The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-19
THE HARLEM STENCIL.

REPORT OF POLICE SURGEON WATERMAN os
THE USwHoLEsoMEsEss OF THE FILLED Dis
TRIcT.
AT the meeting OF the Police Board yesterday
the following report on the condition or harieR
hats was presented and ordered on dle:-
NEW YORK, June l6 1875.
To THE HONORABLE BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSION.
AZ the meeting OF the Board OF Surgeons on May
90 d report or select committee was submitted
Tor concurrence and Endorsement touching thd
condition or certain sunken lots. known as the
"Hariem mats ana the composition or the ma
teria landed nom the sc9ws ana DEPOSITED On
report closed with several suggestions and recon-
mendations which seemed TO me Ialr and Logical,
and | gave my signature 20 the report. Slnco
then the facts presented by the committee nave
been called In question. IL II alleged tnat the
percentage or organic admixture Is twenty ana NOT
i've, ana that the noxI0us gases arising from
tns source were endangerln9 the nelgLDorhood-
Inese conflicting views induced me to visit the
district IN question, and beg leave TO submit "a
your honorable Board the result or my ooserva
lions ana the consideration Oh certain sclentine
QuestIons connected with the subject.
on entering the territory OF the Harlem mats
IRON second avenue and Nlnety-fourtn street. the
much complained or odOr was distinctly perceived
10 Is a sckening nanseatlng odor. growing IN ~
tensity as you proceed. II seemed TO me IKE
heavy mepnitlc cloud resting over the entire 10
cality Ii is everywhere aud seems not to orIgb
nate from any particular spot. encountered tno
same mephltic ordors al lU6th and lOIth streeu
and THIRD aud Lexington avenues Tine wind Waa
southeast and the temperature cool.
In vain did 1 look Tor u definite source OF this
remarkable odor found, indeed, q little black,
seethlng sheet Of water unoer mouse ~ 4 ioosa OH
rising vi large gas bubbles. | visited tue lots
upon the borders OF tue sluggish Harlem Htvers
whose miry, muddy surface gave evidence or tue
exn2laiIons OF marsh gas, the carburetted HYDRO
gen, offensive at all times. looked upon reek-
ing, black, muddy bottom, LETT as the tide had re-
cedeG at l07th street, between Second ana Third
avenues, spot OF ground so offensive 70 look
upon that wondered now this cesSpo0l was toll
Grated among the dwellings, Of civilized men.
] saw the material that had been deposited
with It's admlxture or organic suos ,ances, which
everywhere is lnsufnciently covered. anu IN Inc
lots filled in by the Commissioner OF Puzzle Worka
scarcely covered at all, allowing the eflluvn rom
below to expand ana spread over far and wide
portions oil this district. Indeed. saw tnat
THE COMPLAINTS HAVE NOT BEEN EXAGGERATED;
the evil IS Inere and must be remedled.
IL Is only by grasping together all the causes
that we can account Tor THIS strange effect IN
phenomena often witnessed. SO long as
sheet OF water covers the humid, mIry
ground even only during the time of tida over.
fows the decomposition OF organic matter Is pre-
vented. AS the waters recede al low tide the
solar rays exert their powers, but the returning
tide quenches the evolution OF gas; but when
marsny district Is separated from the tidal now
ana Is Imperiectly covered the solar rays have
hencefortn full sway to initiate putreactIon proc
esses and not only carburetted hydrogen, Dut
also sulphuretted and pnosphuretted nydrogeR
are liberated. III to this state Is added the decon
position from the admixlure OF organic matter IN
the filling material We may behold tue cause OF
this nauseatng anu sickenlng mepnitlc cloud.
am satisfied that every estimate with regard
TO the percentage OF organic admixtare, made
simply by ocular observation, must be iaulty AND
nable TO great error. Ii Is probable tnat the per.
centage or animal and vegetable varies greatly
al dIrforent seasons months, and even days; Its
volumes often bulky. at times llgn;, al others
heavy; at times dry, at others wet; eau only De
determined py processes quite independent OF
the eye; by chemical analytl processes, Dy des-
iccaLon and ny the ana oil delicate scales tue per-
centage eau be determined and an average 90.
tanned. however, think That the average OF
twenty per cent IL greatly In excess.
Touching the nealtnfulness Of tae locality must
DIFFER FROM THE COMMITTEE
who submitted the report. IL Is quite true as
they state. that the people residing tneie look
hale and hardy even in the houses at 1UOth street.
ana Second avenue. below winch the process OF
Fermentation can be seen as well as smeiled, peo-
pie do not complain OF sickness. Dr. Stlnert, ona
OIL our surgeons. testlhes TO the saluhrlJy oil the
location, and the sick lists oil the department show
that the health or me men IS as good as nearly
everywhere else IN tnls cIty. stu cannot adopt
that view. Marshy Localities such as the Harlem
nals, are, per Sc, never healthy. Fever abonnds
IN them everywhere over the world.
Where there IL such a widespread cloud OF foul
odor there must be putiefactlye processes going
on; the genesis or generation Of myrIads OF low
Organizations. the inseparaDle companions OF Ter.
menting and accompanying processes IL sure 10
follow. These low organizations, lungi or ami
naked eye, and 50 light that they rise aud move
upon the wings OIL the rising gases evolved oy So
lar heatthese, our science tells US, are the origin
aud carriers OF FEVER and disease. Concurrlng az
| do with many points or the committees able re-
DINER.
/ am candid in saying that am not engineer
part the work IS well done or not, some paIts
are evidently better nlled III than Others Those
lots described Ia the report as navlng Deen nleo
very deplorable state. in my humble judgment.
Science mad no hand In this work. No inteilgent
mind mas sOugnt TO consider the work from
truly sanitary point or view. Tne disniectants
used merely palliative IN tnetr effect and It u
proole whether the dead oil and lime en-
ployed nave any deodorizing properties at att
Tue towering consideratOn-to make ;he deposit
SO that whatever the percentage OF garoage
q deposited
stratum OF earth so thick that It's orolng power
should present an excess 10 the ger rating power
OF the subsou below-has been lett out.
Inc question, Where ought the refuse OF cities
be deposited winch lust now agIJases the citi-
zens Ul this Commonwealth, II not a new one. IL
mas in turn agtated all the gOvernme ais Of Eu.
rope, ana the British government mas expended
enormous sums or money 10 tnat END. -Four Waga
present themselves TO dispose OF the refuse OF
large cities. First t. use IL for agricultural pnr-
poses second, to submit 1t TO cremanOn; third,
10 carry Il away by water; fourth 10 bury Il aud
cover IL with earth.
WIN regard TO tue irst method DR.. Waterman
says that IN tue vicinity OF Berlin factory exists
wnlch prepares FROM the refuse OF the German
metropolis an excellent material. which ~ eagerly
bought BY the farmers 10 use on their nelds Gre
nation mas little u record from foreign countries
10 recommend It's adoption. Carrying the maze.
rial out TO sea would be attended with al expense
the city could not AFFORD, ana, apart from the
question oil expense, the plan "a not feasible ~
least in New YORK. In stormy weather scows
could not get TO sea, and tue danger that the
lighter material would be washed back 70 our
snores was an lnsurmountaDle one. Tne iourtn
plan-viZ., 10 bury the material by using IL ior
nlllng Ia purposes and cover II with sufficient
earth to absorb the deleterious proper Leslie
CONSIDERS by far the best. the most eminent
sanitarians abroad indorse ~thls -Fian. Toe an
tnorItes upon this point say tine earth is-tne
only proper place fully endowed Oy nature iof
TINS purpose, TO receive toe organic reuse
or large citiesu The absorbing power Of earth
varies with tue different gIn1s employed Saud
and gravel possess the least absorbing powert
clay STANDS very high Ia rank. Coal ashes pos
sess no great absorbing capacity, but they Iorm
an excellent material for nlnng up. Whetner -nh
organic matter ~ f1ve per cent or ten am salts.
fed that II will not prove deleterlous 10 health.
provided IL il nnally covered with earth oI
greater absorbing power. With regard 10 tue
Harlem hats. we must remember that we have
virgin swamp TO deal with, wnere i0f centuries
organic matter mas accumulated ana decayed,
ana that tue dIsinfecting power Of the humid sub
soil has long ago been exhausted, and that Ia lille
ing these lots we must bear IN mind mat an add.
tional stratum OF sand ana earth Decomcs neces-
sary.
Fear Is expressed that whenever excavations