New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-06-10
PLAGUE SPOTS.
THE Sanitary CONDITION OF THE CITY.


where pest-brcedng nuisanccs have been gathering III
comparative harmleSness since Summer public alter
ton naturally turns toward the general sanitary con
ton Of the inhabited by the poorer classes OF the
city The following sketch does not deal with the ln'
nal arrangement Of the tenement houses or win the
sinks and drains it simply depicts the condition Oh inc
streets in the worst portions of the town. rs
by an extended tour Of investigation through them
The first point Of interest visited was the manure
dumping ground FOrtyGfthst. ana East RIVER nut inc
sight Of the rocky hills. covered WIN shan'S'
that one must encounter before reaching that spo Su6
gested that it has been fortunate thing Tor
that its uptown squattors largely fOuhd upon
these ran-washed rocks rather than in boys 1t very
difficult to start pestlcnce in such quarters ana the
mpossbty Of gathering dirt from beneath them must
certainly have the effect of making the generations
reared upon these rocks clearly than those Drought
up in boys There Is not very large amount OF lnhuo
deposited at the foot Of Fortythst but rs 1t is spread
over an area equal 20 that OF several uptown squares
the odor given forth is something appalling. The writer
sat down TO make some note of the appearance ~
the dumping ground. but was presently compeieo' -
stress Of gastric remOnsrancc, to leave the .no
The main objection TO the business carried U" -
seems TO he, that instead OF using the wharf d" -. r
OF access TO boats, the large space is useu io .t
mancnt deposit ana rotiing of the m''Iuio '7
which the whole ncighborhOod must o'Joo' and
necessary and unlawful Adjoining theSe e.o", 90
equally offensive, is the great DITCH D''i',1H -, 49,
Butchers Hide and Melting Assool"Von' ""o o
now running their establishment in spite OF inc prooS
OF the people OF that region. IL was st''ou "' "
nicotine f the Board Of Health that they were WORKING
ID ,oission of one of the Health Commissioners,
, ~ t,e,, reouested to be allowed to go on until
,oir case is definitely decided. All around the fat
meters building gathered substantial slaughter
houses built of brick and fitted with all the latest con-
trivances for butcheriug cattle and sheep careiu
examination Of these showed that the business was car
lqtpa ines az 81
reasonably expected. The amount of butchory done
in that quarter can he imagined from the fact
that the liver is for at least 10 feet from the Shore
during working hours The old dumping nuisance at the
foot of nirty-eightl-St. has been suppressed Inc
grounds have been scraped Clean and Thirty eighths
Is building up with rubbish to the level OF FlIstaVe-
almost to the bukhead, The low spots, containing pools
of water show that this was an excellent place to carry
on the rotting business load of manure was spread
with the other "hing at the time of the visit as If the
force of habit still sometimes brought the carriers OF
manure TO the old place OF deposit On the s0uthsde OF
the street stands the immense Kip's Bay Mdt House.
which can scarcely add 70 the salubrty OF the region
There are 10 noticeable traces of the nusances formerly
existing about the foot of Twentyeigth, Twentynth'
and Thirteth-sts., except the brewerieS
In the lofty tenement houses about Twentythirdst
and Frstave ii is curious many windows so
full of feather beds taking their morning airing that
the rooms have chance for ventilation; While
IN each narrow oul-dc-SGc, between the houses
autter myriads OF halfwashed garments. In Twenty
frstst. below Frstave. once perpetual fever nest
the ground is chiefly occupied by gas-hOuses and fac
tories. In Twenteth-st., below FIrStave, which had
the same in repute the distorted appearance OF some of
the houses shows that they built upon such UNI
settled ground as apt TO breed disease. Nearly the
whole of the land of Firstave, between Thirty
third-st. and seyenteenth-St, is artificial, while
that vast tract between Twenty-thrd-st and
Fonrtl-st east Of Avenue A, which includes
nearly the whole length Of Avenues b, c, and
d. has been built upon marshy or water lots,
which will sufficiently account for its unheahiness.
Through all this space and in many others further
south the dead level of the surface very mper
feet drainage The cutters have practically no incina
ton very small mass of rubbish consequently causes
sagnant pool. III Eighteenth-st., east of Avenue A.
the cutters were badly cOgged with rubbish. The tar
pavement Of the roadway, originally very rough, Is iu
of deep ruts. There are many stables here,
and the long lines of idle trucks and
wagons must greatly impede 1.-THE work of street
sweepers when they do occasionally show themselves
The smallness of the receptaces for garbage shows
that the visits of the ash carts toeraby frequent
In fact inquiry i'll all the districts visited showed that
these carts came all of them at least once day The
Glthiness found in many of them is due then partly to
imperfect STRENGTHENING. and partly TO the ignorance
ana sovcnness of the househoders and that extreme
poverty which makes the possession of suitable
cases. throughout parts the tenants throw their
refuse food in the streets many doubtless who have no
proper recepaces this late at night to avoid the eyes
Of the police and censure Of their neghbors.
Seyenteenth-st in its dead level reach of made
ground from Frstave to Avenue d. presents especial
opportunity for the accumulation of filth which Is not
neglected The holes in the roadways-which would be
harmless in streets inhabited by clearly
here usually "leveled-up" with garbage.
II would absolutely necessary for the maintenance
Of ordinary cleanliness that the cutters OF all this dis
trct should be hoed out once day This would permit
the passage liquid Stops to the sewers and scatter the
solid garbage In Sixteenth-st, between Avenue and
b. there are, beside evils such the foregoing, the
nosone stables Of the South Ferry with their long
accommodating manure heaps fostering in the sun. No
such care taken here made compulsory at the car
ficpots of most lines. Below Avenue T. the roadway,
long ago torn up, is very pesgatherer The river ends
of these streets seem, viewed in the distance raised into
= lcyec. No amount Of could make them as
wholesome as the hily parts OF the town--even
tbc heaviest rains barely suffice 20 clear the
cutters Flftecnth-st., from Firstave. to Avenue
b. has many holes in the roadway leveled
mp with ashes and garase' I1ele Is general sl ant
Elcycntl-st., an Older settled place blessed WIN
marsh instead Of waterloo toundatlon, some improve
garbage GlnXs baby" is not met
at every step, lheIS ar The iIalitats are Higher
prced" people. But st. al those squares are as Level
SlNttl-et., bcINcVH Avenues y anu D.
has another specimen roadway. Here a. elsewhere,
singular contrast is noticeable between me TWO sdes of
te street WHERE the sX-sOry basement tenenents with
:, store i'm each basement loom mp, majestic gloomy
Of the haud-tO-hand struggle ol the
,nor with the evils that be-ct them Tie contrast Is
MAI ON the north side the windows are ul or nOWerlnS
plants while on the shady south sue t'y ae, ~ .Lo
uoruuC M least in scores OF cases cramlned 70 sun0Ca
t0n with fcatherbcds sometimes four deep WOhdeIIu
i, the vista of cOthe,-ncs and hutterng SaIin.nIs
where gan j. found IN these blocks. Though aQlI-
emily trirng matter, this block aud tackle lhNellol
which enables any window-conrohng tenant 10 Hate
exclusive possession OF sufficient un-lunned space
1r cotbesdrviug has effected one OF the most Important
.auitarv Improvement, record. -
The REGION bounded by Fourth, Lewis, and CollaSis
ts and fc river which H. also level made ground mas
always suffered from poor drainage and general NUM-
ness. II displays signs of Improvement Rotten old
fopt.perta alouud here. and OiAcf