Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-05
CALLED DEATH LAKE
STAGNANT POOL REFERRED TO
BY LOYAL CITIZENS.
Meeting Of East End Suburbanites
Held Last Night-Interest-
ing Discussions.

There is stagnant, foul-smelling pool
In Northeast Washington which has been
christened Death Lake" The christen-
Ing took place last night at a meeting of
the East End Suburban Citizens Associa-
ton, which was held at the establishment
of Mr.. Charles r. Talbert, 1896 H street
northeast. Indignation was written on
the countenances of all the members as
they discussed Death Lake" in all its
foulness and when the failure of the Dis
trict authorities to remedy the evil was
referred to the suburbanites said things
and the assemblage became an indignation
meeting.
The speeding of automobiles over the
Bladensburg pike and Benning road also
came in for several hard raps, and the
association elected it's officers to serve dur
ing the ensuing term of 1866.
The meeting was called to order by Mr..
William H. Ernest, president of the East
End Suburban Citizens Association, the
sound of the falling gavel interrupting
several groups of members who were Sit
ting about discussing the Nan Patterson
case the brilliant success of the National
base ball team and the Chicago strike.
The first business in order was the report
chairman, Mr.. Robert Bowdler He called
attention to the awful condition" OF
Death lake, which was described as a
stagnant. ill-smelling pool, at 18th and H
streets northeast, in the brickyard prop
erty. Mr.. Bowdler said the lake of death
was in terrible condition, and that fierce
odors' filled the atmosphere for a long dis
lance to the windward of the pool.
Should a heavy rain come, added Mr..
Bowdler 1.-The conditions will be awful. AS
it is it is a constant menace, not only TO
Northeast Washington, but to the entire
city, and there is a possibility of a spread
of pestilence. To leave the lake in its
present condition is almost criminal neg
lect 1t is liable to create any sort of dis
ease and carry it throughout the District
The odoriferous, scum-coated water is filled
with debris of all kinds.
Floating Mattresses.
YES" said a member, II counted twelve
old decaying mattresses floating about on
its surface. These in themselves are
enough to spread contagton."
Mr. J. NJ Burns declared that the re-
sponsibility rested the District gov
eminent. He said the cost of remedying
the evil would not be great The District
dumps it's own refuse in the pool.
Mr.. Charles R. Talbert said the District
authorities had a man at the lake yesterday
trying to locate the manhole.
THE trouble said Mr.. Talbert, is at
the mouth of the sewer, where there IS
wire netting covering the outlet. This mas
been stopped up by the debris. The stencil
from the place is simply awful"
1--WE will all have TO move away from
here" exclaimed member, "unless some
thing is promptly done about this mat
ter. We do not want our families to die
like plague-inf1cted sheep"
Another member said the health office
had taken this matter up, as the associa-
ton had called attention to It, health
;,cy hnd or
twelve years experience as such he had
never seen a worse place than Death lake
The health office had about exhausted all
its resources, and finally the matter had
been taken from that branch of the Dis
trict government and referred to the street
cleaning department. The latter depart
ment, he added, has much to contend with.
1t receives hundreds of complaints every
day.
Work of Health Office.
'I do not see,'' he continued, "how the
street cleaning department can take over
the work of the health office. The pond is
a disgrace to the District, and the rank
odors can be smelled half mile away.
People living on Bladensburg road cannot
eat their meals for the stencil when 1t Is
waited In their direction by the winds. l
have seen ladies passing along that road
holding handkerchiefs to their noses. We
would be glad If the District authorities
could pick up the foul pond bodily and
carry it away. Every woman in this neigh
borhood should write her protest to the
Commissioners. We hope The Evening
Star will take up this matter and help US
to get relief"
Another member declared that the odors
arising from the lake, with Its covering of
were waited from Patsy Mann's old bone
yard and horse heaven on the Potomac,
below Giesboro point, which formerly spread
dismay and nausea among excursionists
passing to and fro on the river steamers.
The conditions now are awful" declared
a suburbanite; but we have not got the
worst of it yet. When the hot weather
comes the odoriferous lake will depopulate
this end of Washington
Reference was made to several drownings
that have occurred in Death lake. and
which gave added force to it's cognomen
general discussion Of the matter fol-
lowed,
1--WE once had President of the United
States declared a member, "and his
name was Grover Cleveland. He used the
expression 1t is condition and not a
theory that confronts US This applies to
the matter We have been discussing This
lake is the filthiest foulest. disease-breed-
ing ana most stagnant body of water we
have ever had to contend with. Whatever
the cost to the District, it should be abated
at once l believe the building of a Golfer
dam would solve the problem. If some
steps are not taken typhoid fever or some
other disease will become epidemic"
Il do not believe" said Mr.. Sowder. .'that
the District Commissioners know what sort
of a pond this is, or they would have the
matter remedied They have an emergency
fund for just such cases as this
Committee Appointed.
On motion committee of six was ap-
pointed to wait on the Commissioners to-
day and urge that prompt steps be taken
In the matter of cleaning, draining and
disinfecting Death lake. The committee
consists of Messrs. Bowdler, Burns, Tai
bert, Sowder, Kane. Rupert and Dittoe.
The annual election of officers was held
and resulted as follows: President William
II. Ernest vice presidents, Hugh Kane, j.
M. Burns, Charles r. Talbert, j. A. Run
pert and Amos Sowder; secretary, j. M
Wood, reelected for the eleventh time:
treasurer. II. ID. Dittoe: sergeant at -arms