The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-01-11
CONNECTICUT CO..
CARS FILTHY, is
DUNBAR'S CLAIM
Health inspectors, Without
Uniforms, Steal Into Cor
poration's Barns
FIND SHOCKINGLY
POOR CONDITIONS
Give Officials One Week In
Which to Make Them
More Sanitary

Dust-laden. filthy and unquestion-
ably insanitary, are the trolley cars
running on the lines of the Connecti-
cut Co., in. the streets of this city, ,ac-
cording to a report. made public today
by G. Howard Dunb..r,s clerk of the
board of health.
Every car running through the
streets of Bridgeport must be thor
oughIy cleansed by scru ing, busted
in proper manner ana be able to
pass inspection of the board of health
one week from today, otherwise they
will be removed from the streets of
the city by order IF the board and
prosecution will follow, according to
Dunbar.
Dressed in civilian attire, the three
sanitary health inspectors, Dunbar,
Louis J. Hilzsinger and Michael j.
Toomey, visited the car barns on Con-
gress street at 4 o'clock this morning,
unknown even to the night watchmen'
at the barns. The three inspectors
passed unnnoticed into the car barns
and in an hour had inspected 110 cars
before their presence was known to
the dispatcher.
OUT of the 10 cars inspected, Clerk
Dunbar reports finding but two cars
that would pass muster. Hanging
strap wooden supporters were dust
laden with dirt, foul smells perneated
the cars, tobacco Juice is reported as
being visible on the platforms OF the
cars and the interior of one car was
found in a deplorab1e condition.
Clerk Dunbar says that the officials
of the Connecticut CO. were notified to
clean the cars a week ago and to see
if the order had ben complied with,
the inspectors made the early morn
ing raid on the car barns.
The number of every car was taken
by the inspectors and it was found
that cars No. 1o2 and 108 1ettered
New York & Stamford were the
most insanitary of all. Several of the
newly purchased cars were also said
to be covered with dust.
At the next meeting of the board of
health, a set of sanitary rules to be
complied with by the officials of the
traetion company will be drawn up
and a copy of them will be forwarded
to the superintendent.
The two green cars on the EDanbury
&, Bridgeport trolley line were in
disgracefu1 condition, according to
Clerk Dunbar. These two cars are
stored in the barns of the Connec-
tieut Co, but it is said that they are
not cared for as they should be ac-
cording to the contract drawn up be-
tween the two companies.
No car cleaners were visible upon
the raid of the inspectors and only
four men are employed as cleaners.
Officials of the company say that they
are unable, to procure sufficient help
to clean the cars but employees of the
company say that sufficient wages and
treatment are not afforded the en-
p1oyes and there is no incentive for
them to hold their jobs.
Superintendent Charles H. Chapman
pleaded ignorance of the raid made
by the Health Inspectors. He said
that he could not even say whether or
not the trolley cars were sanitary and
until such time as he could make an
investigation he would not discuss the
matter.
Clerk, Dunbar filed his report with
the Health commissioners today and
the matter will be held in allegiance
for one week when the inspectors will
again visit the car barns and see if
the-order of the board has been COM
Piled with. If not, prosecution of the
officials of the Connecticut company
will follow according to officials of the
Health department.
Clerk Dunbar said that the jitney
cars were also taking on an insanitary
appearance and several of them will
be notified to clean up today. {
One lunch wagon on Main street
and another in East Bridgeport were
closed by order of the board of Health
this morning. These places have no
sewer connection and for this reason
they are rated as being insanitary.