The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-09
Disease and Dirt Deluging the
Metropolis.
AHONTTNABLE ABUSES
The Street Contractor To Be Indicted
by the Grand Jury.
HORRORS IN HARLEM.
Eleven Hundred Citizens Petition the Board
OF Health To Abolish the Con.
tractors Pet Dumping Ground.

One day last week the HERALD called the atten-
ton OF the public to the dangerous and filthy con-
dition OF the streets, and from the impression then
made by the forcibe article in the HERALD the Board
of Health has taken the matter up, and there is now
some probability that New York will soon enjoy the
novelty OF clean streets. Upon an order issued by
the Board the Sanitary Inspector sent ont a
number OF his assistants to examine the condition
OF the ctys surface, and the result OF these gentle
mems labors has been sent in to the Board One
especial and very noticeable feature Of that paper
is the constant reference to the cobble stones and
the imperfect paving OF the streets. This phase OF
the present difficulty was first pointed out by the
HERALD and its enormity and danger to the public
health had never been dreamed OF until 1t was
described in the article alluded to above.
The contract under which the streets are now
ALLOWED TO Tester WITH FILTH
only asks the holder OF that instrument to clean the
paved streets ana he most certainly translates the
phraseoogy OF the contract in the broadcast sense.
The disarrangement OF q couple OF cobbe stones is
sufficient excuse for the present Scavenging Bri-
gadc to forsake entire block. A rut in the next
row of houses will result in the same thing, and
for the length of entire street, until the thor
oughfare
REEKS WITH ROTTING CARRIAGE.
When the matter was started in the Board of
Health yesterday Commissioner Barr, after long
speech upon the universal filth of the city, proposed
that the Board request the Grand Jury to ndct the
street contractor or take some other definite
TO protect the lives the people The Commissioner
said in the course OF his remarks:-'F something
have an epidemic sweeping this city such
as has been recently devastation Philadelphia. The
subject Is q most serious one and demands the
instant attention OF the Board. II the contractor
will not perform the duty for which he is paid then
the proper authority should be found out and the
law enforced. 1t Is dreadful to think what the city
may he subjected to by the greed of one man,
President Bosworth informed the Commissioners
that the Board OF Health had no jurisdiction the
contractor whatever; an erroneous impression had
gone forth, which gave the people to suppose the
Board OF Health had the power to order the clean
ing OF the streets at any moment Such, the Presi-
dent explained, is not the case. The Board has no
power to incur any outlay unless an appropriation
has been made for that especial purpose. Com
missioner Mulaly asked the President if the
Cleaning Commission. To this the President an
swered THE only power the Street Cleaning
Commission has over the present contractor is to
STOP THE PAYMENT OF HIS BILLS
and that has been done recently, bat it only re-
missioner Manierre proposed that in the present
deplorabe condition of affairs the public be petit
ryss to %Ost na eous Of % eas ssa
streets, and that the Board, undertake
to TO- do the work. He said that i
be cleaned in thirty days. This absurd motion was
voted down by President Rosworth, Commissioners
Oeccarin Gross and Dr. stephen Smith. Commis-
soners Mutually, Manierre and Barr voted for the
motion. After some further discussion of the sub
iect it was dismissed, with suggestion from Pres
dent Bosworth to attach order the report Of
the City Sanitary Inspector compelling the contrac
cor to
CLEAN THE PAVED STREETS
lanes and alleys OF the city according TO the letter
OF the contract under which he holds the position.
On the conclusion OF the regular business OF the
Board committee OF citizens was received hy the
Board, who had gone there to present petition
signed by LOO cititizcns in Harlem and the
vicinity against the further OF dumping OF
garbage and filth in that locality by the
contractor. The HERALD called attention TO the
abominabe nuisance in its recent article on the
streets ana showed very plainly the danger that
contractor bought the property some years ago nj a
merely nominal figure, and without any permit or
privilege commenced to fling the nth Of New York
into the ground and manufacture profitable property
for himself at the risk OF thousands OF lives This
though directly in opposition to law has been
continued ever since and the effect of IL has gone
on increasing until the people in the neighborhood
now drew an epidemic IRON the stencil coming
from
THIS DEcoMPosING MASS OF FILTH.
This ground which was complained OF by the peo
pie OF Yorkville and Harlem who pettioned the
Board of Health yesterday, lies between Ninety
second and 106th streets on the East River and.
content with making that district plague ground
the con tractors ofllcials have even gone far as
10 fill In bulkhead close to the Harlem Bridge
with the same matter thrown into the marshy
ground belonging To the contractor. The petition
presented by the committee signed by a num-
Der OF prominent citizens and the directors and
which was attended by over fourteen hundred chill
dren. These gentlemen as wen as the other sign
ers OF the document, state that
THE STENCIL ARISING PROM THE DISTRICT
complained OF is great that they have frequently
to shut up all the windows in their houses, even III
the warmest weather, to avoid the dangerous
effects OF the miasma In one Office, member OF
the committee said, three clerks had sickened one
afternoon, and they had to be removed rom the
ofilce TO save their lives. on the conclusion of the
committees testimony before the Board, Commits.
sloner Manierre moved that the Board of
Police be requested to arrest all persons
dumping garbage or street filth on this
ground in future, and the City Sanitary Inspector
examined and to report its exact condition TO the
Board. AL subsequent meeting OF the Board OF
PONCE an order was Issued to the force In support
OF commissioner Manierre's motion In the Board OF
Health, and thus, for the time being, the nuisance
OF dumping has been abated. The City SANITARY
inspector has been ordered 10 furnish his report
supplemented with sketch Of the condition OF
THE MANURE DUMPING GROUNDS
on both sides OF the island by Friday next and
there is no doubt the Board viii then order a
at the expense OF the contractor. The effect OF the
prompt action OF the Board OF Police In sustaining
the Board Of Health may be seen nom the report Of
Street superintendent Middleton, who says tina,
the recent order issued to the police 10
arrest all parties Ringing dirt into the streets
has made difference In the garbage carted
out OF the city in one week of 1000 loads. This in
ITSELF is a stupendous result and II is to be hoped
the police captains OF the several precincts win
carry the order out tn the interest OF the public
The following is the report OF the city Sanitary
Inspector on the condition 0f the Streets
In compliance with your resolution OF the 9Th inst
have the honor to that tie tour Of
condition OF the streets regards cleanliness
found that the streets and avenues lying east %
Third and the Bowcry were in terrible condi
ton The excessively filthy winters Accommodations had
not been removed, East OF Third avenue, from SHINY:
INST to Fourteenth streets, the streets were not well
cleaned and presented the usual appearance that Is gen.
orally observed in the interval between the weekly
sweeping with the exception OF some streets where he
May day exodus seemed 10 have caused general empty
ing out IRON the houses OF all the accumulated household
rubbish of the year.
The avenues east of Fourth follows
removing sSss0p om S 10 ayt
clean Forty TO Thirty third streets; Thirty
third street 10 Gramercy Park not cleaD dirt consisting
OF fine dust
Third avcnue.Whole ZENITH and portions Of Fourth
were moi well cleaned cutters obsructed nearly whole
length. In these avenues and streets. the Mutual
Gas Light Company have recently been laying pipes and
much refuse dirt has been left BY them which creates
me dust and adds much 20 the unclean conditions
SECOND ayenue.-Not well cleaned. The cobble stone
pavement Of this avenue from Forty street 10
STSsehsSeenh street presents surface broken and
apuhsu ana nlled with sunken holes. that thorough
Citanlug IL q an mi