New-York daily tribune., 1856-03-17
TENEMENT HOUSES EXPLORED-"TI TIE
BARRACKS" BAGDAD HOTEL"

The Committee appointed by the Legislature 10 ex-
anime the condition Of tenement houses in this city
and report thereon, met again at the Mayors office on
Saturday morning at 10 o'clock. Agrccably to pre-
yiOus arrangement the Committee proceeded TO make
q personal inspection of some of the most exceptions
ble houses Of this kind in tue Fourth Seventh Eev-
enth and Seventeenth " ards under the charge Of r.
C. Downing Superintendent of Sanitary Inspection,
and Captain Squires Of the Eleventh Ward.
Few of those who eaunter along Broadway in silks
and broadclotbs enjoy the sunlight and wholesome
air OF the country, dream of the sights unfOdcd by
fve-minutes' walk from of principal streets
1t is difficult TO corceive of hundreds of human beings
huddled together in building, many Of them living
in twilight and breathing atmosphere constantly
laden with malaria; but such s the in of
instances and language is incompetent to describe
them trutbfuly.
The first housE visited worthy of remark was Nos
s6 and 80 Cherry street, near Pearl. This building,
in ts outline bears strong resemblance TO the Sing
Sing State Prison, having front of 30 feet in
Chery street. and extending back go feet and being
five stories in hight. The house is double, and the
entry ways either side open upon a court ( to 10
feet broad from under which tho sinks forth
intolerabe efuvla through iron gratngs at intervals
of 10 feet. Like most othe. tenement houses this
building is arranged in suites Of comprising
small apartment and a smaller bedroom, and is de-
signed for about 40 fames the rent varies from ~
to Sc mOoth The staircases are narrow that two
persons scarcely pass, while the ceilings Of the
only feet hlgh and no facilities whatever
for ventilation exist In the of No 81 there is
another building similar in construction to the just
described, but smaller, having its egrc,s likewise
ore of the courts of the larger building Here there
are 800 TO 400 persons using in common alley.way
only feet across, which for few moments in the
day is illuminated by the sum- but much Of the time il
GOlk, damp and dismal.
The house Nos l39 and 14l of the same street like
wise visited, is of better class, and contains larger
rooms and higher ceilings, and especially CrotOn water
all the floors, which the occupants seemed To prize
very highly. Each suite OF rooms had separate
place in the cellar for fuel.
The Committee next stopped a. the house No. 410
Water, between Cathsrne and Market streets, which
belongs to better class of tenemens, and Is seven
stoiies high The distinguishing feature OF this Csab-
ishment M that most of its occupants are said to be
prostitutes indeed, the Committee enough to
convince them of that fact. 1t stated that the
proprietor intends TO clear them all out 10y the first
Of May and let the apartments to long5hOrcnen and
their families.
After leaving this place, "colony' was visited,
known az "The Barracks at Noe. Ga to 12 Goerck,
between Deancey and Riyngton streets. T0o Bar
racks include two houses, three stories hgh lot of
ground 100 feet 'front.' and running through to Mlngin
street They contain at present 100 families of about
$40 persons of which 270 German, $50 lrish and
American. The tent from ~ to Sc per month.
This is believed TO be one of the oldest tenement
houses in the city, and the appearance OF its outlet,
" ell sustans the reputation OF the coon-ts Tor hti-
hess.
At Nos &c and 3s Clinton corner of Stanton 81 rect,
there are two slim, lofty buildings located on either end
of lot 25 by 100 feet which uOw contain 81 families,
beside having each store the frst floor The only
is about feet broad and 20 feet long.
But Of all the localities visited by the Committee,
that known as Cottage Place or Rag-Pickers Row,
IL Third street is beyond doubt entitled TO the p1zc.
This is exclusively occupied by Germans and i the
grand depot OF the rag pickCrs. The front building II
four stories hugh and perhaps 80 feet on Third street
by % deep aud in the rear, at interval of Il feet
Is duplicate structure. The latter in particular pre-
scnted OF the most repulsye aspects witnessed by
the COmmittee-the rooms on the lower stories beng
slut out from the light, and the atmosphere damp
I'D Tint hn ur,di inside
70 beat hasty retreat. The tenement approaches
within ten feet of the wals of badings fronting on
Second street. and its back piazzas even TO the top,
were 6mbClhshed with ullapdatcd rag~ previously
washed and hung out to dry large number Of those
sickv scrawuy specimens Of humanity who lnies our
streets early in the morning in pursuance OF ther avo-
Cation unloading their carts, feeding tnclr
clogs " engaged IN some Qther characteristic employ
ES;:., I:cc Ni.Vie scene presented by the interior
ecoromy was such rs few cOu,d possibly imagine but
no one passing along Third street would be likely To
have their attention attracted by the place
The last colony looked after was that occupying q
building forming an l. ON stanton and FORSYTH streets
and lately known a. the "Bagdad Hotel, ALA The
"Match Factory" About 81 families. oi al n0ilonal
tes were fuund located here paying from 30 - TO
"a so per month Dufing the Inspection oi lh'>c
premise. the Committee wa- attended by Capt lisrt
Of the Seventeenth Ward who related some thrllmS
incidents connected with the building since II had btoh
used for dwelling purposes.
One of the chef defecis Of most Of the tenem'nts
examined was want Of space The main object
with landlords would seem to De 10 fod the minimum
sizo of apartment. which would support life. In The
majority of the ceilings are too low the rooms
too small and not properly lighted the s,airways no.
wide enough for convenience and the mean, of cgrcss
Zoo scaniy in case of fe. Some fcw of the h0Lscs
visited are supplied with Croton water but il i sol
com any regard whatever is paid to ventilation Ia
The large tenement houses ageut usually roside'.
vbo cevotcs bis whole time to general saperiateu-
6ebce the letting OF apartments, ana the c'hocthg "i
nn,s Tbe owrers Of some of these places are non
residents
roon. an1 the opinion was unanimous that 'h,y had
bad a decidedly hard day OF 1t. Ihe inv'stlSe'ioH
viii mobably bc resumed sometime during the proean mt
Ettk.