New-York tribune., 1875-07-13
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
THE HARLEM FLATS.


YffI BOARD OF HEALTH AUTHORIZED TO EXTEND
S2l,O67 43 IN FILLING THE sUNKEN LOTS
TIE CONTROLLERS PROTEsT-STArRMENTs OF
PROFESSOR CHANDLER.
The Board of Estimate and AppOrtiOnment
held special meeting yesterday TO consider the resolu
ton offered the Mayor at Saturdays meeting 20 trans
fer O67 43 the balance OF appropriations for the
Health Department for 1872 and 1878, TO nil in the
sunken los the Harlem Flats under the direction Of
the Board OF Health There present besides the
members Of the Board, Gen Porter, Commissioner OF
Public Works President Chandler Of the Board Of Health.
Porter of the Second District Court house,
Aldermen Morris simonson, and Mccarthy.
when tho resolution giving the Board Of Health
power to fn In the lots called Mp,
Controller Green said that he supposed the Board had
abandoned the idea Of passing the resolution. There
balance that could he transferred for this pur
pose There claims against these balances that
must paid. and II would be unwise TO this money
and when claims presented TO have funds where
with 10 meet them
After considerable desu,tory discussion, the Controller
sad that he had asked that this resolution lie to
Tuesday In order that he might be better prepared to dis
it. He knew the ground which IT proposed to
fill n had often traversed It in former years and had
visited 1t Saturday Last He recognized the same
smells which had been familiar in that quarter at any
time during the past ten The Board of Health
had taken hold Of the matter with great zeal A map of
It the source OF the more Objectionable smells.
One he said caused by the refuse from the brewery
IN Nnth-ave spreading over large area. The sewer
building would carry away the refuse and gradually
remedy this. Al Observation-Disclosures there was
fateudering establishment causing another bad SMELL
plainly dstngushabe. Still another caused by the
poor material used by Jones McQuaie, contractors,
engaged In filing in portion of the property in the
Ncnity He had aDayzcd the resolution offered on Sat.
urday had prepared map of the district proposed
small part of the area which should be filed
In II the nuisance complained Of was to be
abated To fill i'll small portion aud leave the rest nm
touched would he useless expenditure and accomplish
within the Flats owned by private persons This
should not b. passed over Tue owners should be com,
PEELED to I'LL In the lots The resolution OF the Board
Of Health was adopted on June 30 The first
The a s& s"n1 I ws s, ." n Tas ~ns "os there
could not be much necessity for immediate action.
ste to this Work Of diing n aHS the work was going
rapidly. The filling ia OF LcNngtOnave. was already
tunken lois proposed to be covered with earth The con
tractor would probably continue his work il the Commits
posed the resolution unless IT could be shown that
there was an nlnerous necessity for it, The Commits,
Te % %as 'S Sdvanc N that s bS % worR % & be dome AZ
have 20 BE- done by contract IL given TO the Board of
Health, and the Board would be obliged to
advertise for. proposals. lie desired to avoid
confusion as far as possible, There was a Ialst
water. This was made by sub-contractor on the
FOnrih-aye Improvement who found good sand there,
and the city now desired to M tie .oe They should
proceed against the contractors Jones McQnade the
contractors whose work now declared be defective,
had been informed by him of this fact, 10 months
and he was met by the certificate of the then Commits
sioner o. Public Works that the work was done in
proper Consequently he had no defense had he
contested the matter In the courts I've have no con
tingent fund.-" said Mr.. Green "woud it not be well To
something for contingencies The Board of Health,
Commissioners OF Charities and Correction might call
M on US 3T % d'Tnai % pldopiias ~ o'Se VI an m G i
these lots dating far back as 1887 and they have not
two, leaving folty or fuy untouched TO throw OF
eiuviai The work cannot he accomplished for $4,000
that he was willing that the work should he DONE but in
legal way. He thought matter for conference say
between the Board OF Health, the Commissioner OF
Public Works an. the Mayor
Prof. Chandlel said that q conference was called
several weeks ago between the Health commissioners
and the Commissioner of Pabic Works: The result ap-
The Board Of Aldermen This did remedy the
ter M direct sickness can be traced to the Harlem
Flats, but sickness is applehended from the effluvia
which arises to such extent during warm weather;
The Mayor wished to know if the action pIecscd would
abate the nuisance. Prof handler said, Only In part
The Controller wished to know If the proposed filling in
,c mould I sOe & at ia any ~ o, T 9a Prc S i OF
said that would not He added that there is an inlet
% eh Swscd 0f BY waiSc c 70 e pa'N D hTe are lands
on either side owned E,. by private persons i 1t
ct any time Thee The Controller wished to know it, in the in
suggested that if this were so The inlet would noi carry
SMELL and could not be productive of disease He was
NlllDS W hdNc thc euNttS Ni'hi'y "hu III,
sunken lots filled up but he wanted it done in legal
way. The minority of the Board OF Aldermen Will
ing have the work done by contract but the majority
differed with them, and desired to have 1t done by days
work.
The resolution was then voted on and carried, the
Mayor, Presidents Wheeler aud Lewis voting in the
affirmative, and the Controller IN the negative.
President Lewis offered resolution providing for the
issuing of $25OOO0 Croton Waterman stock. The
Controller wished to have the PIesideI ( Of the
Board OF Aldermen cite the provisions Of the law under
which he offered the resolution President Lewis declined
20 do So II forth in the resolution. The
nunicatOn of Gen Porter asking for the issue Of stock
10 provide for placing CrOtOn mains Blackwells
Island and at hgil-watcr elevations, was read The
law under which the Controller authorized Ia borrow
S75OOUO was also read. The Controller said that the
resolution utterly Illegal After considerable dis
cusson il referred 10 the Corporation Counsel for his
opinion.