The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-09
THE HARLEM FLATS.
AN ryroLERABLR STENCIL YEsrERDAx-rHE CON-
TRACTORS COVERING OVER A PORTION OF THE

AN NroLERABLE STENCIL YEsrERDAK-rHE CON-
TRACTORS COVERING OVER PORTION OF THE
FLATS WITH FRESH EARTH.
Red tape still holds sway in the departments OF
the city government, and the mass OF Teeking
corruption deposited by Jones & McQusde with
the connivance OF the Street Cleaning Bureau, Is
sickentng the inhabitants near Harlem Mats, and
driving to the country many families. The
Board or Health. having asked the Boara OF APP
portionment fer means to NIL In the places with
fresh earth, stop there, thinking their duty ended
by throwing the responsibility for inaction upon
the latter Board. The Aldermen have shIrked the
issue by referring the question TO the Corpora
Counsel who is in no hurry in giving an opinion,
and while all these departments are devising
means the residents OF the vicinity
SUFFER IN SILENCE.
Yesterday these plague spots were again visited
by reporter OF the HERALD, VINO found the
stencil emitted by the vile garbage dumped there
even worse than It has been at any time during
the summer. The nats on the east side Of First
avenue, between 102d and Tooth streets, which
have not been nlled in az yet smelled very bad
but when the district bounded by Ninety sec nd
and 102d streets, the east side OF tine river was
reached, the smell was infamous, and 1t was with
great difficulty that he could remain on Second
avenue across which the fumes from the garbage,
boiled ana fermented by the hot sun. was being
driven by stin breeze from the northeast Even
the goats that abound In the neigRborhood mad
deserted the mats for the higher ground on Third
avenue.
That portion OF the mats bounded by Ninety
third and 1920 streets, Second and Third avenues,
did not give out sucn offensive doors, and the
cause was soon explained when the reporter de-
tected .t.
TEN MEN AND TWO CARTS
at work there digging out fresh earth from the
Second avenue embanKment and spreading it
over the mass OF decaying corruption lad there by
the Police commissioners. Inquiries resulted IN
the discovery that the contractors, Jones d
McQuade mad assumed this work their own
responsibility, owing to the clamor that has been
raised about their ears BY an indignant populace.
They certainly have succeeded in small de-
gree III .
BUKYING THE OFFENSIVE NATTER
out or sight and quenching portion OF the sick
enlng gases but as they are only putting on about
Blk inches Of earth covering the relief
wii rrn be =, out temporary and can only be
TWO Ieet beneath earth surface. At
the rate the covering Is being applied they will
have covered the nats with SIX inches OF earth
about Christmas. THIS Will not do. In the mean
time the neghborhood must continue an unfit
place for human habitation unless some depart
ment or the city government puts on large force
or deserving men. who are suffering Tor want OF
mpioyment. and completes IL in week or ten
days. This could easily be done with fifty carts
and 200 men, FIFTY carts. at 50 per day Tor ten
days, would be $1,000, and the wages OF 200 men,
for the same period, at 81 50 per day. would pc
$4,000 more, making the total cost OF burying
the nuisance Ior all time about $2S, 500 II our
people can get Keller SO cheaply IL would be
MONEY WELL SPENT,
and to prevent an epidemic q great deal more
money would be saved 10 the city. TWO feet Of
fresh earth, ana that quickly, is what the ne
cessIty OF the hour demanos and the sooner the
red tape deadlock between the department ends
and the earth goes on the better II VIII be Tor
ance, the sufferers anu the laborers VINO could
thus be probably employed