The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-09
Table A.
Number cases of yellow occurring New YORK
THE HEALTH OF BROOKLYN.

Defective Sub.Soil Draining-Exccssiv
Mortality Last Ycar-Dcath Lurking
in Made Land-37 900 Houses Without
Sewer Observation-Disclosures Sani-
tary Report.
lengthy report touching the cause Of the high
rate OF deaths in Brooklyn was made by DR.. Hutch
inson Chairman of the Sanitary COMMITTEE Of
that city, yesterday. The great sanitary fault OF
Brooklyn arises from its location and Its detective
drainage. Its great need Is comprehensive
system Of sub-sol drainage. The total number Of
deaths last year was 1264s. which exceeded that
of any other Northern CITY, On the imperfect
sewerage system In vogue the report says
In Fifteenth ward we find striking and
fearful example where the mouths Of sewers empty
ere long TO be built upon; while in the Sixteenth
oodins the cellars and filing houses with sewer
gases snGs at tho "a map Of the
very rresaiar i has low hills, int rspersed
Win Sr
which are low and marshy. This conformation has
have extended they have crossed ntersected and dam
up and becomes pended In low lands The already
sapersaturated soil converted by the mterseciing
an pools to receive ss SRpy
a Be- &
s sd 'ny p an s sy the
10 thu the m o BY sa an
made wet with soil water AS consequence Of this UNI
nS other R
depressed condition Of the system which makes one
ring houses built these aeslected water
Society estmates that 50 per the deaths from
zymotc diseases the county Of Kings are due to the
il stating that t9s Consulting Engineer Of the Board
port the nature and necessity system Of drainage
for II s city Of m s which they
ect In Brooklyn the catastrophe TO the seiera health
Hing Anything that VIII sat in water or Absorb so L
Sss Ss waste s ~ s and
substances are here deposited ostens6y to serve as
and r sai n sssy
hs this Of sa be onR
The danger from this practice is owing 70 decomposi-
sa ns as ha b d
@ IN his S city Su lust
the Unfortunate occupants attestns BY their bianched
an
IN ~ s S arg s as
which their Lying and Sleeping rooms are situated Il
Ign hundreds Of lives.
The interest Of public health demands that every
street be thoroughly cleaned at least three times
each week, and the great thoroughfares every
night At present Brooklyn ranks with the most
filthy cities in the civilized world. The contract
system is at fault. Contracts for street cleaning
u
slble for the bidder to perform the work without
pecunary loss.
Another permanent Of disease and death In the
city Brooklyn Is the privy nuisance There this
city three ways in which human excrett disposed
First by water closets second by vaults connected
with the third by vaults not connected with the
excavation in the ground, varying IN depth honi
three to III more feet walled on the SIDES like
a we'll with BY the first two methods the
creta conveyed Immediately into the by
BY the third method the solid contents are retained
in these vaults and onl ana decomposlng mass accu.
the scavengers In extensive districts the city orgf
nally low and Earshy and In other sections where there
drainage these vaults or wells receive to
varying depth the surface and soil water, depending on
supply of rain water and as the rain tails ana soaks
the vaults 1t dissoves all the soluble and Ioxous
parts of the excreta, ana this dangerous solution not
only emts the stencil OF decomposition but is alive with
any disease germs conveyed TO in the excavations
persons sick OF dysenery, typhoid lever cholera, or
other diseases Of this type " estimated that there are
in Brooklyn 81 900 houses Of these 4O0 arc connected
with the either by water closets or by connected
vaults, with pipe leading TO the sewer so that T,UU
houses have no sewer connection These all have the
crcta and very large number of the houses with water
closets In the house also have vaults in the yard This
shows the extent Of tho privy nuisance In this
city. These be opened and empued at least once
a year. The soil and the atmosphere will never be tree
from ieca pollution while this state OF things continues
ton June g. 1870 the undersigned expressed the opinion
that prives and water closets unconneced with sewers
among the most serious o. the unhealthtul infu
Of the city of Brooklyn Further observation and
reflection confirmed the views thus expressed For
re 1yxposq Qf azsespg This evil the folqwtQg addition