant
street bridge.
There is not one but n dozen places
where. by the hlling In Of streets and
railway trestles. surface water Is accumu-
lated To depth Of from three to fifteen
feet IN the worst places Here the tad
pole and the poIywog, the snake
charmer' and the green bottle ny bask
lazilr IN the sunshine or else ruffie the
green scum that overspreads the surface
OF the ponds while vile fumes carrying
into the air disease germs rise all day
long and throughout the night.
But for the fact that Seattle enjoys
most salubrious climate, where disease
encounters conditions naturally adverse
70 its propagation. those places would
number their victims by the hundreds
The fresh snlt breezes that blow from
the bay purify the atmosphere however
and II ia only the people living adjacent
to the places described who suffer from
them. The danger Of their presence Hes.
however, IN the chance of ar epidemic of
dphtheria or buhonlc plague, should this
latter ailment fasten its terrible hold on
the Pacific coast. In fall and winter
there Is more or less typhoid fever. which
can IN most cases he traced to the exist
ence Of foul banks between whose edges
4.t hn md hgy
vegetation Of the rankest growth -four
ishes In the summer to fail and rot. shell
toring malaria and typhoid germs.
some Of the Worst Places.
A rost-lntelligencer reporter. equipped
with camera and smelling salts and
guided ny Health Officer McKechnie, yes
terday made the round OF the disease
breeding places below Yesler way. Pho
tographs were taken of the worst spots
upon which the tense Of the instrument
could be thrown. Underneath the pile
bridges and sidewalks some OF them in
habited only by hollow eyed blanched-
face morphine f@nds there are hlthy
spots beyond description whose Shiny
surfaces cannot he reproduced even with
camera. II Is upon the worst OF these
places that the efforts Of the sanitary
authorities are being directed at this
time. The city council. having received
last week a letter from Dr. McKeehnle
calling attention 10 the necessity for
prompt and vigorous action In the mat
ter. is becoming interested in the cues
ton DR.. Mckechnie holds and rightly.
1t appears that In some localities the city
itself Is responsible for the condition Of
affairs, This Ia easily explained Years
asn, when Main and Jackson streets were
graded and filled. no provision was made
for the construction OF cuVerts which
would carry or tho water from the low
places. The result could not have been
foresecn. In some localities there IL a
space of ground half block In area.
hemmed In by 1ls and hulkheads where
fifteen feet below the sidewalk the water
accumulates as In a basin and stands the
year round.
violate the Laws.
The natural agencies which cause the
Incubation and spread of disease germs
In such localities are augmented hy tho
reprehensihie practices OF the lazy deni.
xens of the Chinese and Japanese LODGING
house districts. Sometimes. It must he
told, white man or woman Will con
tribute TO tho accumulated rubbish and
garbage heaps which are found in the
deep holes and which fester with Hlth
and rettenness Decayinx fruits refuse
aud garbage OF all kinds old cans and
caHt-on clothing Is frequently dumped
over the sidewalk along jackson street