The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-10

British Isles have not known In many years
The Irish vote, for the present, seems the key
to the situation
Further Sanitary Needs-Thc Harlem
E e...4s. - s...xs.s-ss,
1t was one of the Arguments Of the friends
of the Second Empire that the personal rule
Of the Emperor brought with it order, prompt
execution of the laws and the best sanitary
administration. They would point to Paris as
sample of the latter excellence and COM
pare Its hygienic condition with that of other
capital cities. General Butler, hated, dreaded
and despised, drew even from his enemies the
admission that New Orleans was never cleaner
than under his proconsulate. The secret of
the success Of both Of these exemplars in this
department Of government was in the pos
session of authority and the judy
ment and courage how and where to exercise
it. We have such an authority in our own
city. Judge Pratt in his recent decision de-
nying the application of the marketmen for
an injunction to restrain the Board of Health
from demolishing their booths, unhesitatingly
stated that the authority Of the latter was
virtually unlimited. and that should they SEQ
fit to declare the City Hall q nuisance they
might order its removal. 1t may be remarked
here incidentally that it is to be regretted that
some dawning sense of this great RESPONSE
bility seems never to have come to the Board,
either in their present or previous organization,
that they might have proceeded, in however
fragmentary way, to the Herculean labor of
cleansing this Augean stable.
We recognize thankfully, however, their
good work in other directions, noticeably in
the matter of the markets; but simple sporadic
action of this kind will not satisfy the people
of New York 1t is homely proverb that one
swallow does not make Summer, and SINH
larry the removal of single nuisance does not
meet our present sanitary requirements Thus
to cart the garbage of households and the
slime of the streets from one part of the city
to another cannot be regarded as its removal,
nor is it wholesome. Yet this is pre-
cisely what the Board of Health have
been doing. Commencing at Ninety-third
street, between it and Ninety-second street
and running north to 1O8th or 10th street, east
of Third avenue, lies stretch of marsh
land subject in part to tidal overflow, which
has long been an eyesore to the inhabitants of
this part Of the island. Of no use whatever
in its present condition, it has impeded the
growth of the upper district and presented to
surrounding property owners the character of
a permanent nuisance. This was bad enough
in its normal state but in an evil hour the
Board of Health, moved in their spasmodic
sympathy with public feeling to attempt
remedy, chose it as dumping ground,
with the view, it may be charitably claimed, Of
filling it up. The remedy, however, hos
proved worse than the disease.
Acres Of salt marsh may offend the eye, or
with their cold, damp exhalatons undermine
the constitution. but they do not offend the
sense of smell. Garnish the same, however
with top dressing Of the citys sweepings, its
garbage and swill, and unless one be favored
with an absence of olfactory sense he feels the
presence of a nuisance. The inhabitants of
Harlem and the neighboring Yorkville dis
trict complain of just this nuisance
The extent of the nuisance de-
ponds, of course, much upon the
prevailing wind and existing atmospheric
conditions which stimulate and diffuse the
noxious exhalations of this noisome accumula-
ton. An idea of its volume may present itself
TO the nostrils of the Sanitary Superintendent
when we add that it has been sensibly expert
enced as far west as Fifth avenue and as far
north as 125th street. There is no necessity for
this If the Board of Health insist upon the
necessity of using these fats as a dumping
ground let them adopt some plan
of wholesale disinfection or deterioration
that will abate the nuisance in the neighbor-
hood. At present the effect is seriously dam
aging to real estate interests, and it is said
many former residents of Harlem were induced
to remove solely on this account. Surely
modern science has provided the means
whereby great city may get rid of its daily
refuse without danger to the health of the
inhabitants, and the sanitary condition of one
section of the city ought not to be jeopardized
to improve that in another. The progress of
this questionable work of ''flling' has been
interrupted for the past two weeks, but
whether permanently or not remains yet to be
seen. In any event the existing nuisance,
whether we refer it to the normal geographical
condition Of this part of the island or its
aggravation in the attempt at Improvement,
calls for prompt remedy. Heaps of often
sive material, imperfectly covered, disinfected
or deoderized, lie there to-day, reservoir
Of disease-breeding vapors, The Board Of