The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-20

may alike be ascribed to the existence OF the poisonous
mater ia We have referred TO- which II Is believed
il in the power Of human skill in very considerable de-
gree To bsnish from US.
The city Of London contains about one hundred and
twenty square miles which may be represented by
tract u ana eleven miles wide und eleven miles long;
Whine the city Of New York contains about twenty four
square nllce twelve miles long and two miles wide
In London, in the sixteenth century, with population
far ltss than 1t has at present. tho average rate Of life
was twenty years, fifty deaths to every Thousand
living a, the present day the average OF life il that
city is thirty seven and the mortality twenty two to
every thousand living Ibis Improvement in The health
If II ndon stated BY the Registrar General Of Eng
land, is attributable principally 10 the present system
Of sewerage and drainage
1hc construction in this city is Of compare
tivei, recent date many VI them having been built ia
1888 until ls49 they OF such imperfect
tnn that has become necessary % have them rebuilt
hle credit justly due 10 those who, al that late
period had commenced their cooperation In the work
Of sanitary feiofn, yet It IS but commencement ut
tey Inadequate to the wants Of our constantly crowng
leIuIaton and while congratuating ourselves that tine
work has AT last begun and its favorable results, how
partially developed still appreciated by the public
is 10 be hoped that will be persevered IN to compile
II 10 be regretted that in many important in
has been too little attention given either
To the material, sodity or capacity IN the construc
If sewers according TO tho existing contract
tan based the idea Of cheap work and early compile
tha and how long viii be the endurance Of some Of
these works constructed would not perhaps he pro
per TO estimate II Is not unjust to predict that IN
very lew gears many OF the sewers now constructed and
beng will be almost useless and involve the
ssy or Others far greater cost than II originally
built they should he 70 last 70 far distant posterity
mechanics. II any Comment were necessary upon the
results liable now the inefficient construction
OF public works intended for the wants OF city II has
been furnished in the recent accidents to the main con
duetos which supply the city with water. Now
that tie danger has been happily escaped, we
viasnoe which averted any disaster; but it is
with feelings Of compacency that we reflect that this
dsastT had Il occurred would have been owing TO our
own inatt.non disregard OF the sody Of public
works under system Of contracts aud equally hur
red ysiem Of accomplishing results in half the time
cupicd by every other people in the world. If, in this
case evils OF such magnitude impending what
rty there against the recurrence OF similar evils IN the
Of works Of underground constr uctio many Of the
detects which may be easily hidden from the eyer Tho
very exp ession Of defciept construction IS one which
was known to be applied TO the monuments Of use
fnlntss which remain 10 attest the devnon the wisdom
and philanthropy Of eras. which have been taught to
consider Us unonlightened compared with For
tu,cly he remedy Is Us ready as the evil Is apparent
AS have advered to the fact OF tho appointment in
Great Britain Of officers specially designated for the
pose Of sewerage, the work thus performed not for i'm
mediate exigencies alone but with view OF the greatest
durability though OF higher immediate expese proves to
b, OF greater economy in the end, VIII lie purposes
by realized, II We may be allowed to re'cr to the
examples Of other nations whose history goes
back to remote periods we would point to
the city Of Rome, which, after having under
gone all the Auta ions to which il is possible
natrn be subject, still preserves in part those
mos, Interesting as they are the most useful, monu-
mcrts Of human industry and skill, in the underground
constructions tor tho preservation Of the health of her
citizens. Ia the boosted advances OF MODERN civliza
tbsso works ~ thor araptabity to the purposes for
which they were intended The question OF mmediata
expense, when compared not with the warts Of existing,
bu, Of future ages, did not seem to embarass their
constructors. As they we're built for far dstan! pos
ter,y they have achieved the purposes Of their found
and amid the destruction of other monuments Of
intended 10 perpetuate the memory Of great events
achevtments, they remain the useful monument Of
the highest antiquity, capable Of musterng to the
health and morts II the present. auate TO tho
necessities the most remote future. They the
ubderg eund railroads and canals which drew away dis
md f,rth he
ciss the free air. The sewer and the aqueduct
traveisa Rome incvery direction aad whether above
OF bei1w the ground, these highways CT health were
ways kept uncbs,ructed. II is doubly remarkable
HAT inst Of thtse constructions we're not made
dmhg the highest e'vaza''oa q Rome, but
belong 70 period SO far remote as to be
connected with the names u her yer. founders aud that
tl,y regarded the s, necessities oil settled
community even in ages which ancient history Itself has
characterized semi barbarcr5 The health OF their
subjects seemed have been the ambition OF tho rude
rulers q thosc days. The example which quote,
though might out OF pace, il interesting as
copa between the localities OF old Rome and New
York and GOES far 70 prove that system OF sewerage
and drainage has locn regarded the rst necessity 81
denrs,y settled community.
I, would almost seem II the first settlers OF New
Yo,l and Of those who Tor many years succeeded tbem
had regarded the locality OF city as so highly favored
by Providence for the preservation OF health that little or
nothing Was wanting in tho skill OF man TO mako that
LeaUh permanent II Ia, nevertheless, an incontroyer
lie nuh that under circumstances the most favor
able far natural causes sse concerned, for the pre-
e rvat,rn n health yet VIXEN ossamnpiliea ba0me
dcrsc and above ali, when the vices which seem TO b.
the c,ncomi;ans OF ,wzaton arc the attendant results
this contact o. human beings, cons' ~ vigilance Is
stil necessary for the continuation of healthy e1nd
ton A. the necessity OF the exercise ufthts vigilance
better describe the situation Of city careessy
regulated in her sanitary condition than by tfanci biug
the language Of an tDgsh publication on the subject OF
b, gicnc--
or,a and psrcc, sewers careless siperacisiy
Of sspoo aud water closets nhy cenailon Of The ear'hs
ma s,s arc he fruf, causes OF feycrs da rrira aud
oyscnery IN al congregations and in any spot Of great
g camrieS 80 incidentally aalcu 10 sIapps Win espcrsy
~ re how t. f era a. nr Hs aqs mag a and S IS
er tqaiy done an amaie end i set by the hand Of man
bin eli TO dynashcs to peoples and t. nations
dc not know how 10 express frrcihy IN language
OF any the sanitary condition and necessities II
lily, and further commentary upon picture so fotcioiy
drawn would almost seem to be unnecessary.
hut there Is another point not absolutely inclnded in
the above extract to which J beg 10 call your
attention, and in regsrd to which little notice has
been taken compared with hs Importance ~
II the depostng OF the sewage into our slips,
atmosphere highly deleterious to health. and OF great
Iecuui,ry Expense To- the city, demonstrated that
thus deposited letgoes sunton part escaping
into ;be atmosphere IN the shape Of nephetic gases,
while other prt.ons nnd their 10 the bottom near
the edgo Il he river which, upon tht 'aiug u the tide,
become exposed 10 The and emit poisonous eiiluyia
In certain districts ot England the sewage IS dvo'lo-
fi1ed Q. chemical process anh the elect from s expo
made comparatively harmless Bu, tns process is
ut oc4 expensive ard imprsctcablc wncn applied -
great cites II london this sewage Us empti,d into
the TnantF, but the Bitish government has become
convinced that this long eploVed receptacle has at last
be, tyc loaded With the repeated accauuati)us OF
uth aud foot 10 event, II possible
evils which a longer continuance 81 the custom vii be
TO produce The same oificultic1 present them
selves In Parts ard tue French cnt aucd by the
experience Il men OF scerce Is Cndeayong TO discover
a y,ntdy u Il hot time that the city 81 New York
should Institute 10 effect similar result,
before slips become chuk Il up with the poisonous
deposits ii he e,iy While ,o tmptyinss u the
allowed with the additional result 81 nlipg them Up
and rendering them comparatively Inaccessible to navi
gaticr; The daily mass o. matter wbich has 10 iud It's
csehaI ~ al and otherwise Ia the city
= tripated IN report before VS. on sewerage, from
which W. quol".--
Tho combined amount 81 these matters estimated at hfi
tsi dir utierrirg London for each indiy dus
Which ior le city q New ors with . population Of ~,
90 rsss g. the astounding quALtity e iury millions
hundi ed aud we've ihousard str, Injured fs vh'ch
we're yossNl, to comet NJ al u daily IN repus. depaa
wtalC ifuir for each e., reservoir more uan hiy per
cebi ati,r an Crolcu Distributing Reservoir ca Mar
Nil, Aew YORK city
and this has find i's way direct 90 Indirect
" into the waters Of high tigl sh meica
au,l ority, In treating this SUBJECT says
ytre r fearful consequence which result fuin the
htns'be pra tice riyrrS mo rten
bat horouehy Understood and properly under
stood properly estimated by he pubic, ndtu
money would IT, too sr'si u lui md.
n fltgus ~ de