The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-19
THE GREAT UNWAsHED.
Tie CutIculnr Condition Of the Pe0ple-The
Rivers rs Bathing Tubs-Duties Of Police
ueu.-TLe Batfery-Publlc Baths and ssMorc

Tie Cuticuar Condition Of tue PeOple-The
Rivers as Bathing Tubs-Duties Of Poiice-
ueu.-TLe Batfery-Publlc Baths and s'Morc
Of Them.'
in arriving at something like satisfactory esti
mate OF the sanitary condition OF the metropolis the
members OF the Board OF Health could not fail TO
"apprehend the sitnatonn II they were institute
an inquiry into the cutcular state OF Its Inhabitants
numbering not less than 1900 O0O OF which at least
100000 may be credited TO New York.
Now, on the island OF Manhattan, a small ocean Of
very excellent fresh water is permitted to run
through les hundreds OF miles Of pipe daily, and II
not to waste finally into the rivers and bay. But, IL
may be asked IN its passage from the reservoirs in
the Park 10 tidewater, how many thousand
cnticles are ceansed by it9 It is safe to say
that not TO exceed one In ten wash their bodies in
the health-givng naid once in every twenty-four
hours. THIS is liberal estimale-0ne hundred
thousand people wash daily, two hundred thousand
weekly, one hundred thousand monthly, one hun
dred Thousand at irregular periods. aud fully half
lion never permit water, salt or fresh, to touch
other than their hands, arms, necks and faces. We
are serious in this statement. When It 10 remem-
pered that fully one-half Of the inhabitants live in
tenement hOuses-that Is, dwellings IN which the
families range from four to twenty---w,thout bathing
accommodations mot unfreqncntiy without on1ces
sufficiently liberal for purposes more imperalvel
can we wonder at the negligent condition IN wllcn
SO many are to be seen, that deaths exceed Births
that children born and nurtred in the terrible pes
thence breeding holes with which the city Is crowded
TO the disgrace OF New YORK hberally supplied
as 1t iS with wafer, salt and fresh IL mas nos one
bath into which ana the U a @
filth which so quickly covers their bodies ana o.
structs the healthful flow OF the blood which the
veins IN the epldermis carry almost TO the SURFACE.
1t is well that the streets OF our city should be pur
fed daily but it is better that the entire population
er nson IS ef ousdss daily Washed
so that their millions OF pores or mouths may be
duly Win Inat Mca acs
water. There should be at this hour on the island
OF Manhattan bathing accommodations for At least
| O mOety OF its inhabitants; but instead, unless
those Of a private character are remembered there
Is not bathing, tub that poor man or woman can
| enter unless an admission price ID asked as the
In Germany and in most Of the countries Of con-
tinentai Europe pubic baths are provided for ne
| residents Of almost every town aud village; but
! here swimming academy" owes iss existence TO
individual enterprise, and, ike any other business IN
! Wanting these baths, and DESTROYS Of removing
from their persons the accretlons Of dirt which
few hundreds a s0 Of men and Boys ooider Of more
philosophical than their fellows, resort daily to the
rivers and there seek mat reiresament ana sen,s o.
vide for a and which should be freely given rather
an act OF sanitary necessity than from feelings OF
| Strolng along the docks yesterday the spectator
might have seen az almost any pier particuarn on
men, entirely nude, ready to plunge into the toe,
who In sight Of ferry and other boats on which were
| ladies. young and old would shout wildly % II DE-
| sirous or attracting their attention; and not the
slightest attempt was made by tue police to regulate
their conduct the character Of their excamstions
the ' Water The e'i HUDSON on the west side Of
island below ThrtyiOurt street, Is rarely visited by
bathers Above IT, on particularly warm ma Gays, IL
and, indeed far on the East river side TO C0ent1es
slip or Old slip, where the caual and lake boats ma
obstruction and purer water in that vicinity than
further up. On Sunday the Battery Is quite resort
for those who deslrous Of rng at targets with
| spring guns, at two cents a shot. A far show Is
| assured those who Indulge In the pastme. IS the
that beat to be Deeply inter
Cedar street a half dozen OF gaming thought they
would indulge IN wash under the pier, but an n
South street, and crying a they and he ran that
med put lem in the station rus II they tried TO come
favorte resort for bathers is OF the dock north
Of Fulton ferry. The fish cars floating In the slip
AFFORD those anxious ~ TO indulge IN muddy wash
ner than can those who plunge into the "brlny ele
ment' from or the manure and ofal soows which
"aromatize" the air near the foot Of James street, In
! the immediate vicinity OF the Williamsburg ferry
boat Slips .t.
There are fayorite resorts also further up the river
In the vicinity Of the balance dry the water
freely used by pathers at all hours Of the day and
night indeed. go frequently were the floating
largest of them painted sign Is nailed, on which.
In white characters, the public is informed that
the huge structure was originally built for the
OF ships and not Of persons
Corears Hook, that Is the stone yard fronting tho
| East river, and which has Q water extension Of
| many hundred feet, is very frequently visited BY
| health seekers. Above Grand street ferry, almost
up 10 Blackwell's Island, wherever 1t Is possible 70
get into the river without running too great risk of
drowning bathing is largely INDUCED In BY the 'un-
| washed" There are two or three ordinances which
prob bit persons from enterlng the river within tho
| limits OF the city between sunrise ana sunset II
these were enforced very much injury to the public
health would result. II 10 well, therefore, that the
police are permitted to wink ut their frequent lnfrAc-
ton. Exposure OF the person on these slips Is
| tainly reprehensible; but this cannot be wholly
avoided. II 1t could we would desire the passage
| OF q law compelling every man, woman and child
m the city to batne In the nvgoratng waters Of tn
North and East rivers at least in every twenty
| four hours during the summer months.
| The fact is II the people were encouraged to
"moisten" their skins externally daily there would
be less moistenlng OF them internally with benzins
and other Notwithstanding Installations, and there
would be births and fewer deaths less misery,
and a coroiary more happiness In and out Of the
family, whether 1t vegetated in twelve story tene
| ment house. or did tie gorgeous in Fifth ave-