Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-21
KEEPS DIRTY STABLE
District Offender Against Its
Own Health Laws.
COMMISSIONER ADMITS 1T
Shocking Conditions Revealed by
Report on Street Cleaning Barn.
HORSES ARE KEPT IN FILTH
Stalls Probably Will Be Torn Out
and Modern Ones Put in
Their Places.

Conditions Of undenied and almost in
conceivable cruelty for the eighty work
horses of the street cleaning department,
and stables so foul and untitled for their
purpose as to be wiped out of existence
were they private affairs, are to be found
at the Districts own establishment in
the alley in the block bounded by 9th,
10th, n and o streets northwest, where
the street cleaning cart and horse outfit
is kept. This statement is vouched for
by Commissioner johnson today, and
made an official record by a report of
health officials, the Districts veterinary.
the superintendent of street cleaning him.
self and others.
1t is called the Every worst stable in
the city," with flies, tons of refuse, and
aggravated and insanitary conditions un-
bounded. Commissioner Johnson, a low
er OF horses. and an expert in theiy
care. has started matters on their way
which the Commissioners believe will re-
suit in an item being retained in the
coming appropriation bill that will
result in a new stable, or SO thorough a
renovation as to be a complete revolu-
ton.
Its no fit place for horses" is what
Commissioner Johnston thinks of the sta
BILE, and, while he says the men in charge
are doing the very best they can under
present conditions, the next thing to do
is to point out to the District committees
just what a nasty situation exists and
ask their help.
Wants Thorough Cleaning Out.
Commissioner Johnston lapsed into his
army cavalry days today when Star
reporter asked him about the report
which a special committee of experts had
made on the stables.
Il asked for a detailed report" said ne,
because / think we want a thorough
cleaning-out up there, and the matter
should be properly presented to Congress.
A horse, you know, is big-lunged ami
a big area for his food. When he Is
cramped into dark, wet, smelly stable,
with absolutely no ventilation except by
the doorways. then the lungs suffer. I've
been up there several times and had the
place cleaned out, SO it's better now than
1t was when / saw 1t first.
LAS far as possible now" said the Com
missioner, still talking cavalry talk, 'the
place Is run in true quartermaster style.
The quartermaster, you know, has charge
OF the horses. wouldn't have it thought.
however, that the man in charge is to
blame for the conditions, not that Con-
gress has been stingy with money for
the stable. The place was built wrong in
the first instance
Just how bad the conditions at he
ports of the experts who looked the place
over. Says DR.. H. F. Sawtelle, assistant
health ofiicer:
Worst in the District.
"This stable, without exception, is the
worst I have inspected in the District
Of Columbia, and would not be tolerated
II occupied by a private concern
There are no facilities for drainage in
this stable and in consequence the rotten
old floors have muck beneath them to a
depth which reaches three feet in some
places. This muck oozes up between the
cracks in the aisles between the stalls
DIR. Sawtelle says this ooze is a grand
breeding place for flies and is a menace
to health.
There is practically no ventilation
when the inspection was made, the sta
BILE odor was pronounced"
Practically half the stalls receive no
daylight, and gas Is burned there in
the daytime.
The report from DR.. c. B. Robinson,
District veterinarian, bears out fully
the report Of the health inspector He
says that the muck beneath the floor
is a grand breeding place for all sorts
of bacteria, and in particular the germ
which causes tetanus. OR lockjaw, ex-
tremely fatal to horse& The wood
work. which is rotten and dilapidated
in many places, is another germ-in
tested field. according to the veteriha-
rian, and because the natural disinfec-
tants, light and air. do not reach the
horse contracts disease Of the respi-
ratory organs the animal has to DE
taken away from this pest hole i'm
mediately.
Cruel to the Horses.
1.-THE lack of proper ventilation" says
Dr. Robinson, "makes conditions incon-
ceivably cruel during the hot summer
months. Horses are worked on hot days
until they are heated through and
through and then brought to this place
to be stabbed. They are left in the al
leys as long as possible. but even then
they are put away hot. They are nc
sooner in the hot. unventilated stable
until they begin to sweat and steam, and
man walking Gown the aisle on warm
night can scarcely breathe, owing to the
heat and strong odors.'
After the health inspectors and the
veterinarians had shot at the stable, AS
sistant Building Inspector John P. Hsaly
had few words to say, principally to
the effect that the building ought to be
torn down. The walls, he says, are In
generally poor shape. The north wall
has bulged out of line three inches in
one place.
The east wall is out Of plumb. too.
Orders and anchors have been put in
where the weaknesses occurred. The
first floor is laid on the earth and the
foul seepage is rotting the woodwork
The second floor is sagged. The ca
pacity of the second floor is only seventy
three pounds to the square foot, which is.
according to the report. much less than
the safe loading capacity required under
the building regulations
Eighty Stalls in Building.
There are eighty stalls in the building.
If the Commissioners get their wish they
will all be rebuilt and instead OF the
present sea of muck a heavy layer of
concrete will be placed on the ground.
The committee which made the report
to Commissioner Johnston is composed
of Assistant Health Officer Sawtelle, AS
sistant Inspector of Buildings John +.
Healy, Superintendent Wood of the
street cleaning department, and Snowden
Ashford, municipal architect. DIR. Rob-
inson made a separate report.
CHARLES D. HILL DEAD.