Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-07-11
Peculiprity Of Life in n Great City-The
l Evils Of Existence There


There are, in all large cities, difficulties to
be grappled with in this regard, arising from
the fact that their growth and population are
the result of causes not anticipated, or, at
least, not to their full extent. Gradually the
village swells into large town, and the town
into city; there is neither prophetic vision
nor the despotic power which can both an
ticipate the wants Of the coming population
and provide for them. Every thing is left to
the operation of the selfish instincts of capt.
talists and landlords on the one hand, and
laborers and rent-payers on the other. One
wants to let as dear, and the other to hire as
cheap as possible. The end is that in every
great city in Christendom the poor are hud-
died together in habitations more OF less un-
favorable to health; in which the requisitions
alike Of decency and good health are violated;
where the air is converted into poison by
reason of bad drainage, defective ventilation,
and over-crowded rooms; and which are
really perennial sources of disease and death.
When the evil has assumed formidable
character, and the health Of the whole com
munity becomes endangered by the sickli-
ness of a part, Government interferes, or the
benevolence of individuals interposes; REM
| edies begin TO be applied and tardy and i'm
perfect curative processes are put in requisi-
tion, to correct mischiefs which might have
been anticipated and prevented if men were
prophets. II is easy to see that, had we
| known the end from the beginning, all our
great cities might have been better laid out;
that is, the same amount Of population might
| be accommodated under conditions more fa-
| vorahle to health and longevity.
| One great cause of the mortality in the city
of New York is to be found in the defective
dwellings in which the poor for the most art
reside. The report before us speaks in strong
terms upon this point. Such tenements re
generally contracted, dark, ill-ventilated dcns
in narrow alleys, filthy courts, and damp eel.
lars, amid the deleterious exhalations of cess
pools, and putrid lamentations of refusC
matter, in which it is impossible to preserv,
life, health or common decency. The defect
of these habitations are also greatly aggra'
vated by over-crowding.
The density Of the population in the city
Of New York compares unfavorably will
most other large cities. According to the
census of 1855, the population of the city
numbered 629,s30, and the dwellings 42,66S
or an average of l4.7 persons to a dwelling
In Albany, the same year, it was 80 in Bos
ton, including Chelsea, in 1850 it was 9.3
in Philadelphia, SIS; In Baltimore, Z; and il
the whole of the United States, fourteen ou
of the fifteen of all the dwellings were eael
occupied, on the average by a single family
Extending our inquiries abroad, we also fin
that New York suffers in this respect b.
comparison with foreign cities In London
in 1851, it was rs; in Liverpool 60; in Man
chester, 81; in Edinburg, s. and in all En-
gland, 5.4. 1t thus appears that the averag
number of persons to each dwelling in New
York City is double that in London, Liver
pool, Edinburg, Philadelphia and Baltimore
and nearly treble that Of Manchester an,
some other important cities. 7