Evening star., 1914-10-18

smallpox hospital, the quarantine build
ing. the crematorium for the reduction
of unclaimed bodies of friendless men.
women and children. the numerous
buildings of the Washington Asylum
Hospital, stables of the Jail and hospi-
tai, the disinfecting plant, cottages
of the superintendent and assistant
superintendent and the grim and ten
antless buildings that were the work
house for men. the workhouse for
women and the Old Mems Home.
There is Il large, sad field in the
northeast corner of the reservation
where rest acres of mems bones. 1t
was potter's field until the building OF
the crematorium, and in spite of the
demand of the medical colleges OF
Washington, an average of 200 poor
things that had been men and women
were each year, for many years lald
away in this field where the only flow
ers that grow are the blue blossoms
of the chicory and white asters.
The agitation for the removal OF the
several institutions long located on
this reservation has been under way
and gathering force for a good many
wears. The reasons for this agitation
are manifold. The reason which per-
haps should be given greatest weight
was the growth of sentiment, or un-
derstanding, that certain classes OF
prisoners should be given work in the
open rather than being confined in idle
ness. Another important reason was
that facilities for ministering to the
helpless INDECENT could be improved by
removing the almshouse to some site
in the country adjacent to Washington.
Then new conceptions in the care
%,,J~
led to the establishment of a properly
equipped municipal sanatorium in an
other locality and away from prisoners,
paupers and other destitute sick. The
workhouse has been removed to extern
sive wood and farm lands on Occoquan
creek; the poorhouse, or ASYLUM, has
been removed to those broad lands call
ed Blue Plains, opposite Alexandria, at
the mouth of Oxon run; the tubercu-
losis hospital has been removed, and an
appropriation has been made for the
purchase of a site for new municipal
hospital, to be the successor to the
present Washington Asylum Hospital.
The jail comes under criticism as be-
ing mainly a place for the detention OF
prisoners awaiting trial or under trial
for which uses, it has been said by
those persons advocating it's removal
it is inconveniently situated and eX-
pensive to administer. Such nalefac-
tors as are confined there for the term
Of their sentence could be provided for
at the District reformatory, for the site
of which the tract called Belvoir was
bought; but it's proximity to Mount
Vernon aroused such patriotic protest
that the establishment of the reforma-
tory there was prohibited, and such a
penal institution has not yet been Gre
ated, though no doubt it soon will be.
The present provision for smallpox
patients and smallpox suspects has
come under criticism by the medical
fraternity and the laity as crude, un-
satisfactory and otherwise out of har-
mony with enlightened practices. The
removal of these places, it is said by
men who have considered the matter,
might be effected without trouble or
without outcry from any other section
of the District. With the recla nation
and parking of the Eastern branch
marshes the present site of the small
pox hospital and the detention quarters