Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-08-06
HEALTH or SEW YORK CIrT.
Tenemenf Rouse Izfs.--A lesson for
al3i Cleveland

aBl CleEeAaH0-
s-sa s-s.c r-s
New York City, with a population Of
nearly one million, occupies about thirty
i've square miles. Philadelphia with less
than 100000 occupies an area of one hun
dred and thirty square miles. The con
sequence IS that a large part of the popu-
lation Of New York, live under ground or
In wretched tenement houses. Growing ont
of this state Of affairs there are some in
teresting statistics:
The reported mortality of the city of
New York for 1868 was 25,l96-an aver
age Of 6s daily, and an increase Of 3,952
over that Of 1sG2. The annual average
since 1850 has been twenty-five thousand
The immense foreign emigration into
New York city adds largely to the num-
Der Of deaths, While Boston, Philadel-
phia and Baltimore do not have an annual
influx of more than two thousand each.
New York, in 1862 had 10000 in 1863,
10000; and during this year viii have
100000. Il .is .r
The bills Of Mortality are especially
great among the children of emigrants.
OflTs42 who died last year by reason
of disaseses caused or aggravated by bad
food, bad air or neglect, over two-thirds
were children.
This large number Of deaths among
children Is due chiefly to the character Of
the tenement houses of thn ciir TEeo-
Sre described as zgretnhad and sli i-s'-
Awriter in speaking Of these house ssays:
"The rooms are foul and reek with disa-
greeable smells, to which the inmates have
become accustomed, and the women, reclS-
less of corporation ordinances, cast their
slops and ether refuse matter into the
streets Over $500 loads of garbage are
taken away daily from these houses and
yet it is no sooner removed than it is re-
placed.
The crowded condition of these New
York tenement houses is evident from the
following statistics; In March, 1851, Lon
don contained contained 2,332,2s6 inhabi-
tants, and 800, ,9s6 houses--an average of Z
persons 70 a house. In 1861 the popula-
ton had increased to 2sO3,9O9-a gain of
AL, ,75O; and the houses to 800, AL
Philadelphia contained in 1850, a popu-
ulatiOn of sSo,O45 and 1924 houses-an
average Of less than six personsto hoase.
In 1860 it contained 562, 500 inhabitants,
and 81, ,9S2 houses-an average of 20 per-
sons to every three houses.
New York, in 1883 had 9 population of
5l5,5l7 Inhabitants, and 37,29I houses;
making an average of about "A persons to
every house. In 1860, the number of in
habitants was s2l,1IS; Of houses 5S,97l-I
an average of 10 2-lOto each house. Since
that period this disproportion has greatly
increased
This crowded state of the Tenement
Houses, together with certain evils yet
prevailing, contribute vastly to the annual
mortality. There are over two hundred
and fifty slaughter houses in the densely
populated parts of the city. Of these it is
said; Streams of putrid blood and fecal
matter issue from them to find their way
along the cutters to the sewers; and the
stencil exhaled from these collections of
animal matter passing rapidly through
different stages putrefaetion not only tend
to scsUUer pestilence, but render many
dwellings in their neighborhood untenant-
able No other city in-the civilized world
would tolerate this evil evil so long and 50
patiently. d-ll bros ets a.f
Fat-BOiEng, hide and oHalestabliahments
also ab9pndin various parts of the City,
sending their foul odors even to the fash
jOnable mansions of Fifth and Madison
avenues. a-
The paving Of the city also contributes
to the mortality Made of cobble stone, it |
cannot rbe kept clean and dry The dirt
adheres in the interstices of the stones,
and ferlnents under the heat Of the sun,
poisoning the atmosphere.
The Sewerage of the city IS greatly con-
demned- The odors that issue from the
buIllheads in the lower part of the city
are described as almost unsuferable.
A reformation Is demanded in order to
the better health Of the city. Hoa
The principal mitigations Of the sanitary
condition of the city are the following: l. |
The cleansing Of the streets; I'd. The |
prompt removal of nuisancesf Sd. Better |
and more stringent supervision Of tenement |
houses 4th. Proper paving; 5th. Re
formed sewerage.
These facts in regard TO the mortality of |
New York City should receive the earnest |
attention Of other cities. here in Cleve-
land we are assured that there IS scarcely |
anything like systematic sewerage The |
bad results growing out of this fact are
apparent in many parts of the city, gut
ters being made the receptacles of |
much Of the garbage and slops-
Would it not be well to have reforrna-
ton begun here before the evil eonse-
quences are stih more apparent2 Good
sewerage and Park on the Lake shore are
needed to improve the sanitary condition of
Cleveland. When shall we have these two
blessings2 u. $500
The q Tler,or,I Eo,- o., ur,ru.VY.- =,