The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-24
THE FETID FLATS.
MQuaid'S Place OF Skulls and What the PeO-
pie Think Of the Garbage Outrage.
Anticipated Spread Of Disease During the Heated
Term in Harlem and Vicinity

The utmost Indignation has been aroused
among the citizens OF Harlem and the upper part
or the burgh OF Yorkvllle by the publication in
yesterday mornings HERALD OF the details OF the
shameful usages OF the Police and Health depart
ments in depositing the collected garbage ana
NTH taken from all the hdeous alleys and cutters
OF me fostering side streets OF the city In the
bowels OF the Harlem Flats. some OF the most
prominent citizens or the Harlem district have
already begun TO consult with eacn other with the
view ofholdng public mass meeting Immediately
Tor the purpose or getting at the sense or the In
nabitants as TO how this shameless outrage on the
people VINO are householders and residents can
be stopped.
MONEY CAN BE RAISED.
passenger riding In a Third or second avenue
car, as soon as the horses' heads strike Eighty
sixth street gong north or 115th street coming
south, finds the stencil waited in through the car
windows smiting his ol-factories as the AS
syrians were smitten in the night. Even strangers
who DO not reside in Harlem or Yorkvle are forced
to endure the horrible smell while In t,ansit1, ana
this Is by no means as slight matter as II might
seem at first. For every breath or air that is in
hailed by the lungs OF these unfortunate passen-
gers is poisonous, and the germs OF most deadly
disease are often laid in a moments time, while
those who breathe the fetid odor may not feel the
effects for days or weeks, or even months. It is
said that $4,000 can be raised by Immediate con-
tributi0ns II some four or nve public
spirited gentlemen will only take the mat
ter In nand TO prosecute the contractors
the people or Harlem in this pira.ical manner.
Even slaughter houses would be preferable 70 this
everlasting dumninR OF the refuse OF great
city on these marsh lands. Many persons de-
sired to know yesterday II 1t were not possible for
ton Counsel to prevent iurther dumping OF this
very offensive Kind. 1t Ia very certain, however,
that mass meeting Will be shortly held in Har
lem to devise means TO put sudden stoppage on
MIR. McQuaid's little contract.
THE POLICE GETTING ANGRY.
The police officers of the Twenty third precinct
| whose staIlon house is IN Eighty-sixth street,
have in the course OF their duties, 10 traverse on
their beats many blocks OF this infected district,
aud their feelings may be imagined when 1t IS
known taat they have twelve hours from dark TO
| avenues and the cross streets adjacent to the
McQIad Golgotha. One policeman, who was quite
| anxious to have his opinions ventilated, spoke TO
the writer as folows:-
PLAIN TALK.
"You see am man or family and have been
on the police i've or six years. 1t IL not so easy
AS great many people think TO be policeman
things to watch and there Is certain TO be some
/ brother omcer VINO is a bad fellow, liar and a
scoundrel and who is always willing TO assist the
/ your confidence and then betraying you
to the other scoundrels. Wen, that
while while am on my beat have a long one, too as
\ we all have-I have this stencil coming INTO my
II
| gong to falnt and lay down In tue marsh. OF
course, II could afford 1t and II was allowed to
would not lee the faintness coming over me rom
the bad smell that is raised by this dumping.
Why l had to take one OF them Italians
pretty tough stomachs, for they can eat
anything, and can drink sweet oil as easy as can
\ drink cold water-I had TO take him away from
the scow and get MIN cup OF coffee he was so
sick. You see his dumping business was too
much for MIN, ana he had TO weaken like q cat
/ Some OF the worklngmen who live on my nat
have TO get up early IN the morning. and get their
BREAKFASTS aud this smell strikes them as soon az
they leave the house. Now, that isn'I a very
nice thing Tor man TO get as ne Is
sis s Ur ms wosE even ~. ne mas
suppose his wife IL sick in bed from the same Dad
\ smell that comes from this devlllsn dumping ais
trict and the man Is IN hurry TO get his car and
\ 20 down town TO WORK and can't get his breakfast,
what thent amt no DOCTOR amt, and can 8
came out on my beat In this place-say around the
foot OF Nnety-sIxth street-wlthout my breakfast,
RESULT / know that would have TO 20 10 bed
from fever. L don't want 10 interfere in the
mater because am pOncema9 ana !, am NOT
this negnbornood TO say that there will be lots OF
deaths an the streets around here In a few days
\ internal hole. Our people ought not 10 allow rais
scow TO dump one load Of TINS diseased stun"
A B0ATMkNiS OPINION.
boatman, whose business is to 1sh and 10
II pick up odds and ends, and to carry passengers in
Y and around Hell Gate and Hell Rock. states that
he finds that tue river Is last nling mp with vege-
4 table matter, and that as soon as the engineers
the river they win have TO begin excavaiIng
4 the bed or the river on the west slde
\ OF the Gate 20 tear up the refuse and vegetable
\ matter that Is growing into a garden at the bot
\ tom OF the river. This boatman said his say in q
\ Disguised manner:-
7 Gate before this dumping began, and manV bass
1 captured In the neignoorhood OF Mill Rock, In
make clam chowder, and ne MADE it pretty
good al0re he died, for ne had the seeret.
nut | was going 70 TAX about tae ish Wen.
HRRALD&sks about mas druv 'em ali out with MS
garbage. Now, there's some kind OF ORAL that a
lsn Will eat, and they'll gather about t. particu-
larry eels--theyre awful iond OF rubbish that's
any way decent; but you can't make q Ash that's
any way pure touch an old waterfall or a hoop
skirt dumped in the river. for, mind you, It an
noats out, and so there Is no show for any
more nsh up here until this dumping IS
smell, ana hear they have pretty good stomachs,
though don't say as was ever on whaling
see, / can't get nobody to 20 on a boat and
take row to or around any OF the Islands
as they used 10 when there wasnt no
dumping, because they can't stand the damned
smell. When | was boy, l can tell you,
We used 70 nave tue incest little parties you
men docks are now and there would be lots or
music ana sandwiches and beer in the boats and
Good shepherd House IS, up into the Hud-
son River ana over 10 Astoria and
across TO Wards Island, and then they
would come back, feeling happy; but now that's
all over, aud you can't get any girl to come and
take . row WIN her sweetheaft, because, she
don't blame her; for got a daughter about
her out into my boat alter dark TO give her a row
on the river until thls damned dumping is done
away with,Dy the Governor, or the Police or any
one who has got It in charge. tell you that ia
give that McQuaid piece OF my MIND n had the
chance IN about two minutes and as the old
Doatman ceased he began to smoke his 0riarwooa
and relapsed into silence.