New-York tribune., 1869-03-27
CELLARS.
AN IMPORTANT SANITARY MovEMENT-A- RAID
AGAINST UNDERGROUND LODGINGS IN NEW

AN IMPORTANT SANITARY MOYEMENT-A- RAID
AGAINST UNDERGROUND LODGINGS IN NEW
YORK.
The law regulating the health affairs of the
Metropolitan District defines cellar to be basement
having one-haf or OF It's hight below the street
levels and since last July the same law has forbidden
the occupation Of such subterranean apartments for odg
ing purposes without special permit from the Board Of
Health There hundreds OF snch cellars in this city
regularly used for LIVING and sleeping purposes ana the
aud vigorous attention TO them In some cases they
are already quite clean ana comodons ana , sum H.
very many instances they have been found so hlthy
or damp, or dark, or il;yentllated as 70 maze a,o
Scores OF such cellars have been inspected, ana
reported against during the last few weeks and IN each
case notice has been promptly served on the owner
lessee tenapt calling on him to clean his premises or
put in new drains or windows or yentatos as te case
may require. IL this notice is not seasonaby compiled
with, suit Is at once commenced against the deln
quents More than 200 such suits have already been ns
ued and this campaign will be continued until snbter
ranean New.YorR has received purifying and recon
strnctng such as thas never snown before. ,,,, -,
the Board OF Health has undertaken s more decslVe
and important reform There are many SCORES OF cellars
tremey vainous 30 wet or foul or gloomy or far below
the street that Is utterly pOsS'To roo,rs ami
the authorities have fully resolved, after due
deeerao that these sna % &c entirely thS co.
cupation as lodgings. These dens are such pestllent
snks Of misery disease and infany as only policeman
choose 10 venture into Their miserable inmates might
been summary elected and the places fastened
them with no refuge from the inclement season,
save the scaDty charity OF the crowded aims
houses and police stations was thonght wise 70 dsler
such perempory action until warmer weather. ana 10
employ the interval in attempt TO persuade these u-
happy wretches to voluntarily abandon their aboDinaoe
dens To this end special cellar visitor mas Deen
appointed and has executed his difficult mission so sue
cesuy tonspire the hope that all tho cellars OF THIS
class viii be peaceaby vacated by the LIST OF May Inc
sirpWd old haired EnglShnan eaadier a
Methodist In religion, and exactly the Fellow TO banter or
argue threaten the occupants OF these cellars into
moving 10 better lodgings lie made MS nfst Vislt nVe
weeks ago and since that time has called repeatedly at
twenty-five different places in Mulberry Leonard Park
Baxter. Cherry, Greenwich, and WashingtonsS. IN
10 do 40 by the May farthest His visiting st
Yesterday incuded six places In Waterst Tour IN
ST., two in Olyerst, and one each IN OAK CheF! ba'
Mr. Warden's reports short but significant. For
instance: No "a Mulberry-st. is filthy. low den. the
resort of lewd women and thieyes Visited several
the noors walls moldy ceilings all fallen down anu IN
nearly all prostitutes aud thieves" mo. 2i9 Mulberry
has only three small panes OF glass IN the uoor I9r
hight ana for mir the door must be continually kept stand
ing open" mo a Baxterst, in the rear, Is very bad
is the residence Of white and coored mixed stinks nor
riby" No. "a Cherryst, very hhy-the worst place
have seenuuiit for dog live In woman dirty, desti
tute and dssipated - No lO3 Cherryst mas eight bedS
IN the front ba-eeut ceiling very low; not ut for human
habtaton" This cellar voluntarily abandoned, ana
the Hrathy lapdady bersted Mr. Warden soundly, SAID
She would let Il again, did Mt care d-n Tor
the Board Of Health aud was going 10 kiek ,
out OF doors $50 left, you see says MI warden, Ior
| would MT do anything 90 eIasperate q lady WIN
this exception the OF the Board has been very
generally sustained aud approved by all cocelheu anu
there Is good hope that many as 200
will be peaceably evacuated by the end OF April
who refuse go by that time viii be sumnary eJeeted
cholera within tie metropolitan limits, 1T possible to
prevent III.