The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-13
TENEMENT HORRORS.
Model Houses for Human
Beings.
How some People Live
and Thrive.
Is There law to Protect the
2oCr2

I'heSenement house system which row prevails in
ehis city Is certainly an abomInatien OF the very
worst Description. The press LED by the HERALD,
for years doke all that lay in fs power 70 have
Unchanged 10 something like civilized basis; but
tine work has all along been an uphill one, and has
resulted, far in very little permanent good. il Is
true that agitation OF the subject awakened the
Legislature some time ago from their apathy in ref
erence horrible condition of the poorer classes
who obliged to live under ground and In attics
six be- four and a result law was passed looking
10 their future welfare. But like great many other
laws that appear 30 well on paper it has been,
ever since It WAS passed. almost dead
letter far as the miserable tenement house people
concerned, and to-day their condition Is not the
Ieas, Dit better than II was previous to Mr.. Keadys
effort sc Albany on their behalf. The law provided
thst every house, tenements among the rest should
be properly built ventilated and provided with
means OF escape against fire. Now and then 1t be-
comes known that such and such houses have been
reported being in unsafe condition. or that this
tsat or the other thing IS the matter with them,
which Is not permitted by the act which regulates
the building and OF real estate III the great city
OF New York but there for all that hundreds of
houses which are looked after; breeding places
of death; charnel houses Of slow and fostering
disease in al Its forms; aud is 1t 10
be supposed that the proper authorities
know nothing OF these places9 The fact
is many OF the tenement houses III the city have
become Of such repute that the New Yorker is very
ignorant who has not heard OF them by the various
distinctive appelatons which their rottenness has
won from the righteousness Of the surrounding neigh
Dorhoods. Among Others might be instanced the
"Colony,D in East Thirty-seventh street; Battle
Row. IA East Twentieth street; "Cochroach HaliH
IN Elm street, and the Barracks" in Madison
street, al OF which are a disgrace TO common de-
cency and an outrage on common humanity. 1t is
not to enter into detailed description Of
The horrors OF each or Of any OF these places There
Is one, however the west side OF town, very
several cody and highly respectable neighborhoods.
within leap or two OF our most crowded thorough
1afe, IN comparison with which, though 1t may not
be so well known TO fame any OF these which have
been partculaIized nor even doubtfully honored
with nickname peculiar to itself, YET before the
utter nhumanity OF Its management, the sickenlng
misery OF Its interior and the peculiar aggravanon
which surrounds Its every condition the rest may
well hide their diminished heads.
On the east side OF Sixth avenue, between Twenty
ninth and Thirteth streets there are at the present
two enormous brick structures, with a frontage Of
some sixty feet and depth OF about fifty feet They
would be styled BY builders and real estate brokers
'slX story double deckers," and 1t is to these to
which reference has been made. The ground floor
divided into three stores-a grocery, plumbing
shop and (of coursel liquor store, with doorway
between each store, which affords access to either
tenement These stores the worst OF their class.
The cellars are in horrible condition, with the ac
=
ting unheeded within them. and sending never
falling supply OF poisonous etiluvia TO permeate the
regions above them. Indeed it requires no common
degree or courage mot to speak or pretty strong
stOmach) for one VINO Is unaccustomed to 1t not to
turn away at once after he has been saluted with
burst OF It's aroma upon opening one OF the doors.
Tine stairs are as weak and decrepit as Old age and
constant wear and tear can make them. They have
been 80 worn away into rotten and splnterY ho-
lows that there seems to be but the thickness OF a
sheet Of paper between the foot which ascends
them and It's Sudden disappearance into the myste-
however, when the andlady (ior 1t is one OF the
genter sex who Is the fortunate owner Of this monu
Inent to her sex's superiority, for the only time
since her purchase of II, paid the premises visit
and caused some trlllng repairs 10 be made. Then
the first flight OF each house became decorated with
II set OF iron plates which look too heavy to be
borne by their trail and creaking supports and seem
10 add thereby 10 the insecurity OF any one passing
up and down. The rest Of the stairs TO the top
story were left untouched, and they are gradually
melting away, so to speak, beneath the constant
tread Of the tenants, until at any time they
may disappear from the vulgar gaze The
first moor OF each house Is occupied by
four families, each living In two rooms and paying
therefor fourteen dollars per fmonth. The same
safe OF things holds good TO the top OF the house,
with this difference, that as you ascend flight OF
stairs the rent tol a ''sut OF roomsn becomes one
dollar per month cheaper; the lowest SUN paid for
any two rooms in either house being ten dollars,
the two back apartments on the sixth story. The
general appearance OF the houses is bad, the ceilings
being S and .e soev 0 and a bac many nan
oil tenants averages four to each set OF apartments
"a man, his wife and two chidren, although it Is a
positive fact that there have been many as seven
elgnt living IN two rooms at one and the same
time. One woman. living on the hrst moor,
informed our reporter that she occupied a
halfnoor or four rooms, wnen the rents
were cheaper and that she got along very well, for
she had twelve boarders; but that since they had
through ana had to give up keeping boarders alto
getner. Counting four persons to an apartment
there now living under one roof eighty souls or
In both houses lG0 young and DID, and this without
reckoning those who throng the stores. With all
huddlcd together in such confined space, the in
terror rs may be imagined, Is none Of the cieanest,
and 1t swarms even to the top 1oors with huge aud
bldeous rats, bred in the filth and noisomeness OF
the cellars below and Of a stable for thirty-hve
horses which adjoins the buildings IN the rear, and
which contributes small share OF fragrance to the
decacy of the surrounding atmosphere. Moreover,
and 1t Is no Insignificant item OF discomfort, nc
water reaches either OF the two top Goors and none
OF any substance which may ind its way
into the waste pipes has unrestricted egress
up through the holes which cover their openings
These things are bad enough in humanity's name
but they are only the ingredients or slow and un
wholesome disease, which hundreds OF otner places
IN this city share in common with these buildings
ano they are almost TOO commonplace to awaken
In Of the existence OF such places those just
described, If New Workers woke up some fine morn
ing with q genuine sensation already effected in
their midst-tor instance, If couple OF hundred OF
their fellow citizens having been burnt to death
while they slept securely, and then, perhaps, after
the horse ts stolen public opinion may cause the
stable door TO be locked; or, In other words land
lady landlord may become socially ostracsed
for n very short time account OF their parcipa
ton in the slaughter OF two hundred persons. AnC
rs there really any danger OF such q contingency
Let US look at the facts IL Is well know fact tina
Mr.. Macgreg0r has notified the landady OF tnes,
premises three several and distinct times tas
sort OF Official formality, probably, each tmt
the place has been complained OF to cause Are es
oapes and bulkheads TO be placed on her buildings
IL hard to tell what influence has been brought Il
bear 20 save the expense and escape the penalty OF
dsobedlence but neither OF the notifications has
ever been complied with, and no steps have ever
been taken to enforce the law. The Railways OF the
houses are very narrow and not by any means sum
Gent 70 afford egress to the street TO large number
OF people, Ia case OF 1re even supposing tna
the 100 inmates could possibly be awakened
and have time to run down from the sixth
story. should fire start below, which Is most like
ly, then their fate would be certainly an inevitable
one, for, unless they were provided with wings OF
parfOok OF the nature OF salamanders, there would
be more hope for them on this earth. IL is true
that there ia ladder-a living skeleton OF ladder