The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-10
AFFAIRS Oh THE DISTRICT
4 Citizen Complains of the System
for Removing Ashes.

The Drivers Charged With Discriuli-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. for the Removal
Of small Dead Fish From the
River-The Flushing of Hydrants.
Z. J Earle. Of l2e9 II Street northwest. /
has addressed the Commissioners, com
planning of the new method for collecting
and removing ashes He states that he
realizes the present contractor has the
law on his side. iaasrluch as II requires
citizens to provide cans, which the poorer
classes are unable to buy He says that
even those who have bought cans find in
the end that it costs more to get rid OF
their ashes than it used to do in the days
when the citizens had TO depend on the
Tickety ash wagons
MI Earle states that he has provided
himself with the regulation ash can but
he says that when the ash man comes
around he sorts the contents over ana
takes away what he pleaseS, leaving all
such trash as old shoes, tin cans, etc
behind On one occasion Mr. Earle
states. the ash man told his servant that
he would take the paper away if sacks
were furnished TO put it in He says that
the sacks were not furnished and that the
hiring of q man to remove it M Earle
also says that one of his neighbors has
his ashes removed from a barrel, but that
another was refused when he asked. the
same ash man to take ashes from bar
rel MI Earle says he is satisfied that
by paving these drivers cents extra It
is possible to use the barrel. He informs
the Commissioners that he is able TO cite
fifty instances where the insolence ana
abuse Of these drivers have driven people
back to the old method Of dis2osinG OF
ashes. He says that he watched the col
Iector Of ashes for three blocks, and that
there were only two houses WheFe liieLe
were proper cans provided
Mt Earle commends the method Of col
Letting garbage. He says that it is the
very hest system he knows Of in any city
of the United States. and he expresses
the hope that the Commissioners may
find 4 way to establish an equally EN-
Gent and satisfactory mode of collecting
ashes. He does not believe the house
holder is going to put hot ashes IN
wooden boxes and burn down her nome
now any more than she did before the
new ash man came with his gorgeous biue
wagon
George W. Petty. Chief Engineer Of the
Alexandria Fire Department, called upon
Washington Fire Department. today to
request the temporary use Of one Of the
reserve engines Chief Petty stated that
the Alexandria engines had suddenly got
ten out of repair and that the city had
no engine TO use until The boilers could
be put in condition.
Chief DutJOn LAID the matter before
the Commissioners and II was decided
that the request could be granted Ac-
cOrdiRgly reserve engine No was de-
Ii . An. gTr-E
subject to the demand Of the Washington
department This action IS in the nature
OF d return courtesy to Alexandria for
assistance rendered by that city to Wash
ington IL the the past notably at the
time of the burning OF the Patent Office,
when engines were sent from Alexandra
to aid the local firemen.
1t the instance Of Mr. Dutton, the Com
rnissioners have ordered the purchase oil
twelve Miller fire masks for the use OF
the department These masks were tested
at Truckhouse a and Engine House No
Il They were found almost proof agains
smoke While wearing them the fremeI
could go into q room fun Of smoke ant
remain there for q considerable tim
breathing regularly
same as a baseball mask does BefOT
the eyes is q piece Of isinglass which ena
bles the firemen to see clearly Air /
the smoke, and with the mask on II vii
be possible TO enter cellars or close
rooms to locate the fire OF TO save person
overcome by smoke These masks are u
use in the fire departmentS Of New York
Boston, Baltimore, Buffalo, and othe
cities.
DR.. William c. Woodward. the HeaIt
Officer, has sent 10 the Commissioners
report made TO him by r W. Whitake1
e sanitary inspector, relative 70 the cox
dition of the river in the vicinity of IN
Office Of the Harbormaster. 8Ir. Whit
aker says that many small dead fish ar
found floating on the surface of the va
ter, and that when the tide recedes theS
fish remain among the driftwood and COZ
stitute a nuisance which threatens II
health Of occupants OF buildings in II
vicinity Mr.. Whitaker informs n
Health Officer that he IS unable to detel
mise where the fish came from, but thu
he IS Of the opinion that they drift frol
the FISH wharf or from small boats u
loading near the wharf
The Health Officer, in forward3n
the report to the Commissioner
recommends that his departmeI
be authorized to employ a IabO
ct at $50 per diem. payable fro
the emergency fund TO remove the dec
FISH from the river so as TO prevent Il
spread OF this nuisance The Comma
siOners have approved this recommend
ton.
Complaint has reached the Commission
eTs Of the noise caused by the flushing {
fire hydrants at unreasonable hours
the morning 4 citizen residing on Flor
da Avenue informs the Board that on
certain morning about the break Of da
some misguided person turned on the fl
plug at the corner Of Sixth Street al
Florida Avenue northwest. and let Il
water run with the noise Of catara
for fifteen minutes. He declares that 4
noise was sufficient tc awaken everybo,
in the blocks on both sides Of the cornt
The complainant asks whether a mo
seasonable hour for this work cannot
agreed upon
Capt Chester Harding. Assistant to t
Engineer Commissioner. in reporting up
the matter states that the occasion
flushing Of the fire hydrants IS necessaT
and that II has been the practice Of Il
department TO do this work at nigh
when traffic on the streets Is at.thc mi
4 hKNOGKER.
Found on Many Tables.
TD-1=le Mill s-gG-r.rr -1..-.---r---..