The Washington times., 1901-08-24
INFESTED BY HUGE RATS.
The Census Building Swarms With
Rodents From a Sewer.

officials Somewhat Alarmed ut the
Incnrsioas of These oaadrupeds-
Traps Tried In ynin-A Resort to
Wire Netting Thought Neeesxary.
Hungry rats from Tfber Creek sewer In
search of food left by the hundreds of
clerks in the Census Office. are daily IN
vadng that building after o'clock. when
the employees have gone home. and the
ofnciais OF the bureau are endeavoring to
Keep the facts to themselves, in order that
no rics may occur when the truth becomes
known to the timid feminine clerks
Inc oHcfais of the Office are puzxling
their wits to devise ways and means for
the exclusion of the rodents and st-es-
uous warfare Is soon to be made on the
quadruped army. The plan proposed will
include tie barricade with wire netting.
of the entire building, and the unfortunate
rats will be Obliged to so back into the
big sewer in search of food. as soon as
the scheme has been put into operation
A new consignment Of traps was received
yesterday. The Census Office au.hori-
ties. however. are not inclined to place
much reliance in traps. and wire netting
viii be used instead to keep the pests
from the building.
The Census Office officials are endeavor-
ing to hush the matter up. and they de-
clare that there are no more rats in their
office sft>n in any Of the other depart
ments. The rodents are getting holder
each day. and the fact that the building
is infested with the yermin cannot be
kept quiet much longer. Lively times are
expected in the building where statistics
49,
beneath the feet Of the hundreds of wom-
en- employees a multitude of rats are run
ming nimhiy about over the rafters In the
cellar, waiting for the clerks to depart
On several occasions large black rats have
had the temerity to come out among the
clerks while the work of the Office wa.
going on. During the last week several
such instances have occurred. and many
of the clerks cast anxious glances In the
corners now when they have occasion to
move about A few days ago three rats
made a simultaneous appearance in as
many different portions of the building.
and created a momentary panic among
the girls. Mice are bad enough. but the
huge black rodents of Tiber Creek sewer.
over which the Census Office is built.
strike terror to the heart of the average
female census clerk whenever they ap-
pear.
The eyes of head clerks and division
superintendent are constantly upon the
women employed in the building, and the
officials are on the alert to prevent panic
should the rats take 1t into their heads
to invade the building in large numbers
while the Office is filled with its immense
number of employees.
Heretofore the rats have observed
certain decorum In the matter They have
SO far, with few exceptions. when rash
and famished rats have appeared look
ing for food during working hours, re-
Trained from paying their calls except
after 4 o'clock. They have been well
trained. apparently. by the old and con-
sentative members of the rat family.
When the bell rings at O'Clock, how
ever. and the clerks begin to leave the
building. the rats poke their noses
through the cracks. and eye the waste
baskets flied with crumbs, and the last
employee is scarcely on the sidewalk out
side before the building is taken posses
sion of by the hungry rodents What
goes on after nightfan in the big build
ing can only be imagined. One of the
sweeps said today that every morning
from six to eight rats are prisoners in
the traps.
When come down to the building at
5 o'clock in the morning, said the sweep
yesterday, the rats are thick in the cor
riders. They run around with perfect
freedom, and are bold and fierce. There
are lots Of them in the building
The acting chief clerk. Mr.: Fowle,
verified the statement that rats infest
the Census Office in large numbers. They
have caused him considerable annoyance.
and everything possible has been done 10
get rid of them but without success. He
hoped. he said. TO be able to keep the
lr--Is 30 irfe TOD
rats from the knowledge of the clerks.
and especially from the young women
I'VE have tried traps without avail.
said MFR. Fowle yesterday. Al nrst the
after a " hiIe the animals became wise, and
now it is rare for them to be caught
They have learned to keep away from the
cages Various kinds of traps have been
tried. and none of them can entice the
rats any more. They gain access to the
building from the cellar. They jump
from the ground to the spaces between
the rafters and then crawl up over the
flooring and through the wainscotinG
into the building The wainscotes have
been lowered and the spaces through
which the rats are believed to nave en-
tered the building narrowed. but they
to come. If necessary We VIII
place wire netting between all the rafters
of the cellar, and l believe that will ef-
fectually shut them out Traps seem to
be Of no avail.
Joseph Fletcher, formerly an inspector
of public works under Governor Shep-
herd, who had charge years ago OF the
building of the Tiber Creek sewer, said
Yesterday that even in those days the big
sewer was infested with mammoth rats
of fierce variety. The Census Office Is
built Immediately over Tiber Greek sewer,
and ii is believed that the rats which In
fest the building come from there
Some methods viii undoubtedly be
taken to break up the rat pest. and IN the
meantime the feminine clerks. it is hoped
by the officials. will not become alarmed