New-York tribune., 1871-06-27
FEVER NESTS.
LIFE IN GOTHAM M-COURT-How THE SEWERS ARE
CONsTRUCTED-AOTION OF THE BOARD OF
HEALTH

LIrE IN GOTHAM -COURT-HOw THE SEWERS ARE
CONsTRUCTED-AOTON OF THE BOARD OF
HEALTH.
Great excitement exists in Cherry-st in con-
sequence OF the ordinance OF the Board Of Health decree
ing the evacuation OF GOthsmCOurt true Irish wall
went up at first the dire necessity OF moving
then came indignation and vows Of resistance
But hope that some arrangement might be brought
about between the Board and the owners OF the
property soon Modified the rate tenants and more peace
ful sentiments now prevail This hope however is des-
tined to prove falaciOus. There Is no doubt that the
Board will insist the carrying out Of their order, and
will then point out what alterations and improvements
they think necessary. and will insist upon their being
made before the building shall again be allowed to be III
habited.
So great is the divergence in the statements Of the
agents and the inspectors the condition Of these
buildings that THE TRIBUNE sent reporter yesterday
10 investigate the facts thoroughly The two tenement
houses Nos Sc and Cherryst., called Gothamcourt
but generally known Single and Double-aHey are
each FIVE stories high. They have frontage OF 80 feet
on Cherry-st and back 234 feet. They contain
14s sets of rooms two in each set; the dimen-
siOns Of the largest room being II feet inches
long, feet inches wide, and feet inches
high. The place derives it name from the fact
that whereas of the alleys has building on either
side the other has only building on its south side the
building between the alleys being double one, with
are mostly unoccupied, and in very diapidated
condition Altogether 40 sets Of rooms are untenanted
at present The shutters tumbling 70 pieces, the
plaster falling from the walls and the floors are dirty
| and black. These rooms have not been used
| for two or three years, in consequence, as
! the agent says. Of the mighty irrupton into
the court Of crowd Of low drunken rufians from the
neighDorng streets who find the large vaults and eel
lars and the sewers a safe hdingpace from the police
They think nothing Of breaking into Of the empty
rooms and passing the night there in the company OF
! the low women Of the neighbOrho0d taking To the
sewers on the approach OF the police Ihese
sewers are terrible disgrace to the city 1t is almost
impossible describe their horrors They run the entire
length Of either court under the tagging and open'
through sluces into the in Cherryst They are
exactly alike in construction including large vaulted
tunnel about feet high in the center OF the arch
and 10 feet wde with open canal, two feet in
| depth, in the middle, fOot-way on one side, and
| endless rows of closets, which drain into the
canal on the other. In the arched roof are
| large iron gratings opening into the court
above through which fetd exhalatons from the canal
pass up 10 poison the atmosphere All refuse matter
that Will pass through the iron bars is thrown through
these gatngs the below the dirty water and
| slops seek the same outlet through the drains The
canals OF the sewers have however running water.
Once a day the sluce AT the Cherry ST. ends closed
and the canals flushed with water from the ydrans
| OF the building.
inhabit the two houses is then raked up 10 mix II
with the water the sluice is opened and the horrible
mixture rushes and seeks its to the East River
But this only done in "a hours. Twelve stair
cases communicate with these sewers, and II passages
deavor 70 cspfre any one i'm court il is regular
of hide and seek and the thieves generally escape
The inhabited are for the most part, tidy and
clean especially in Snglealley, where the rents are
| rather higher in consequence Of the open space
ants seem quiet and respectable, and declare
that the ruffianism which has made their
e..
In poubealey the tenants have bad habit OF hanging
their clothes 10 dry lines stretched across the
days after washngday the entire space ned IN TINS
way and the circulation Of air into the windows Is
almost entirely stopped There is for this,
the extensive fiat roof is arranged dryngpace, and
/ is In every way suitable for the purpose.
some Sunday afternoon. Sometimes couple OF hundred
Of the young rougs Of the neghborhOOd assemble it
the long hours Of Sunday away, often iudulgng free
fight by way Of little excitement In the houses there
closets OF any kind and men, women and children
have indiscrimnatey the AbominaDle places in
| the sewers.
the agent the time having given notice that the
IN advance viii not be collected, as usual, on
Saturday evening The agent OF the owners thinks that
If done away with, the gratings tagged
over and proper closet arrangements made aud three
the houses in the double building at Intervals, are
pulled down, so as 10 create free cOscuIIents OF ar
and a high fence closes the entrance to Double
alley, then all that is necessary will have been done 70
make the houses decent and comfortable OF course, II
the TO DOuDleaey is closed TO Keep out the
rOugh passageways will have to be cut through from
Single into DOube-alley.
But the action OF the Board, however commendsble,
must only be regarded the beginning of very
ve and most necessary work There are thousands OF
tenementhOuses bad, though not large, Gotham
court many worse in the Fourth Ward.
IL the Five Points IN GreenWleh-s, Washington ST. and
and IN the Sixth Eleventh and Seventeenth Wards there
plenty Of tenement houses which require the lmme
date attention OF the authorities. More than half the
population this city live in teDementhouses should
any epidemic break out, the mortality among them would