Evening star., 1928-10-07

When the United States Governm
| took over the work of completing l.
Washington ment by iegisIatica
Monument enacted little nor
MAUI than half centurr
ago, this city awaited with keen int
est the beginning of operations by Cc
Thomas Lincoln Casey OF the Arr
| Engineer Corps. In The Star Of Se1
tember 80, 1878, is the following par
graph on the subject:
"Col. Casey today began to prepare
for work on the Washington Monu-
ment. He is making arrangements to
secure materials for the work and tools
with which to do 1t, put up sheds for
the workmen, etc. AS soon as he COM
| pletes his arrangements, in which h
| will make all the haste possible, nen
will be put to work. 1t will not be lone
now before workmen will be activelv
employed. They will be kept at it unti'
the $4,000 for strengthening the foun-
datton Is exhausted. then the work on
superstructure will be commenced. L
Is thought that before the season for
labor closes the $4,000 will be expend-
ed and some headway made on tn
Monument-at least all will be read,
for operations early next Spring. with
nolsting machine in position, etc. Tho
f1rst work really to be done is to extern
oy concrete the base of the Monument
ABOUT IL feet 4 inches farther down.
ward and on each side about 90 feet
oeep outward. The Monument is nov,
2 feet, inches in the ground. Ths
base VIII not be dug completely under.
only about lS feet under all four sides
of the bottom" N'
With yellow fever prevailing in the
Soutn there was some apprehension in
Nn;soro.e washington lest the
~ VI bad conditions in the
River Flats flats south and west
Of the city might give
rise to its development here. This led to
a discussion of the question of the treat.
ment OF the flats. A correspondent of
Tne Star, whose letter is printed in the !,
issue OF October 2, 1878, wrote:
From the published statements made
OF the present condition of our river !
front, exaggerated rumors have gone
abroad prejudicial to the traditional
healthfulnesS Of Washington which, as r
they are unfounded, should be corrected. {
AS evidence Of such rumors, I have been
Informed that inquiries have been made
OF some OF our physicians, by citizens
yet sojourning in the mountains and
watering places, whether it would be /,
safe for them and their families to re- +.
turn, thus intimating q fear of the
prevalence or OF the probability of an
epidemic. So far from there being anv
grounds for such fear, however the
health OF our city never was better
AT the same time 1t must be ac-
knowledged that the condition of our ,
river front Is anything but desirable
Wnlie the nuisance occasioned by the
accumulation of effete matter on the
nats Is of such q nature as to demand
immediate and prompt measures for its
abatement. The nuisance has not been ,
exaggerated. and is of such a Character :
as 10 awaken the greatest apprehensions
Tor It's consequences upon the health of
the city. The material excavated from
the Georgetown Channel by dredging
instead OF being deposited upon the fiats
and thus covering over the accumulated
euete matter which forms the nuisanre
complained OF. Is actually deposited q
Ine moutn OF the Washington Channel
~ may nardly seem credible that
after Congress has made an annronria7
ton for the dredging Of our Washinrton
Cnannel, the authorities should pursue
sucn course when the result must
prove no less injurious to the Commerce
OF the city than to the health of our
people. But such Is the fact. The Com
missioners informed our health officers
when informing them of the existence
OF the nuisance and praying for its re-
moVal, that they had no jurisdiction in
the matter. and that redress must be .
Sougnt IN congressional legislation This
may be true. But certainly there should
De authority somewhere to prevent the ;,
aggravation and perpetuation Of the
nuisance as well as to prevent the filling
up OF the already insufficient channel
OF approach to our wharves."