The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-09-06
Living In New York.

The New York Evening Post, few
days ago. called attention to the increased |
mortality in that city, and the causes that
produce it. One fertile source of disease |
and death is the overcrowded condition |
of the population. nearly three quarters
OF million of whom, it is estimated,
live in tenement houses, where cleanliness
and comfort are, under present arrange
ments, utterly impossible. The inmates
throw their Stops and refuse matter into
the streets, and not less than 5. 500 loads
are carried away daily. Besides this per-
petual nuisance, there are two hundred
and fifty slaughter houses in the densely
peopled sections of the city. from which
local matter finds it's way along the cutters
to the sewers, The stencil emanating
from these establishments render many
houses in their neighborhood uninhabita.
bls. Added to these denominations are
numerous fat boiling. hide and ofTal es-
Refreshments, whose fetid exhslations in
feet the atmosphere of Central Park,
Fifth and Madison avenues. SO that the
most fashionable quarters of the city are
subject to noisome odofs. With such
catalogue of life destroying agencies, it is
wonder that pestilence do not sweep off
the population by thousands:
The Pos, gives the following startling
figures relative to the classification Of the
population, taken from the statistics pub
iished five years ago; since which time
the tenement evil has gone on increasing !:
"Of 1896 families residing in New
York city only 1890 are able to enjoy
the luxury of an independent home;
1892 other families live in comparative
comfort, two in house; 4,4lS buildings
contain three families each, and vet do
not come under the head OF tencments ;
and the ii ,965 dwelling houses which
remain are the homes of 1886 families,
being an average OF seven families or
thirty-fve souls to each house But this
is only an average. In the Eleventh
ward lis rear houses (houses built 90 the
backs of deep lots, aud separated only BY
narrow and necessarily dark and filthy
court from the front houses, which are
also barracks contain l 1858 families, or
nearly Is families or 10 souls each "a
others contain 4o7 families, being an
average of so souls to each; and in an
other ward::7z such houses contain no less
than IS families or 95 souls each This
seems shocking.
But this is by no means the worst.
There are $50 tenement houses in New
York which contain, by actual count,
IO,o33 families, or about Sc persons to
each; 1913 others which accommodate IA
persons each; II others which cover lao
each; and, finally, 29-these must be the
most proftable-which have a total popu
latlon of no less than SAC souls, or i87
to each house,
a tenement house is thus described !:
- 1t Is commonly structure Of rough
brick, standing upon a lot twenty Ave by
hundred feet; 1t is from four to six
stories high, and is so divided internally
az TO contain four families on each floor.
each family eating, drinking. sleeping,
cooking, washing and sighting 10 q room
eight feet BY ten, and a bedroom six BY
ten; unless, indeed--which very frequent
~ happens, says Mr.. HslIiday-ihe family
renting theee two rooms take in another
family to board, or sublets one room q
one or even two other families. One Of
the largest of these 'barraoks has apsrt.
ments for one hundred and twenty SIX
families: |. stands on a lot CITY BY two
hundred and fifty feet, is entered at the
SIDES from alleys eight feet wide, and by
reason Of the vicinity of another barrack
OF equal height, the rooms are go darkeu /
Cd that on a cloudy day it is iEpossibie
to read or sew in them without artificial
hgnt. ~ mas not one room which can ia
any way be thoroughly ventilated