The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-04-27
Cholera-The Cholera Fields and Proven.


ChOlera-The Cholera Fields and Proven.
With cholera comes panic, and panic does
more harm than cholera. Nothing can be more
effective in preventing any panic that the pub
lie is now likely to fall into than an analysis
Of the cholera maps we give to-day.
On the map showing the points at which
cholera ragged first, in 1882, eight localities are
designated. Good healthy soil is to be found
in only two of these localities, and in these
two, though they had naturally good soil,
there were causes seriously detrimental to
health on or near the surface. These two
points were that including the head Of Christie
pher street, near to which were filthy struc-
lures, and that including First street. near the
Bowery, neighborhood then of slaughter
houses, melting houses and graveyards. Some
of the latter still remain near there and are ex-
ceedingly offensive in summer. Of the six
other points marked in the map of 1882 five
are shown by Viele's excellent typographical
map of the island to have been marshes before
the city was built up, and the sixth to be
on made ground by the river side. Not an
inch of good natural soil at any of
these six points. But another remarkable
fact is shown in this connection. Cholera
did not make grand starting point at all the
places at which there were formerly marshes
At least one such escaped; and the distinguish
ing difference between this place and the others
was that it did not harbor a crowded, filthy
and degraded population. 1t was near the
shlpyards on the East river beginning some
ways above Grand street, but keeping far
below Bellevue, and was then peopled by the
shipcarpenters and caulkers and their thrifty,
Clearly, housekeeping wives
Of the six cholera fields of 1882 that were in
the marshes and made ground, one was in the
district that takes the line of Roosevelt street
to the East river; another in the Five
Points; another on Corlear's Hook-long
UNANIMOUSLY known as simply "The Hook"
another in the Rotten row district of the
present Eighth ward, west of Broadway and
north of Canal street. If one endeavored to
point out all the VIGOROUSLY horrible locali-
ties of the city he could do it no more accu-
rately than 1t is done on this cholera map.
Every point in our city that had bad fame for
the poverty, wretchedness and vice ofits inhabi-
tants; for crowded novels and horrible stenches;
for its hordes of creatures that had given up
every hope Of the better part of life, was a
cholera field. The disease that had picked out
the marshes with the unerring accuracy Of an
engineer found these bad haunts as if with the
instinct ofa wretch avoiding the decencies of
the world.
In the map of l849 we find the cholera select
ing its fields according to the same laws-going
wherever bad ground and filthy populations
coincide. Three of its principal points are
identical with those ravaged in 1882. These
are the Roosevelt street district, the Hook and
the Five Points. The points touched in l849
that were not touched in 1882 are points where
filthy neighborhood had grown up that was
not in existence in the earlier year. There is
every encouragement to the city in these facts.
They show that the causes which make cholera
virulent are preventible; that the remedy ID
within our reach, and that by cleansing the
city properly and thoroughly the disease can
be robbed Of its terrors.
II lies with the Board Of Health to see that
the public interests are cared for in this respect
| The Governor has now issued that proclama-
ton Of peril that was necessary to give this
commission full power. They accordingly
have the power and must use il with courage
and vigor