The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-09-09
TENEMENT NOVELS.

B0sworth Nanierre, Crane, stephen Smith and
swnburne were In attendance yesterday at the
session Of the Board OF Health, which was not con-
Vened until after four O'Clock p. NJ, owing to the
number or excise cases tried.
The application OF henry Bergh 10 have his In
spectors appointed under the Board without pay was
denied.
DR.. Smith, from the Sanitary Committee, made
the following report upon tenement houses which
was referred to the attorney and counsel, to re-
port upon the power OF the Board enforce sugges
lions made therein-
One OF the most important duties devolving upon
the health authorities OF towns the sanitary and
class of people peculiarly dependent. They have
NO voice In the construction OF their homes and but
mts choice S Of NV Tnsy pay whatever rem,
improvements nor additional privileges. II dissatis
ned with their apartments they can only accept the
alternative 81 removing 70 others not more conve
IL follows that the landlords are left to consult
aer own pecunay interests ansv In aeang WIN 5ne5
rents a. they can Collect exact payment IN
advance or expei the tenant AND make as few
Is that tenement houses are SO constructed a. to
accommodate the largest number OF people In the
9r
s cuYtailed or omitted, and every subsequent I'M
provement or item Of repair that can be dispensed
unighted and unventiated rooms, and, with few or
no c0nveniences for cleanliness, domestic Nth in its
homes III. LIVING under such conditions year after
year, the tenement house population create an
atmosphere charged with the elements Of the
life u scarcely prolonged through the nrst
year, and as Q marked exception reaches
W srrSs a. The saS s
ness and decreptude OF age. 1t Is among this class
that all forms OF contagious diseases thrive as In
forth and spread through tine neighb0rng cOmmu-
mites And every year. whatever may be the general
stricts that the great balance sheet OF its excessive
mortality Is made up.
In New YORK city the tenement house system
half OF the total population live 10 tenement
houses. The great majority Of these houses
are old buildings, reconstructed tor the purpose
OF packing the poor away on the plan Of the largest
number IN the smallest space. From eighty to one
hundred and twenty people TO superficial area OF
the rule rather than the exception. The landlords Of
the tenement houses, az q class, are among the
weathiess citizens Of New York. Frequently they
are the heirs OF the Old estates upon which these
houses stand They manage their tenement house
property through agents, and rarely take any other
personal interest IN II than the prompt collection OF
their exorbitant rents IN advance. They make no
improvements except under the greatest pressure,
ana frequently allow their houses to fall into state
Of the most wretched dilaptdati0n.
The committee have made extended tours through
the tenement house districts Of the city and
have made personal examinations as TO the manage
ment and condition OF the larger buildings OF this
class In general they found that the worst class Of
tenement Houses were those where landlord had
accommodations for ten families and upwards, and
these buildings comprise more than hall OF the tene-
ment houses OF the city ana accommodate iully
Where the number Of families living under ono
owner exceeded ten It was found that such owner
house, OF tenement houses, as a business and
generally "a speculation. He was seeking certain
p ~ na ana a1
exceeded thirty per cent 1t is among this class OF
tenement houses that nearly all the evils Of the tene
ment house system in New York are found. In what
ever part OF the city the committee visited these
tablishments with few exceptions hereafter to be
noticed. the same conditions existed The little
colony exhibited IN their rooms, and In the areas
around their dwellings, extreme want Oh care. The
street In front OF the place was reektng with Stops
with excrements; the court Was imperfectiy paved
wet and covered win domestic refuse. The prives.
located in close court between the rear and front
houses, were dilapidated and gave out volumes
Of n0isome orders which filed the whole area and
was difiused through all the rooms opening
upon 1t, and the halls and apartments OF the
wretched occupants were close, unventilated and
unclean. The complaint was universal among the
tenants that they are entirely uncared for and that
the only answer to their requests to have the place
put in order BY repairs and necessary improvements
was that they must pay their rent or leave. Inquiry
is wealthy gentleman or lady, either living In an
arfstocratic part OF the city IN neignborng city,
or, as was occasionally found to be the case in Eu
rope. The property Is managed entirely Oy an agent
whose instructions are simple but emphatic viz. -
the Tsns % eject the 0c
tenement houses without local superintendent. the
committee would respectfully call the attention OF
the Board to the following reports of inspectors.
The examples might be multiplied by hundreds
Inspector James reports:-"During the past three
mas my 70 paS wes 70
street for the purpose Of investigating the COM
plant Of some citizen regarding their sanitary con-
dtlon, ana have, without exception, found the
premises filthy almost beyond description. Each Of
these houses is five story building, containing re.
social ana moral Condition seems to harmonic With
the appearance OF the houses, and their surround.
ings. The halls, sairways, walls and ceilings are
filthy with dirt and grease the cellars receive daily
the CASTOR articles Of dress and other refuse matter
Of the various occupants OF the houses; the
p,Vls sewer ere dpan oostruced the vault allied
to 0vernOwng, and the floors and seats OF the
privy buildings fithy with human excrements to
such an extent as 10 make them unfit for use, rem
derng necessary for the tenants to bring out their
excrements In vessels to be dep0stted IN the prvy
vault by which means these structures become daily
more filthy: the yards are often filthy with garbage
and night soil, the hydrant drain frequently OBJ
structed and the hydrant sink overnowing with filthy
water Much Of this IL, without doubt, owing TO the
carelessness or righteousness OF the tenants, and
could be easily prevented by rigid system Of local
from which f' all obsrucons could be easily re-
moved by proper care and attention, which should
be daily bestowed by some one duly author
lied and well paid tor bis trouble. The same
watchful guardian should see that the garbage OF
each family is properly disposed Of that the cellars
are not maze Tie TeceptaCleS lOI any Improper ina
terlal that the stairs floors, walls and ceilings OF
the halls are regularly cleansed and whtewashed;
and that the yards kept clean, the hydran Drain
unrestricted and sinks daily cleansed. One OF the
tenants OF No. 433 s authorized to let the rooms and
receive the rent OF the two houses but beyond this
he seems to have or at least exercise but little au-
thOry. HIS duties should be extended to the thor
Ough cleansing OF the premises so often as they
require 1t, and he should at all times be held re-
sponsibe for their condition, for 1t Is only by the
EFFORTS and constant attention OF local superlnten-
dent that the class OF tenants occupying these
houses can be made to pay proper attention TO their
sanitary interests"
Inspector Post reports on five tenement houses In
East Thirteenth street az folows:."Ihese houses
are constantly kept In degree Of filth dangerous
to life and health The dwelling and sleeping rooms
are generally dirty and foul, the walls OF the same
as also the walls OF the halls being begrmed with
dirt and grease. The yards are always foul with
dirt rubbish and ashes. The cellars are almost con-
stantly filed with dirt and rubbish The street and
cutters in front OF the houses are frequently OBJ
structed with garbage, stops and ashes. In these
houses there Is no local supervision exercised by
any responsible person. The absence OF such super
vision Is very manifest as the houses are entered.
or mn cOuld readily