The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-07-28
The Publication of tho City-The Eaton
Island Scheme.


Some two months ago il was announced, with
. great flourish of trumpets, that Eaton Island,
twelve miles up the East River, had been
purchased, and appropriated for the purpose of
n grand depository for the manure and filth
OF the city, whence it was TO be conveyed in
sloops or scows, lowed by steamboat and
fhe Common Council visited the island on an
appointed day, when there was great aldermanic
fessting by way of celebrating this SANITARY
measure. The public were left to infer that it
was the Corporation who had done the merto-
nous deed and that the island belonged to the
city. Had they done 40, il would only have been
their duty, for large sum Of money light be an
nunlly realized by the manure, which is now not
only gwen away graluitousy, but costs the city
round sum for the expense Of removing il. The
tast, however, is that the Eaton Island affair
private speculation, which the members Of the
Common Council and all in authority promised to
snsourage, but have broken to the hope the promise
held to the ear Thus il appears they will neither
cleanse the city themselves, afford any fAcili-
ses TO others 10 do il for them. A company, con-
sisting Of Baxter, Brady, Lent x Co., who formerly
dealt in manure, bought the island in question, and
proposed to take away everything filthy from
The city, il delivered at a Ger tain depot
on the East River. II also arranged
that a person named Greene, Of New Jersey,
should take away all the manure and offal
shat might be delivered at a given point on
the North River. lie had only one sloop, and
his ability to remove the dirt was but limited !;
but Baxter Brady, Lent 81 CO., IL seems, purchased
n steamboat and slooPs for the performance of
their undertaking. From that time 10 the present,
however, the Common Council or Board Of Health
have taken no aciion-no wharves on the rivers
have been set apart for the purpose, and the ma
nure is not delivered. The three summer months
are now nearly past, and the Common Council
will not meet ill the first Monday ia August.
whsn the hot weather is all over, they may pro-
badly move in the matter, just as they did last
year in the case of the cholera. Though the pes
ssience visited the city in May, it was not Till the
latter end Of September and beginning Of October
that they took any active measures for the purif-
cation Of the city. What has been their course in
The present year Let the manner in which they
have dealt with the following document, which
was sent to them by the City Inspector for their
action, decide -
Ata meeting Of the Health Commissioners. held at
ths Mayors once, June 10th 1850, the following pre-
anble and resolutions we're adopted
wh.r,s. the city Of New YORK h infested With va
Nous nuisances, which must necessarily produce q
deeterious influence upon the public health especial
~ dur,Ds the warm season; ther,iore
Resolved That I'm the opinion ~ this Board all
cumulations % mauure In heaps and AL bone boiling.
bone grinding horss.tku uing aud other establish
m~nts OF similarly offensive nature together With all
dead animals aud butte hers oha should DE forthwith
removed the city aud that two wharves At each
of the North East rivers should be appropriated
ts BE- or the above purposes at which all boats
engaged In the business Of removing manure will
eeive the same.
Received That . copy Of The above preamble and
resolution b. served ON the city Inspecter
This document. which cmauaied from the Health
CommissioBers-not from the Board OF Health,
which consists Of the Mayor and Common Coun-
sil--was referred to a committee, and put asleep.
II was never walked up since, I'LL we aroused il
ths morning. In about two months after date II
even then, matter Of such pressing momeat shall
have been passed upon, while all this time the
members of the Common Council, who are paid g.
per day for attending 60 the peoples business were
engaged either in petty matters Of no importance,
or IN perpetrating jobs Cor themselves aud their
friends Il is clear that they don't want 20 have
the city purified. and that they would prefer living
N nas,iuess, rather than devote the necessary time
and attention 10 its punhca,ion, engrossed, they
are, in the pursuits Of political faction sordid self
ishnsss. and restless ambition. The bone-boiing
establishments continue, the manure heaps are
reekine in the sun, the air is poisoned. and The
streets everywhere are abomnable, except the
fashionable thorogghiares, and the regions Of The
upper ten.