The times., 1900-12-25
AFFAIRS OF THE DISTRICT
The Health Officers Opinion of
FOrmaldehyde Generators.
DIR. Woodward Replies to Request
of Secretary of the school hoard
Thinks the Department Capable OF
Dealing With Contngion-Curb As
xessment ON Is street Southeast.

xessment ON k street Southeast
The Commissioners yesterday sent to H,
H. Twcmbly, secretary to the School
Board, relative to the purchase of the
Kuhn formaldehyde generators for use in
the disinfecting of schoolhouses. The
Commissioners sent to the secretary of
the School Board the report of DR.. VIII
liam c. Woodward, the Health officer.
This matter, says DIR. Woodward,
must be considered first with reference
to the disinfectants and second with ref
erence to deodorizers I know of no con
ditions which will, in my judgment, war
rant the of the emergency fund for
the purpose OF disinfecting apparatus
for public schools There is entrusted
TO the Health Department an appro-
priation for the prevention of the
spread of contagious diseases and an
other for the maintenance of the disin-
iecting service. If the disinfection of the
public schools becomes necessary it
should. in my Judgment, be done under
i'the direction of the Health Department.
I
sary apparatus can. / believe, be furnish
Ell from one or the other of the approprla-
tions. If the Board OF Education will des-
| ignate some person or persons to have
charge of the disinfection of school build
ines. the Health Department will be more
| than glad TO instruct him or them in the
subject and to furnish the necessary ap-
| paratas
| The Health Department is not ac-
| qualnted with any acute conditions exist
| ing in the public schools sufficient. in its
| judgment, to warrant the use of the
| emergency fund for the purchase of the
deodorizers. 1t will be pleased to inves-
tigate any such conditions which may be
| brought to its attention and TO make rec
concentrations In these specific instances
The Kuhn formaldehyde generator. as
a disinfecting apparatus. has been investi-
gated by this department and found to be
| efficient Its relative value with reference
! TO other devices for disinfecting has not
yet been determined. Its merits as de-
odorizer have not yet been studied but
any form of formaldehyde apparatus has
! TO certain extent properties of this sort
/ Care must be taken however. to distin-
guish between the destruction of odors and
/ the mere masking OF odors. The use OF
any form of deodorizer is Objectionable if
il tends to obscure foul odor. as il may.
{ circumstances
to the perpetuation OF conditions which
should be removed
John F. Donohce, of 3Os East Capitol
Street. has written to the Commissioners
protesting against the payment of assess
| nent for setting curb in K Street be-
tween Second Street and New Jersey Ave
nue. southeast. After stating that the
block has no traffic on account Of the
railroad occupying the street, the tracks
OF which are about five feet higher than
the street, he speaks about a stone
yard in the vicinity which still further
blocks the street from traffic On account
CT these circumstances Mr.. Donohoe asks
that the assessment in question be can
celed.
c. B. Hunt the Computing Engineer. in
making report on the complaint at the
request of the Commissioners states that
Congress ordered the grading and reguIa-
tion of the street under the operation OF
the schedule. In connection with this
work he says that the setting of the curb
in order to retain the cutters was found
necessary. Acting upon the advice of the
Engineer Department Mr.. Hunt states
that the Commissioners duly advertised
this work as required by law, and that
after public hearing, at which no oh
jeCtions were made, the work was author
lied and executed.
MIR. Hunt states that he knows of no
manner in which the property can be re-
lieved from the assessment, which las
been regularly and properly made. Ae-
cordingly. he recommends that Mr. Dono-
hoe be informed of these facts.
The Commissioners yesterday approved
these recommendations, and an order will
be issued in accordance Herewith.
]. A. Chamberlin recently wrote to the
Commissioners calling attention to the
proposals for the Manual Training School
building at the corner of Seventh S S.reet
and Rhode Island Avenue. According to
the specifications OF the said building the
roof was described as of corrugated iron.
Mr.. Chamberln presented certain obiec-
tions to the roof proposed. Gad asked
whether it would not be cold in winter.
hot in summer, and in other ways untitled
for the purpose.
The matter has been gone into thor
oughly by the Office of the Inspector of
Buildings, and in his report On the subject
he says that the buildings is TO have in
1t forge for the blacksmithing depart
ment, and that there are to be at times
other fires in the building for heating
purposes. He states that for this reason
an ordinary roof and ceiling would not
afford that measure of protection desired
in 2 structure of the kind.
The Building Inspector further states
that an arrangement has been perfected
whereby the contractor is to put in a cell
ing c. metal lath and adamant plaster so
as 20 make the same as nearly hrepToof
as possible. The Inspector states that
the cost of the same will be $745. and as
the proposal OF the contract seems rea-
sonahle. he recommends that ii be ac-
cepted
These recommendations of the Inspec-
tor of Buildings have been approved.
The Commissioners have ordered that
certain employees OF the Health Depart
ment, who have heretofore been compeu-
sated from the appropriation TO prevent
the spread of contagious diseases, as pro-
vidcd for by the act OF February rs. 1899.
be hereafter compensated from'the appro-
priation to prevent the spread of scarlet
fever and diphtheria. This order Affects
DR.. Llewellyn Elliot in charge Of the
smallpox hospital; DR.. Lewis J. Battle.
assistant medical inspector; Charles
Pemberton, and William Reppetti nurses.
and about twenty laborers of the depart
ment
ESCAPED FROM PRISON.
A Female Convict Takes French