The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-05-20


CONDITION or THE STREETS.
oO<-N-~N>N<O~0~OoD~~~o-~
Progress OF Street Cleaning Operations-Thc
Difference Between London and New York
In Point OF EceDomy-Cieansing the Metro
pods for Nothing an Absurd Idea.
The unceanly condition Of streets has always been
subject OF general and pointed remark by strangers
Boston, Philadelphia and other large cities always be
kept In toeraby clean condition. but somehex other
the taxpayers of Gotham have continual for
plant that score, although they pay twice much in
proportion for the performance of the task their neigh
bers There to be fatality about any
full effort keep the great Augean stable cean
now with the aid Of machinery and lavish expenditure
Of money people compelled to wade ankle deep in the
Of filth and garbage which completely obscure the
In most of busy thoroughares and thcky
inhabited Streets
The City inspector Is continually receiving complaints in
reference to the condition Of the streets in certain wards
where, Is alleged, the cart and brooms have not been
brought into requsiton since the fall Of 1885, Judge Da
ves Of the Supreme Court complains bitterly of the mat
enuOn Of the contractors In the neghbOrhood Of East
Thirteenth street. Mr. Stokes, Of the firm Of Phelps,
Dodge Co.. calls the attention OF Mr. Morton 10 the
diton Of Twenty sixth street, between Madison and
Fourth avenues; while ether gentlemen positive
"
their "New Years call" In various sections Of the FIRST
Fourth Sixth, Eleventh, Fourteenth. Seventeenth and
Twentieth wards.
The contractors say that they progressing rapidly
with the task allotted TO them and present Broadway and
few other leading thoroughfares evidence of their
good faith In the fument Of their contracts II is true
the leading thoroughfares pretty good condition.
but must be remembered that the grand bulk of
population think ii rather troublesome to repair
to Broadway or Fifth avenue for the purpose
of eating, drinking, working and sleeping. They
are by necessity confined within certain limits, and
cannot expect to epy pure air. health comfort unless
ward containing population Of over 60 900 souls ia in
shocking condition. Manure garbage and ashes the
pavement in nearly every street in that di ct rendering
the condition Of the inhabitants anything but envabie
The contractors say that VIGOROUSLY filthy ward and
that It is most difficult matter to keep clean in
Of its Inhabitants Then the First ward s but little be-
hind the Seventeenth ward in point OF cleanliness The
Front and South streets is really sickeninS. There s no
excuse for such state Of things. The contractor (r
ReyDeds) has been notified by the City Inspector to
move the filth forthwith, else some summary
be adopted by the latter for the promotion Of that
object In the Twentieth ward the mountains Of nlth
and garbage which characterises the scenery of
the First and Seventeenth wards clearly visible
the mort careless observer The contractors paid
deal Of attention the streets Of the arstocrac Fifteenth
ward Monday; but would be far advisable for
them tn turn their attention To the tenement districts the
Twentieth ward than to fritter away their time ward
beauty II would certainly be expediept, If econom
CAL to attend to the wants Of poorer classes first II
the Fret Fourth Sixth, Eleventh, Fourteenth, Seventeenth
and Twentieth wards were thoroughly ceansed Of all the
impurities affecting them II would be easy mater to
keep the remaining districts In good condition. We
glad TO that Of the pursuing his
and already iIroads have been made In the
worst parts Of the FOURTH sixth aud Fourteenth ward
with pretty coed No less than liz loads OF
and ashes removed from the Fourth during
the past week. While the sixth ward Afforded 1873 loads OF
the same material for the per cd But the work
has only just commenced AMI IL will require Amy week
Of hard labor any decided Improvement visible
in the appearance of the wards in question great deal
Of unnecessary labor may be saved the contractors by
cartng away the dirt Immediately bens gathered
INFO heaps by the seavengers In Division street for in
stance the dirt heaps have been lying undkturbed all
along the south side OF the street, subject being
all the street again whenever visited by
storm Of either rain wind Division street Is OF the
most busy horoughares in the city, and should be kept
proper order. The contractor OF the Seventh ward
should remove those dirt heaps Immediately, provided
they can be foun for Is very probable that the Of
yesterday bad most dwelling effect upon the aforesaid
bocks OF dirt II would be well for the Croton Aqueduct
Department To take into consideration the paving OF Canal
street east o the Bowery and Madison OF Pearl
street Where paved stagnant water Il
apt 10 collect and inasmuch the summer season Is
close upon would be extremely annoying W the resi-
dents OF the above neghbohoods 70 have artificial lakes
pregnant with yellow fever and divers other dangerous
"ilis that flesh heir to-, before their yson-mornng
and night
Many economists entertain the idea that the streets Of
New York could be cleaned for nothing e., farmers
would be willing to remove all the manure, ashes and
garbage at their own expense for the purpose of enrching
their land They draw comparisons between this city and
London, where said, source OF Is derived
from the sale OF street manure Tho notion absurd
one, will clearly demonstrate. The best stree,
manure, at any season, " not worth than rs cents
per load II must be delivered at the wharf at price
To sweep II from the streets and ~ the wharf would
he expense OF about IL cents per load In many of the
wards, In consequence OF ashes and garbage being
thrown into the Streets becomes worthless and
would not be bought BY the farmers any price. One
half barrel Of asbes will spoil good load of when
mixed with IT, The mixture thus formed becomes what IA
known a. ruiiage which costs eight cents per load 10 be
csrted away. The Ds eject 10 promptly all the
ashes and garbage which sccunulaes from day day
would be the OF rendering the great bulk OF the
worthless for farming purposes Even supposing
Of ashes garbage In the streets ngdly enforced
and that the manure delivered 70 the far free
from all ant the thus derived would cover
hon half Of the expenses attending the proper
peril rmance Of street cleaning II must be taken into
consideration that the removal OF the ashes garbage
ruage would be dead loss IN the city of at least sixteen
cents per load. The following table will easily
plain the necessary profits and losses cleaning the streets
even by this most economical PLAN
Value u man per load Csc
Cost Of gathering and delivering pes load l3c
Net revenue per load 12c.
Cost Of removing ashes and garbage per losd... 1sc
Net revenue from l2o
Loss 10 the city per oad &c
The Of carpe ashes and garbage from the city, TO-
Feher with the expenses attending the gathering Of the
manure would we have no doubt, amount TO more Than
the derived from the sale OF the manure. How,
then the be cleaned for nothingS II has been
calculated by efficient public officer that even though
could be kept In proper state Of cleanliness for s
than $500 900 per year To clean evey street. lane
and alley way OF this great metropolis In thorough man
twice or three times week would, IN his
opinion least $500 600 and yet conrace are made
10 perform that task for little over one hall that sum
The result quite apparent We cannot expect 10 have