Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-11
COMPLAINS OF POND
Citizen Says Government
Lacks in Sanitation.
SURPRISING OFFENDER"
Objects to Pumping of Sewage Onto
the Potomac Flats.
WHAT HEALTH OFFICER SAYS
Officer in Charge of Public Build
ings and Grounds Gives
Views on Subject
SURPRISING OFFENDER"
WHAT HEALTH OFFICER SAYS

Mr. Eric Blger has written To The Star
expressing his rinion as To the value OF
the present sanitary crusade The wors:
onender i'm this great city. Mr.. Biger
says, is not the lunchroom nor the hotel
nor the bakery. hut the United States gov
eminent. Mr. bigger declares that the
government. i'm permitting to exist a poll
iuted pond on Water street. near 18TH
street, Is surprising offender
After reviewing i'm general the various
phases OF the crusade. Mr.. Bilger says:
While the percentage of complaints
nave been decidedly small, there is no
doubt that the inspection has had very
benehciai influence. Old crockery is now
thing OF the past, carpenters have been
kept busy making screens, supplies OF
soaps have been exhausted and general
conditions for the promotion of health
vastly improved.
But certainly these officials cannot he
wrong. and the dirty, filthy. Shiny and
polluted pond found on Water street east
OF 10Th street, caused by the constant
pumping of the sewage emptying into
the Potomac river from several large
mains at his point into the fats for the
past six weeks or more. is no doubt in
tended for Washington's new health re-
sort
At the Worst Season.
why this work had 10 he done at the
worst season of the year is not known.
but probably our wise and learned officials
can enlighten the sufferers. The odor Of
stagnant water is never pleasant. and as
health destroyer is never effective
as at he present time. And to think that
these conditions exist within a few hum
dred feet of the Government Hygienic
Hospital. where the best hygienic appli-
ances known to medical science have been
Installed for the relief r3fienfS
amazing. IL there were no other rea-
sons this one alone should suffice for the
removal of the obnoxious cesspool.
when one rests in the Office of one of
the large business establishments i'm this
vicinity he is kept busy massacring num-
berless mosquitoes, which every one
knows to be typhoid's gallant chiefs. LII
this section of Washington does not re-
port record-breaking number of typhoid
patients it will be no fault of ignorance
somewhere.
why Washington's beautiful driveway
the speedway-should present such an
unsightly spectacle as scurvy, green, stag
nant water. and why a mosquito incubator
should be operated under government SUI
pervision, is beyond comprehension.
Before making such ostentatious dis
play for public health the District had
better clean its skirts before the next
crusade"
What Health Officer Says.
In view of the fact that the alleged nui-
sance complained of is located on a gov.
eminent reservation, the local health au-
thorities have no jurisdiction over IT.
1T is a matter for Col. Bromwell, super
intendent of public buildings and grounds,
to act on Dr. w. c. Woodward. District
health officer. said today when asked why
the pool was permitted TO stand and
whether or not it might be considered
menace to public health. None of the
health ordinances in the District apply to
government property unless the ordinance
is In the form OF an act of Congress, and
1t SO happens that the existence OF the
nuisance in question is not covered by any
act, SO We have no say about II.
Il have seen the place complained of.
DIR. Woodward continued, and at that
time no odors emanated from the pool.
and / am of the belief that very little IL
any. sewage is finding its way into the
water at that point. That water Is breed
ing place for mosquitoes, 1 readily agree.
but the writer is wrong about mosquitoes
being the carriers OF typhoid fever. Medi-
cal science has proved that such is not
possible. although / am of the belief
that these insects are the natural mala-
rial fever carriers. / do not believe many
mosquitoes are propagated at the pool be-
cause. as 1 am informed, the water is
changed every four or five days. Sciences
teaches us that it takes five days for a
mosquito to propagate"
Although he did not say so in words DIR.
woodward evidently does not approve or
the existence of the pool In question and
Is of the opinion that the federal authori-
ties could have abandoned until colder
weather the work which has resulted in
the pool. Then there would have been
little chance for the breeding OF mosqui-
toes.
The complaint made TO the health Office
has been referred to the officer in charge
Of the public buildings and grounds.
Col. Bromwell Gives Views.
Col. Cromwell this afternoon said he has
received no complaint TO stagnant
ponds i'm the neighborhood of 18th and
Water streets. The drainage i'm the fats.
he remarked. is i'm progress. and when
the mud is pumped from tie river about
a foot of water is deposited over the area.
This water is free from sewage.
The contract for the dredging accord
ing to Col. Bromwell. will be finished in
about a month and the water will evap-
crate within three or four months The
elevation above the river is now about
sixteen feet and Col. Bromwell points to
the fact that there will he such a great
improvement that Washington people
should gladly put up with the watery
waste for several months longer i'm view
of the improvement to result