The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-09-05


cabinet at Washington faithful to the President
and the people.
The SEWERAGE OF New YoRK.-The most inn
rorant subject that can occupy the thoughts of our
city government is sewerage. 1t is most deeply
interesting subject to every inhabitant of large
city, for it involves comfort, health, life, the fate
Of offspring. 1t affects large proportion of all
that man holds dear in this world. Yet it is
question to which no serious attention has been
paid by our city fathers and comparatively little
by community too busily engaged in the pursuits
Of wealth, pleasure, or ambition, to take time to
think of the ways and means by which these OBJ
Jects can be enjoyed TO the best advantage, after
they are attained. Without health there can be no
true enjoyment; with it, the most homely fare be-
comes a source of fruiton-almost every thing, in
fact is made to minister to the qualification of
'healthy mind IN healthy body"
1t is impossible, with the present state OF the
sewerage in this city, that good health can be en-
joyed by the majority Of the people. We speak from
unquestionable data, when we say that the ordinary
mortality Of this city double what ought to be.
There is not on this coninent-there is not, per-
haps, the face Of the globe, a city to which
nature has given a situation so favorably
drainage. The high ridge on which Broadway
is built, runs through the centre of the island;
from this there is a natural descent to the
two rivers that wash the island, and are ready
every tide to act the part Of great scaven-
gers, to bear away the filth to the purifying, incor
ruptbe ocean. The climate is the best in America.
II is more temperate, cooler in summer than more
northern attitudes, and warmer in winter than
IL Ill
the extremes of heat and cold Yet, what is the
yearly mortality One would think it ought not
to be so great as that Of London with its two mil
lion Of inhabitants and its crowded streets, and
Westminster lying below the level of high water,
though, fortunately, not under the level Of low
water. In London, the mortality only in
every 40 Of the population annually; when its
sewerage was in the state that of New
York, and its population about the same, l in every
% of the population died. Last year the deaths IN
New York amounted to 1919, or within 81 Of
10000. Allowing the population to be $4,000,
(and that we believe is the highest computation)
the deaths were IN every % of the population.
Taking the population at 100000, which is the
generally received estimate, the deaths would be
exactly l in every . of the population. The
mortality will turn out to be still greater at the
end Of the present year, even independently Of
deaths by cholera, for it has been steadily in
creasing since 1895. In that year the population
was 270, 900, and the deaths were less than in
every 40. In 1910, the population was 3l27lO,
and the deaths were l in 80. In 1916, the popula-
ton 81 ,223, and the deaths were l to 81. Last
year, taking the population even at 40, 900, the
deaths were to "a. The mortality, therefore, ~
increasing fearfuly with the population, because
filth is necessarily increased and municipal
authorities have not kept pace in their sanitary
measures with the rapid strides of population
Rather indeed, they have totally neglected the
health Of the city ill the recent cholera panic
scared them into some crude and i'll dgested
schemes Of reform, partially executed and car
ried out, as t. have become a mockery, a delu-
sion, and farce.
II is true, that sewers now being constructed
IN great number Of streets, as the public know
10 their great Inconvenience. But the question is,
what purpose l. to minister to the interests
of individuals, or to promote the public good
Are those sewers erected in compliance with the
wishes Of cliques and the aldermen Of the wards
where they are constructed, or are they built
upon scientific principles, and as parts of a COM
prehensive system that will thoroughly drain the
city. Sewers may be constructed, that so far
from beng Of any IL were better they had
never been made. They may do harm, instead Of
good, If the proper levels are not taken-if they
are Of improper dimensions, without conBexion,
and, therefore, incapable Of being "flUshed" or
cesnsed in any manner, save at a heavy expense,
and by exposing the lives Of unhappy scavengers
TO the deadly gases Of these drains, in sending
them down the manhslee, with which we observe
they are providing all the w sewers, and by ex-
posing al the same time the lives Of the people who
live around, to say nothing OF the intolerable
stencil while those foul aperturcs remain open.
Then there is no attempt made TO connect the
trunk lines with the sewers and pipes OF water
closets cesspools factories, slaughter houses, aud
olher repositories Of filth.
II has been found, that ia London two millions Of
pounds sterling ten millions OF collars, were ex-
pended on drainage, either useless or positively
injurious. The money might as well have
been thrown into the Thames Hence, since
the sanitary commissioners were appointed, nu-
merous sewers have been ordered to be stop
ped and, We have no doubt, that when thIs
question comes to be properly understood here.
many Of the sewers that costing much
will be condemned as 70 much money and labor
oct Before this expenditure Is carried further, Il |
would be well for the corporation to pause in its
hesdorg career. Heaven knows the people are
already taxed severely enough, without more wan
ton waste Of their hard earnings What this city |
requires s Board Of Sanitary Commissioners,
pppomted by the legislature, and invested with full
rover to carry out their measures independently |
81 the Common Council. They must be meo OF
science, and not politicians or party hacks and
hey ought to be sent to London and Paris, to see
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