Sunday morning globe., 1901-08-25
AN Epidemic
Threatened the City Of Washington
From Unabated NuisanceS.
HEALTH BOARDS NEGLIGENCE
Cases Cited Wherein Or. Woodward, The Health
Officer Of the City, Failed In His Sworn
Dug-FWOT Spreading From Sewage In
Csllars-The Police ludgeS Unprecedented
Action.

mer postpOnement Of a pest-breeding
nuisance at Ninth and z streets N. W.,
has paralyzed the Board of Health!
DR.. Woodland, the health officer, says
he can not move towards its abatement
until this modern Doggbery decides the
case, as to who is responsible for the
said pest-breeder. The Globe ventures
to state that there is not a newspaper
in any city in the entire country can
be gotten to absolutely believe this
statement Of facts outside the Wash
ington newspapers, Of course, as they
are cognizant Of the state Of affairs
but for reasons best known 20 their
counting-rOOms, maintain a discreet 81
lence. The idea that nuisance such
as has been described in these columns
should be permitted to continue the
whole of this hot summer and then,
when finally brought into court by the
health ofice postponed for 80 days, is
discOunting on the one hand Shakes
peare's caricature Of justice as person.
lied by the immortal Doggbery, and
on the other stamps the Board Of
Health of Washington as the most in
efficient and imbecile in the whole
United States.
Will even the citizens Of Washington
believe that since last spring a broken
sewer on DR.. Porter's premises, Ninth
and e streets, has been permitted to
continue discharging its contents into
the adjoining cellars to the depth Of
from fifteen inches to tiOO feetP That
those cellars have people living over
them in the rooms above, and that even
census branch office employees have to
work in one OF the buildings so affect
ed? And yet these are facts, as demon
strated in the police court and as has
been called TO the attention Of DR..
Woodland, the health officer Of the
city OF Washington, for the past three
months!
II took the Health Office tt0o months
to move and get the case in the police
court, and the Judge CD Of that dread
tribunal, Kimble by name and shoe
maker by trade, postponed his decision
in the matter 80 days and then left
the city for some mountain or seaside
resort on a YacauOni
Filth--human excrement flows on
the surface of'hali a dozen cellars from
DR.. Porters broken sewer, who is, as
his card published in The Globe shows,
living at present by the sea or lake
side In the Province OF Quebec, Can
ada. his native country, whilo oitisens
OF Washington, hOusehOlders and resi-
dents, are compelled to endure the hor-
rible stencil arising from the nuisance
mentioned DR.. Porter is aware Of the
condition Of his premises, and in writ
ing to a friend, says:
Il put that sewer in thirty years
ago, and II II Is broken II ought to be
repaiPed. / have notified Mr.. Savage,
the tenant on the premises, TO do so.
But DR.. Porter ought to know that
his 3O-year-old sewer needs not repair
ing--as IL is beyond that-but renew
ing. Does he expect Mr.. Savage to
put In a new sewer? After awhile the
landlords of Washington will expect
tenants to erect houses and pay rent
for them. Under the outrageous land
lord and tenant law existing, there
seems to be no way in which an owner
can be prevented from endangering the
public health by maintaing a pest
breeding nuisance such as exists at
Ninth and q streets.
II IS impossible to decenuy print a
description Of this filthy and dangerous
nuisance. That Il is a menace to
health even a coOlie Chinaman instinct
lively knows, and why an educated
physician, acquainted with sanitary
science II not proficient in it, like DR..
Woodard, should permit 1t to exist
one day Is as marvellous as the patience
OF WashingtoniRns In living under
such an irresponsible local government
as at present afhicts the capital city OF
the nation.
DIR. WOOdard knows that he does
not need TO wait on Judge Shoemaker
Kimballs decision to abate a nuisance
dangerous 20 the public health. He has
the authority to proceed at once, and
At any expense, TO suppress a pest
nFaenNWA uMlnlMAH sum 40 AAAAo AHAANA
and X open sewer aftair.
But DR.. Woodland will not even
abate nuisances which even Judge Kim
ball knows nothing about, and has not
poatDoued. The Globe cites the doctor
TO the following facts:
ID. A. gandfOrd, a property holder
and taxpayer has been reporting at the
Roard OF Health a nuisance at 1910 /
street.. near the Postoffce building
Thia nuisance Is OF such a character
That Mr. sandford has been forced Il
put iu a pump in his cellar to pumI
the excrenental fluid and water which
seems In from adjoining premises
There Is a hole In Mr. Sandford's eel
lar over three feet In depth, rooted out
by this duid, and In this hole he has
had erected a pump!
Mr.. sandford spends the greater por
tioo OF his valuable time running Ia
the Health Department and soliciting
The oficials 10 abate this nuisance. In
spectors are occasionally sent to in
sDect the place and report. This Is af
far as DR.. Woodland has gotten to
wards abating the dangerous nuisance
at 1910 d street.
At Ninth and u streets he hides be
hind the pOstponement granted by
Judge Kimball, but at 1910 ID street he
has no such fimsy excuse, hence he
sends an inspector. One OF these IN
spsctOrs was sent there about two
week ago, and he, being a conscien
tiOus man, made a truthful report. I'm
mediate abatement was promised, and
Mr.. SandfOrd, Notwithstanding his ex
perience with the Health Once, took
stock In these assurances. But the OF
dclals are only playing with him. The
nuisance still exists and the pump il
still pumping out In the gutter tne
a,,fa ,,rorau,Ep4 and uyater from fha