The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-31
THE DUMPING GR0UNDJ.

A Herald Reporters Visit to tho Site OF
Formidable Nutsa nce-1ow the Meats
Of Washtngton Market Receive Their
SAVIOR, and How DistcmPers Arc Bred.
The action Of the Board OF Health on Tuesday, In
the matter Of the vesey street dumping ground,
excited great interest IN Washington Market, par
ticularly IN that part of it known as West Washing.
ton Market The fact that the Board OF Heath had
referred the matter to the Dock Commissioners
urging upon them the removal Of this dumping
ground to some part Of the city higher up and less
Objectionable than the present site. apparently
convinced those in the vicinity that the recon.
mendation would be carried out to the letter.
1t will be remembered that DR.. Judson, the SAINT.
tary Inspector In his report to the Board of Health
stated that in every way this dumping ground was
In most Objectionable locality; that the constant
dumping OF all kinds Of refuse In the immediate
neighborhood Of q market which does as much il
not more business than all the other markets Of
the city combined was detrimental to the health Of
the city, from the fact that 1t was apt to
faint the meats and provisions sold to the
public. In the annual report Of the Board
Of Health in 1869 1t is expressly stated
that the market "is in the immediate vicin-
ity Of . dumping ground which furnishes
offensive odors in wet weather and In dry
weather clouds OF dust which are blown through
market, de1ling the food exposed for SALE" In
1871 Sanitary inspectors Stiles and Judson said
that "This market cannot be placed In good san
itary condition, situated as 1t is behind the CON-
pact heaps OF large dumping ground, where
thousands of loads OF street manure are forked
over and expo sed to the sun and rain"
Yesterday HERALD reporter proceeded to the
spot, so as to verify in what measure these dump
ing grounds were in the condition described. The
dumping ground Is Immediately at the foot OF
sks md IN
West Washington Market. The aspect OF the place
is repulsive III the extreme, and
MOST VIOLENT SMELL
pervaded the atmosphere In the immediate vic1n-
1ty and also for distance OF one block It could be
ascertainec that there was q nuisance In the vi.
cnity long pier bulges ont into the river, and
and dump their loads Of frightful fifth Oh the pier
into large barges, which are stationed below,
away sns1 WAY SS csr
arrives and II there is the slightest breeze the
dust, which natural arises from throwing load of
ashes some dozen feet down, forms for 4 moment
perfect cloud, which is carried away in
moves Oh, scattering whatever particles remain
about the dock, where they lay, fostering and rot
times the barges Which collect this Nth remain at
the dock for couple OF days, and the great mass Of
putric vegetable, animal and mineral refuse lies on
the spot, sending around great mass OF putrescent
odor, enough in itself to breed all manner OF dier
rhGal disease. On these barges 1t is dricult to
explain what ignoble refuse rests. II is composed
OF all the most filthy particles thrown out from
private houses, restaurants. &C., already
but which, when once more transported through
the streets and when dumped down in the barges
again, Is always in an advanced degree OF decompo
sttOn. When the rain beats down upon the seething
mass the forlest odors proceed from 1t, but when
the sun again comes out the work OF rottenness is
odors Infinitely surprising anything that can be
imagined by the reader. Yesterday this was the
the mass and thick deady steam arose from the
dock and the dumping barges. The huge conglO
meration OF putrld meat and iat, bones, rotten
eggs, rotten vegetables and the thousand and one
things that 60 make up what Ia commonly termed
garbage" gave forth putrescent acridly sweet
smell which seemed to pervade everything.
THE AVERAGE pUNPINGS
IN the Vesey street grounds are 1900 carts per
and alter dumping their loads come BACK BY fu
nth Course left & rot tG IL the s r. sss
the men connected with the market with whom
the HERALD reporter spoke yesterday said that he
the stencil was 90 great from the droppings rom
the carts lying fostering IN the streets that the
again placed on the carts, only sometimes to fall
out once more. On the dock itself the dragging
this rotten stun around, which the cartmen are by
no means anxious to remove, and which In the
shovel Up, only thereby adding to the ALREADY yery
lamentabie state OF AFFAIRS
ONE or THE WORST FEATURES
or this carelessness In dropping these particles lies
plank roadway in West washington Market, where
such drippings fall between the crevices and are
probably never removed. remaining there until
they nnally, after giving their due quota OF bad
odors, rot away until they fall away to dust. A
butcher in the West Washington Market told the
HERALD reporter yesterday the stencil from the
dumping grounds and the pieces Of refuse left
around attracted TO the neighborhood vast guam
titles OF MES. which spoiled and bloated
in the end, II became . serious
Item in the profit and loss account. He said the
Washington Market men sincerely desired to have
the dumping removed to same other locality, ana
that he had no doubt would be, because this was
question In which the whole public was interested
Upon II depended to no small extent the healthi-
ness OF the food which New York eats. For West
washington Market the odors and for washington
Market the rotten Dust makes very great diner.
encc In the purity Of the eatables sold.
To-day the DOCK Commissioners have O meeting
ana will, no doubt, take some action Oh the
subject.