The official record of the State Board of Health of Massachusetts : together with a phonographic report of the evidence and arguments at the hearing / by George C. Burpee and W.O. Robson.

  • Tyler, John M.
Date:
1874
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The official record of the State Board of Health of Massachusetts : together with a phonographic report of the evidence and arguments at the hearing / by George C. Burpee and W.O. Robson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    these different localities? A. We went to Canal Street, Prison Point, and the places all aronnd us. I went myself, and went with others. Q. Whether yon fpund the same odor emitting from them as from others'? A. I think the odor from the filling at Craigie's Bridge and from the Milldam, or Canal Basin, so called, in Charlestown,' is entirely distinct in its character. At any rate, it is to my senses. Q. Which way did the wind come from 1 A. Southerly, southwesterly, and westerly. Q. Can you tell us how far these odors from the filling up and garbage extended 'I How far from the place itself? A. I should say apparently a short distance, sir. Testimony of Hon. W. H. Kent. Q. (l)y Mr. Mclntire). You have been Mayor of Charlestown 1 A. Yes, sir. Q. For three years'^ A. In 1870, 1871, and 1872. Q. I will ask you, Mr. Mayor, whether you are familiar with the odors of filling at Prison Point, Canal Street, and the general sewer. A. I think, sir, I may modestly say I am familiar with all the odors that have prevailed in Charlestown for the last two or three years. Q. Do you distinguish a distinct odor from those which I have named, in Charlestown 1 A. Yes, sir. Q. Will you describe that or those odors 1 A. The odor which has been experienced at night, which I have personally experienced, and which has been complained of to me officially, is entirely distinct in its character from the smell of sewers, or the smell of filling, or the smell of the Canal Street Basin. There was undoubtedly a great deal of odor from the stuff that was carted in at Craigie's Bridge. I stopped a great deal of this filling through the city of Charlestown. Some of it was quite offensive. But the odor from that was certainly not the odor which we complained of nights in our house, not to my sense, at any rate. Q. I understand that you have never been able distinctly to trace these odors % A. 1 never got to that point, sir, because I went out of office before I succeeded in doing so. I took pretty vigorous measures to do so. Dr. Derby. I should like to know, Mr. Kent, how far you proceeded in the way of tracing the source of these odors that you perceived at night % A. Well, sir, the City Marshal of Charlestown, or the Chief of Police (Mr. Swift), by my direction went over there with different men. The Chairman. Where ] A. To East Cambridge, and tried to look up this smell from which we had been suffering. But as the general result of his investigation at the time of my going out of office, I should say that from his reports to me, that, upon arriving at that territory this particular smell was lost in the general odor of the whole territory, and was, perhaps, unable to locate it. I think he visited Mr. Squire's place and others. Q. Did you visit these localities 1 A. 1 never went into the estab- lishment ; I have visited the locality. Q. Did you experience anything there similar to the smell you spoke of? A. No, sir, I think the smell we get in Charlestown was lost there. The smell, it seemed to me, was in that vicinity more of a mixture or a conglomeration of smells, but the distinctive smell which we got at Charlestown I lost there.