Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-16
CLEANING UP MANILA
HOW EPIDEMICs WERE PREVENT
ED FROM SPREADING.
Americanizing the Metropolis of the
Philippines-Holding Down
the Plague.

From the New York Tribune.
The Americanizing of Manila has been a
revelation to the F'ilipinos. Never did city
need cleaning worse, and no city was eve:
cleaned more thoroughly. Between Amerl-
can doctors anxious to prevent an epidemic
of plague American sanitary commission
ers who eliminated open sewers and Amer
lean road builders eager for good highways
between these and others, Manila has
been turned upside down.
1t was a city of sckening smells The
sewers in many parts ran in the center OF a
narrow street, and refuse from the houses
on either side was emptied into them. The
smell from the bitches was a monstrous
thing but it was handy and cheap having
the drain there, and the native does not
mind smell. Some of them even protested
against any change. The idea that smell
was unhealthy, that it might bring the
dread cholera never entering their heads
Paving the Streets.
They were satisfied with the miserable
old paving which made some streets al
most impossible. The department of pub
lie works now employs nearly 1000 officers,
mechanics and laborers. They have wild
ened some streets, raised others by filling
in heavy stone and now they at work
on system of parks, of which Manila
was sadly in need Indeed, the lack of
open air spaces, Fairgrounds for ola and
young, was causing no little anxiety. The
natives take readily to games, but until
recently they have had no encouragement.
There are hundreds of clerks and under
officials in the government service who
lave little to do with their spare time, and
who have been crying for parks.
The field in front of the Luneta is being
converted into an open recreation ground
Games of all sorts will be permitted and
there Will be a children's playground
modelled after those in this city. city
park laid out with broad drives and walks
an aviary and a geological reserve are
added attractions
With the plague always present at Hons
Kong it, is not strange that it should stalk
the 600 miles to Manila 1t was discovered
in the last week of the year 1899, and in
creased steadily until 1901, when the num-
Der of cases was 432. Then the fight began
in earnest
Catching Rats.
To the rats was laid the blame of spread
ing the disease Hundreds of traps and
many pounds of poison of various sorts
were distributed to the people. A reward
was paid for every rat killed. Some G0,000
were tagged and sent to the government
laboratory for meteorological examination.
OF the 10000 examined with the microscope,
go were found infected with plague. The
houses from which the infected rats came
were treated Just as were those where the
disease attacked human occupants. During;
one month, according to Dean A. c. Wor-
cesters report, 65,379 traps were set and
400, 7S9 plates of poison placed by the rat
catching squad. Many houses which were
hopelessly insanitary were burned during;
the plague clean UP and the cholera scare
which followed it. In each case the owner
remunerated. Many of the market
places were abandoned by order of the au-
thorities until they could be rebuilt
AS a result the spread of both epidemics
was prevented and the general health great
ly improved. The natives wonder at all
this activity, and, feeling secure in the pos
session of their charms against disease
grumble a great deal al the disturbance of
the house and the city cleaning.