The New York herald., 1869-07-07
METROPOLITAN NUIsASCEs.
Hearing Before Referee in the New York
Rendering CompaBy's Case--An Outrageous
Nuisancc-,restimony Of DIR. Harris, DIR.
Morris, Mr.. Clark and Others.

Hearing Before "a Referee in the New York
Rendering CompaBy's Case-An Outrageous
Nuisnncc-TesiimOny Of DIR. Harris, DIR.
Morris, Mr.. Clark and Others.
The HERALD some time ago. IN lengthy article
referred TO the many nuisances collected ON the
North river, near Thrty.eighth street, and par
ucuary to the animal rendering establishments that
emits foul and sickiy smells that mpregnate the
entire neighborhood and many sanitarlans claim.
breed disease and death. rhe Board or Health.
alarmed at the recital of their neglect at once took
action and attempted 20 revoke the permit given the
company 10 render animals at that point.
The agreement between the Board and the
company expressly provides that the ami
mails shall be removed out OF New YORK
for boiling. Yet the company are in the habit OF
boiling the dead animals and debris OF the slaughter
houses at the foot of Thrtyeghth street. The Board
are determined to compel them to remove the nui-
sance from the city.
The hearing of evidence was resumed yesterday
before Referee Seth w. Hawley' when
Dr. Moreau Morris, Assistant Sanitary Superin-
tendent deposed that he had examined into the ope-
rations OF the company; was aware OF the manner in
which dead animals, &c-, were taken away before
the company commenced operations; the refuse,
ofIa, &C., from markets, butchers stands, &C,
were brought TO the dock to 5e disposed Of and they
were all very offensive; the matter laid all day fes-
tering In the sun; the rendering company estab-
lished dock with two vessels 90 destroy all
this by rendering, and got up apparatus
which removed the cause OF the offence by
rapidly dspOsing Of the matter thus collected after
TINS these accommodations We're Immediately re-
moved, and have not been there since; the appa-
ratus has removed the nuisance TO great extent;
hashad prolonged inspection OF the place, and has
stood over the boilers from the time they were filed
till the time they were discharged; the company
MS opinion mad destroyed the nuisance az much as
possible; there was intentional disregard OF the
orders Of the Board Of Health; dislnfeclants have
been used very hberally these odOrs cannot be
detected at the distance OF 100 feet from the dock
Y. DO yon know II there ore any other establish
set out for fat rendering, bone boiling, gut clean
| ing &c.9 A. do, sr. tIe knew also that these
were gong on at night, and that deleerous gases
| escape from them; there Is no city in the Union
where such work s done with less offence than here:
has visited other cities and this the gases from
decomposing animal matter would be mere COM
bustible than those arising from fresh maleria; has
examined other apparatus and found them TO de-
| ated
| Emmons Clark, Secretary of the Board OF Health,
was the next witness. He resided on the Hudson
river for the last ten years, ana has passed close
tue works before TINS company operated there, and
there ls much less offence since that time than be
fore; there are Odors which escape, but he could
| not tell where they came from, as there a num-
Der of other establishments there; since the cOmpa-
ny commenced operations Odors have escaped only
occasionally, anu he had smelled none within the
| past ten days.
| Dr. Elisha Harris deposed that the present method
OF the New YORK Rendering Company, compared
with previous methods, was 30 entirely dinerent
that there were grounds Of comparison except III
storage &C.. he could not appear advocate for
either SIDE; the former methods were dependent
| upon transportation 20 greater extent than an
present; Inc rendering into grease and removal oc
scrap took place III former times IN different
anbuit portions OF the city at the present
Thirtyeghth street: AL the rendering, &C., Is
there; IN former times boats threw the refuse into
the sea and offended people at the water side; 'da
and at various other tunes, he had occasion to re-
| port officially these nuisances, which are now
abated; even in winter tune this was offensive and
this the result OF negligence and carelessnes in
the storage he thought the then health authorities
could have prevented this; the rendering company
had exercised great vigilance, except in some
points, which were open to blame certainly but
stu the blamable matter was not In the dark; the
accumulation has been offensive but this has greatly
abated under this cOmpany's operations; former
methods dId not provide for careful storage;
there is, however, vide difference between
the two; under this boiling, handling, &c,
were done away from the city, While the
present method occurs within thousand feet
Of Eleventh avenue; have examined the works at
least 100 times; the present method Is free with
the exception s in taking the residuum scrap out
or the tanks; after the fat Is pumped out and In the
handling Of the scrap The company has net with the
greatest dinlculty; dfsnectants have been used to
these scraps there Is some doubt at times theoreti
caly as 10 the escape OF gases except when the fur
mace Is at full heat and Then there Ii not much
probability Of the gases escaping combustion; as a
general thing, he believes the gases completely
consumed. although practically there Is doubt; has
no knowledge Of any better apparatus than the
in use for the combustion OF gases and 1t does this
as well As AZ possibly can De done.
The cross-eXaminatlOn hinged upon the means of
improving the establishment by removing SCRAP at
once, by tanking putrfd material; II is, however a
rare event TO see this rs he saw it only on two
occasions, by more thorough dsinfectiop but Is ~
doubtful whether this can be brought to thorough
perfection; II Is dfficut 10 do away with offensive
ness entirely although IL is now reduced to small
matter to what 1t was year ago; IL Is practicable
to entirely do away with II, but 1t VIII cost money.
The defence here rested.
Michael kernan, OF west corner OF Thirty-seventh
street and Eleventh avenue, deposed that boatfus
OF onal, &c, came from Brooklyn, and were there
all night; had 80 shut his windows whenever this
occurred He produced a memorandum showing
different dates when the smell was most offensive
Crossex8mined-i.ived there seven years. but had 4
no deaths IN bis family during that time; keeps
liquor there; the employees OF the other fat melt
iDg and gut establishments drink HIS liquor and live;
the smell from these establishment does not annoy
him In the least.
Rufus Sanger OF Twenty fourth street, smelt two
kinds Of smell from ihrty y-eghth street-one fatty
and the other putrld animal smel he hau visited
Thirtyninth street. and the smell was horrible
there.
Luther A. Johnson, of Thirty fifth street; william
Johnson, OF Thirty fourth street; offcer Francis
Mcdonald and number OF other witnesses were
examined, and all appeared 10 agree TO the
character OF the odors exhaled from the establish
ment.
Mr.. Wm. Lohuson said that after investigating the
matter and seeing the other places, his opinion,
which had prevons been adverse 10. the company,
had greatly Changed
A Pest Hole at sixty Eighth srreet.
One OF the greatest pest holes exstanr In the city
is at the northwest corner OF Broadway and Sixty
eighth street. At this point there Is row of msera
BILE tenemerts, into which are packed a large num-
beT of families who seem to have lost all regard for
health and cleanliness. Along the entire front of |
this row OF buildings high wooden stoop, from
the top OF which garbage and NTH OF all kinds
thrown into the road outside This road IL encum-
bered with noxious excremenfs 10 such an extent /