New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-07-11
TENEMENT LIFE.

oyERcRowpED TENEMENT HoUsEs-TKS LoDGERs
IN ONE RooM-DnET DISEASE, AND DEGRADE
TIoy-rUE WORK OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH.
Admitting the difficulty of making an absolutely
accurate statement is nevertheless safe to say that the
oyercrowdng Of human beings In dark, unventliated
which is uniformly found among the inhabit-
nns OF tenementhOuses and this fi eN He Iaet,
we'll known TO every experienced medical pracuIoner
that the advent of disease is the only thing needed TO
render them ceters from which all inaIueI VI
contagion may radiate with malignant ana deay IaP
tv For this dreaded advent unfortunately we arc sell
dom compelled TO wait long, and never IN Vain ineeu,
il il fails to from another source the cohdiIos W
which we refer give birth to the enemy we fear PONer
and filth from their very nature, are often tne parents
and always the allies Of disease the former because
originates If it does not compel close
families well as OF persons belonging 70 Tue SIM
family the latter because 1t yitiates and posons tne AZ
mospherc which is conducive to health only wnen pu1
and ultimately destroys one OF the conditions Dy Which
Is no Inherent relationship Filth is the inevitable con-
comitant of large aggomcrations OF persons Wi .h
space and the poorest may be tidy ttDem DC Hnuics
together, We find them In many parts OF ne Guy anu
clean Poverty and filth brought into tpe CLOSEST
communion whenever and wherever oVercrOWulhg pei
vest "The poor we have always with u.s. but for TINS
there Is no remedy fifth have also with ns aiwhs'
but for tins there is oXcse The cure lies III INC IT,
movaI of the cause and, this being known, we become
criminal If that he not applied To achieve TINS ~ ere
o change the conditions by which large and rapid accu
mutations OF filth arc produced The powers OF the Board
81 and when The new Tenementhouso law shall be
forced the other will be accomplished 49,, oorr,od
The extent 10 which Oycrcrowdlng mas Decn carrlcu
can scarcely be realized save by visit to the premises
in East Eleyenthst, between First and second
ayes which is reached only through little euldesac,
called Murphy alley, may give the curious lesson con-
corning the method by which large numbers OF persons
arr acked within small amount OF space. -FOUR houses
facing the thorougarc we have named occupy lonI Oh
feet and. with one exception are 40 leet deep Inc
smallest feet front by 3ii feet deep ana the
yard, at the time the census OF These houses Was taheI
was very filthy with nightsoil Six houses have been
tho NJ ffagp n
triangular yard common 10 all the lnhaDlhts Oh thess
tenemens, and through which they mast pass 10 i T
OF the six in row. commencing lnineuatey ~ lo
Of the house last mentioned ana upon Ie NM ~
If continued would make acute angie with the Inc Oh
the street. The remaining two are but upon lhe per
pendeuar TO thai OF lhe row OF ior o % c ~ Tho
four and about six feet distant therefron The SIX houses
are of equal size namely % feet front by p feet deep
narrow hall and dark stairway serves two houses The
prives are situated in the triangular courtyard ana are
ments. Each house Is four stories nigh ana one stoy
deep-wc say story deep because some OF the cellars
inhabited The courtyard crossed ana recrOssen
I'm almost every conceivable direction by lines upon which
hang nearly all times the recently washed clothing OF
Of the front or rear dwelers MAKING me snsgSe
atmosphere moist. Obstructing the light during the day.
ard often shutting ont the stars at night
Here then, we have houses upon superficial area
hui little more than 100 feet square. IL VIII be seen tat
the owner or builder had genius for crowding large
number ofbudingS upon sialt aTea' put ~ ~ ~ ~
shaed aud cast into tine deepest KIND OF shade ny me
manner in which human beings are packed ln'3 ,ne
houses. Lest some sccptc should fancy that We hase
described the worst specimen OF this KIND OF housing 10
lac y,
know OF more than Cclt who ont MuiphyS murphy.
10 make the condition Of these premises wore houses
have been built still further In the rear back tODack
making through and through ventilation IN some OF tchi
utterly impossibr Tie rooms fronting upon he court
ward fromhese rear houses, have dark bedroom behind
iem that receives neither air Hight save That when
passes through the I'm front, which Is used Tor al
domestic and culinary purposes. IN such tehenehts
fresh air and sun ght are unknown Thc efl arises hst
from a vicious economy OF space, and second from q
want Of house accommodation FOR the poorer classes 10
Improve upon the houses We have described WITHOUT
deIuolishing OF them seems impossible mat Is q
question 10 De decided by the Sanitary Engineer but
lie condition of the inhabitants OF such houses may GER
talny be made better by giving each one greater
amount OF space by denopulaiuS the cellars Dy per
sstent and thorough enforcement OF the law when re-
oures 900 cubic feet of air to each person ana ~ per
nntcuty preventing the Of small dark, unyenulaDo
rooms a. sleeping apartments. , -
Tie following table shows the number OF persons
crowded into each Of the houses have described
ana the amount of cubic feet ~ space 10 each person
The front houses numbered from to inclusive; the
rear houses from 90 TO- inclusive, the house No being
immediately In the rear ~ No 4, ana No 10 OF NO II
should bc "a planned that the calculation of the cubic Feet
of mir to each person h based upon the size OF the
house and s hight and not upon the size or the rooms
aud The number ~ persons donicied I'm each one ThS
gives tho houses apparent advantage they do not really
po,css bat In this respect accuracy not necessary TO
Show they fcarfully oNercrowded;