New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-09
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
THE BOARD OF HEALTH AND THE TENE.
LIZ MENT HOUSES.


served upon him for the production OF two boatmen
lion, he had caught while violating the Quarantine
lava and sent down to the Lower Quarantine After
acme little informal discussion, the subject was dropped
Commissioner Stephen Smith, from the SANITARY oon
mttee reported at length on the condition ana manage
ment Of tenementhouses. After aludhg W inc oonui
on OF the class of people who inhabt tenementhouses
and their heplessness as contrasted WIN the snre"u
righteousness of landlords, the report says:
The Door are crowded into small unighted, and I'M
ventilated rooms, and with few or no cOnveheneeS tos
Cleanliness domestic filth in its worst forms accumuates
within and around their homes Living under such con
ditions year after year, the tenanthouse popuiaEn
create atmosphere charged with the elements OF the
most virnlent and destructive diseases Iufanie life Is
scarcely prolonged through the first year, ana as q
marked exception reaches its first decade the decaed
generations which arrive at adult years, exhibit the
feebleness and decrepttude OF age IL Is among thls
q congenia soil, and from it that they so frequently
burst forth and spread through the nelghD9ring com
munites Aud every year. whatever may Dc tae general
healthfuness OF the town, IL 10 IN the tehement'
house districts that the great baancesheet OF us exees
ment house system presents its worst features more
than onehalf of the total population live in tenement
houses The great majority OF these houses are ola
buildings reconstructed for the purpose OF packing the
away the plan Of the largest NJ IN @
of feet may be regarded AS the rule rather
than the exception. The landlords or the tenement
houses rs class, are among the weathest citheh S
of NewYork Frequently they are the heirs OF te oa
estates upon which these houses stand Ihey manage
their tenemenhouse property through agents, anu h
rarely take any other personal interest IN II tan tue
They make improvements except under the greatest
pressure and frequently allow their houses TO ia INTO
state OF the most wretched dlapdation The Committee
have made extended tours through the tenenentnouse
districts Of the city, and have made personal eknlna
the management ana condition OF tne larger
building, of this class general thoy found that the
worst class tenement houses were those where iahd'
lord had accommodations for ten families and upwards
and these buildings comprise than half of the tone
ment houses Of the city, and accommodate fnly Two.
thirds ofthe entire tenementhouse population Where
the number OF families living under one owner exceeded
ten 1t was found that such owner was engaged In the
Keeping Of a tenomenthouse or tenement-hOuses as
business and generally n speculation. He was seeking
certain percentage his outlay aud that percentage
ceeded a. Der cent IL Is among this class or tenement
houses that nearly all the eyll1 Oh the use
city the Committee visited these establishments, with
few exceptions hereafter TO be noticed the same cond
and In the areas around their dwellings extreme want OF
care The street front of the place was reekng with
were foul with excrements; the court was lmper-
fcctly paved. wet. and covered with domestic h
tween the rear aud front houses, were dllapi,,
dated and gave out volumes OF nosome olqrs when ea
tho hole area and dfused through all the rooms
opening upon 1t: and the halls ana apartments OF tho
wretched occupants were close unventiaten. ana un
clean The CON plant universal among the tenants
that they entirely uncarod Tor aud that the Only
to their requests to have the place put I'D oner
must pay their rent leave. inquiry VIII disclose the
man or lady either living in an afstocratic part OF the
city. or IN nelghboring ciiy OF I as was
erty is entirely by an agent whose Instructions
are simple but emphatic viz. collect the rents In ad
vance, or, falling eject the occupants. As examples OF
the condition Of large tenement houses without local
,uperutendence, the Committee would respectfully can
The attention of the Board the following reports OF III
spectors The examples might be multiplied by hund-
reds Inspector James reports during the past thIee
year, to has Ssno6 SsGG houses au Nos ana 55
Wost Thirty-niuth-st, for the purpose OF III.
yesgatng the complaint Of some citizen regarding their
sanitary condition and have, without exception. found
the premises nhy almost beyond description Zach OF
these houses is hyestory building containing resyct
iyelv IL and families whose social ana moral CONDITION
harmonic win the aHpenranSs o, tno N
ceilings tlthy with dirt ana grease Tue ce.is re-
celvo daily the cast on articles OF dTess ara 80
other refuse matter OF the various occupants OF
the houses; the pTlyles are constantly ke'' ,h
vault cd 10 overlooking and the floors and seats ~ the
puyy buildings tly with human eNcroments 10 such an
extent AS 10 make them uut Tor use rendering 1t neces
sr. To be Deposited In the priyy vault by which means
the structures become daily more hthy the yards are
often nlthy with garbage anu h'sn' sou, tmo ny
drant drain frequently ohStructed, ana the MIGRANT
tnS without d,h, owing 70 the carccssuoss or
mallcioasncss of Tie tenants, and could be easily pre-
priyy has q sewer connection from which all obstruc
lions could be easily removed by proper care aud atten
ton which SHOULD 10 daily bestowed by some one duly
authorized and well paid for his trouble. The same
watcful guardian should that the garbage OF each
family properly disposed Of that the cellars are not
made the rccepthccs for any improper MATERIAL that
tine stairs. floors. walls, and ceilings OF the
washed, aud that the yards are kept clean
the hydrant drain unohiruced and sinks daily cean,ed
one OF OF No. I33 is authorized To let the
rooms receive the rent OF the two houses but be
yond this he seems TO have or at least exercise but te
cleansing OF the premises often "a they require 1t, and
tom for Il Is only by the efforts aud constant attention
Of local superintendent that the class OF tenants oecu
pyiHg these houses can be made to pay proper attention
Ia their sanitary interests Inspector Post re-
port. five tenement houses In East Thirteenth
scp, as in degree Of nth dangerous to lie
aud health. The dwelling and sleeping rooms are gene
rally dirty and foul: the walls Of the same also the
walls OF the halls being begmed with dirt and grease
The yards always foul with DIRT rubbish and ashes
The cellars are almost constantly filed with dirt and
rubbish The and cutters Ia front Of the houses
frequently filed with garbage, slops and ashes Ia
these houses there local supervision exercised by
any responsible person The absence Of such supervision
Is very manifest the houses entered Examples Of
similar character c0uld readily DC multiplied ia my
district II necessary"
The report then mentions several tenement houses In
which cleanliness Is the rule, the colonies being under
supervision Of agent appointed by the propretors
Among these are n lvcstOry building, No. 1875 West
Twenty sxhst another At No. 40 East Fourteenth ST.
third at No sos East Eleventh ST.; and six Seventh
st. Nos. 100 I72 inclusive. The latter spoken OF
model tenement houses. The report concludes thus:
In the latter class OF tenemenhoses the Inspector,
and through him the Board have To deal with an inte
gent oyerseer who is In position TO exact implicit ODE
dience from the tenants 10 every ordinance require
ment OF this Board Aud that 1t scearly In the interests
the landlord improve by practicable the
sanitary condition OF his tencmcnthOuso property the
nieHt Of the Board. 20 far the public health l.
cerned large aforementioned may be so conducted
trades When neglected by its owner it becomes.
not only dangerous to the lives aud health
OF its occupants but dlfuses widely the ec-
mcnts OF the most fatal diseases. The evils
sultng from tcnementhouses not due 10 the simple
aggregation OF human beings upon limited area,
for people might remain healthy packed more closely
than In the dcnsely crowded houses In NewlOrk pro
red they had free Of pure air. good aud sufficient
food, and preserved proper cleanliness There are
pies in this city Of 100 persons living upon single lot
2jX0O feet and yet maintaining high degree Of health
because the conditions OF health just mentioned
fully preserved In their homes II Is only when these
conditions neglected, IN tho tenement houses
aged simply for profit aud without regard TO the welfare
Of the occupants that they become the great hOtbeds OF
disease and the sources OF our enormous mortality.
In view Of these facts the Committee Of the opinion