The New York herald., 1872-07-09
Facts and Figures for the Fortunate lnhabit'
ents OF Brown St0ne Mansisns.
DEFICIENT DRAINAGE.
Incursions Into the Wretched
Homes of the Poor.
DOWN IN THE DEPTHS

In the city was made yesterday by the assistant
health inspectors belonging to the Department Of
Health. The Board issued an order for this work
on Friday last, IN view OF the terrible heat and TO
endeavor to make some arrangement for securing
better class Of homes for the poor OF New York.
The scene In the City Sanitary Inspectors Offices
In Mott street yesterday morning was one OF unu-
sual hustle and excitement. All the available
medical talent OF the department. was
brought into reQuisition, and the inspectors
seemed thoroughly alive to the task committed
to their care. Dr.. Jaynes used tho greatest
discretion and Judgment In the selection
fthe men, ana assisted as he was by Dr. Ceccarni
whose experience of the workings Of the depart
ment were found to be OF great value, there could
be little chance Of An error being made
About twelve O'CLOCK, all tho arrangements
being completed, the doctors started on the
tour Of inQuistion, followed by number Of
attaches of the HERALD. Upon arriving in the
street the different parties separated to go in their
several directions, and the labor OF the day was
soon begun. Or. Judson, accompanied by two sub
inspectors, went directly to the Sixth ward. In
this locality, although the greatest care had
been taken by the police OF the dis
trict to enforce the health laws and make
the people cleany in their habits, frightml
condition OF things was found. The budding OF
the people together In such vast numbers in these
dreadful dens Ia bad enough at any time, and
always productive OF the most destructive diseases;
but at time when tho city Is suffering from such
an atmosphere as the population is at present
GIOANINa UNDER
the results OF this packing human beings into holes
are perfectly frghtul.
The ordinary limits OF indecency are completely
lost sight Of health is forgotten, and the lnhabi
tants rendered indolent by the heat, waow in dirt
rather than move about to clean themselves. A
great deal of this is due to the construction
Of the houses in which the poor pea-
pie arc compelled to seek homes. These
buildings are put up by set Of rapacious
greedy men, who only count the dollars they
bring and never give thought to the lives sacrl-
feed inside them. Hundreds Of them are the merest
shells, hammered together with lightning speed
and rented without the very first principles Of com.
foAt or humanity being attended to- The Sixth ward
abounds in mausOeums OF this description. In
some parts OF Mulberry street there are houses
inhabited by hundreds Of people that would be q
disgrace to barbarsm. Block after block of
these pest holes rear their fostering heads to the
skies, and it is indeed time some authority inter
posed to save q remnant of the peoples lives. In
place alone, called "Rag alleyn about two blocks
away from Park street, there Is a nest Of houses
that would be, enough in any other city In
the world to inject the entire population on either
side OF this block OF houses. An alleyway runs up
to SpGs e vs through 70 e next % t
semi.nude population OF the tenements, and 1t was
only here and there when a head or an arm moved
that human being could be distinguished
from q bundle Of filthy rags. The famous
or, more critically, the infamous 'Tabernace' still
stands on it's old foundation further down the same
street. in all its accustomed filtn. Every floor and
many Of the wretched rooms in this m0nstrOus
shell were visited, and more dreary, sad or re-
pu,-rye picture no eye could possibly paint Misery,
despair, and doubtless hunger struggled with
DIRT DISEASE AND DEATH.
+l,o oh, 4
garbage receptacle Of tho floor, and the stencil
arising from these gatherings OF dirt was posi-
Gs on o ss is se
traps OF windows only serve to admit the
foul odors given out by the several barracks
between it and the street. Those Immediately on
Mulberry street are built Of brick, but the
"Tabernacle" " and its additions are wood from tur-
ret to foundation. From the Sixth to the Fourth
description met the eye in that locality at every
footstep, street upon street OF these disseminating
tion. In the Fourteenth ward things were not
so bad although there were some one or two cases
an Hf 's fs o or m 10 wards 1e
TO tho niggardiness Of the landlords and the Sc
verify with which the captains OF police are carry
ing out the orders OF the commissioners In arrestng
every one throwing ashes or garbage into the
street, the Interiors OF the houses emit a stencil
never before found in them. The landlords will
not supply the people with proper ash boxes, the
police will not allow them to throw the filth into
the streets, and the result s the poor creatures
their children and sicken themselves.
RoOKERIEs OF TIE EAST SIDE.
"Arrall, now, and what are yes alther terday
capn,' was distinguishable among dozen more
foul-mOuthed utterances which were mingled in one
volume OF vulgar sautations as the HERALD, repre-
scnted by an innocent young man and champiOned
by stout, Qood-humored policeman, sta]ked into
the darkness and filth OF q tenement house hall
way in Fifth street, near First avenue. The door
was partially ajar, but there was no back entrance
and the nook between the steep, wind
ing stairs and the dirty wall was half filled with
t,n min nf fnt
porter, followed by his b0dyguard, plunged boldly
into the dim obscurlty and stumbled up the ascent;
children. attred In dirty garments, ragged at tho
extremities and disclosing bare feet and ankles,
well coted In sun.dried Nth. Cropping along, the
passage and mounting flight after light of creekng
stairs, they at length came to the highest
or sixth story, where little light struggled st gE.
ana disclosed to the vision the dark, greasylookng
panels OF a worn and battered door, Knocking
upon this voice from within said, "Come in," and
they entered.
A sCENE IN LOW LIFE.
The room was a small one. There was no carpet
t room s upon chnr and over his is aH arqS mus
cular woman with red hair and large ears, was
bending, as il she had paused in her work, and
was twisting her head half OF her shou-
ders, and doubtless producing some uncom-
Portable feeling in her neck by attempting
changing her position The good looks OF the re-
porter or the silver shield or the policeman QMr
William Murphy in ,he background, caused her TO
stand mp. As she did so something squalled out
from dark room at The right side OF the door,
"Mammalr with all the heart-percing pathos OF
childhood In trouble.
''Kape still, ye brat" and the fine specimen of q
mother picked an old shoe or her foot and lung it
In the direction whence the sound came. The sqna-
Ing ceased but 10 be renewed with greater vehe-
mence; and meanwhile the visitors improved the
opportunity to inspect the premises, the mothers
alarmed curiosity being for the moment diverted by
her anger against her child. The carpetess floor
was
BLACK WITH FILTH
which had become hardened on the wood by the
wear Of feet. In the fireplace was heap OF gar
bage and odd ends-bits Of rotten calico and the
bones that remained OF some scanty meal-and
squat upon the summit thereof q member of the
feline race was assiduously gnawlng and licking,
tcnance. table In the corner was loaded with
broken and dirty earthenware, the washing OF
which had been neglected for @ somewhat longer
time than the habits Of ceanly housewife should
have permitted.