The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-08-04
DISEASE And DEATH.
The Plague-Breeding Spots
Of the Metropolis.
IS THE COMPTROLLER RESPONSIBLE!
There is a reaper whose name is Death,
And. with his sickle keen,
lie reap the bea rde grain at a breath,
And the flowers that grow betWeenl


| and. with his sickle keen, -,
And the flowers that grow betweenl
Unless the members OF the board OF Health re-
sist the measures OF Comptroller Green and at
once take vigorous action in relation TO the sunken
lots along Fourth avenue, this mysterious reaper
is sure TO CLEAN a magnificent harvest before the
coming OF
"ocToBER's COOL, DELICIOUS DAYS"
from certain localities in the neighborhood OF
Harlem.
HERALD reporter paid a visit 70 the over.
hooded lots lying in the vicinity OF Sixty-sixth
street and Fourth avenue yesterday morning at a
very early hour, and the sight presented IN most
instances was painful in the extreme Above
Sixty-seventh street there are many lots, upon
both the east and west sides OF the avenue, that
can with propriety be regarded as actually
afoat the water upon them being in some
cases fully six feet deep. Were this water pure
its presence would be q benefit rather tnan
curse. but, unfortunately, instead OF being clean
and sweet and fresh. 1t is Shiny and rotten. Nor
when this is said is its actual condition fully de-
scrloed, for floating upon the Shiny surface OF
many OF the sunken lots along Fourth avenue
particularly in the vicinity of Sixty-sixth street
can be seen the dead bodies OF cats and dogs and
goats-animal matter gradually decaying amid
slush and slme-the exudations OF which polute
the air and de1le the chambers of hundreds of
neighboring houses.
All along Fourth avenue. In the vicinity OF the
point designated above these sunkeh lots are to be
seen reekng in fifth and rottenness, which are n OF
alone disgusting TO look upon, but which have also
inaugurated many con- agious disease, and have
become the direct instruments Of many a SAD I'M
timely death.
UNwHoLEsoME UPTOWN.
GAS we increase our city in area, the shorter we
make the journey TO our graves, said resident or
Fourth avenue to the HERALD reporter yesterday
as he stood looking down upon the flthiness OF a
block unified save with stale water and garbage.
CAT this day 1t really seems as II progress were
disease, ana the expansion OF territory
Ia the nelghborhood OF Harlem certain
death. All uptown is rotten; pestilence and
plague brood in the air and hover over the privacy
of every Harlem home. While am neither a
prophet nor the son OF o prophet, still venture
10 predict that unless these vile, filthy lots are
filed in and these disgusting doors subdued, Har-
lem WILL necessarily, become depopulated. can
mention dozen families who have moved away
within year because unable to endure these dis.
gushing smells"
THE THIRD AVENUE SEWERS.
Passing from Fourth avenue over TO Third, and
walking from Sxty-elghth street up as far as
Ninety fifth the HERALD reporter found q gang OF
laborers at work in the street, the middle OF the
thoroughfare, and, in fact, every inch OF space
that could be utilized, being piled up with pieces
OF broken sewers.
nue. seems crushed to atoms,n said OF the
head aDorers, land the state OF AFFAIRS discovered
This strictly corToborates tine statement made
few DAYS ago by the HERALD that 'tne water run
ming over the fats from the high stone abutment
at Ninety-elghth, 1O2d, 1890, l04th and 1O5tn
streets must proceed from ruptured sewer, aud
not rom springs said to exist on the west side OF
A more unsatisfactory and disruptured line of
sewerage than that disclosed by the handful or
Third avenue has seldom been seen. The large
earthen, pipes which were presumed to carry
the NTH OF closets and SINKS toward the
river have for long. time been literally
crushed 60 atoms las any one passing
by car down Third avenue can readily see from
what has been unearthed and piled along the
curol, while all this vile stuff flowing down bill
for months and months has finally reached the
lowest point somewhere near 1920 street.
and then, ooz1ng from the wall, dlsgorged Its ietid
nastines5 upon the Harlem fats.
THE HARLEM STREETS.
One Hundred ana Fifth street, near Second
avenue. was afioat from curb to curb. Tne water
upon It was FULLY three feet deep. alt really
seems" said a clergyman TO the writer,
yeseTdas morning "Ss Inv we ead no municipal
mediate locality, when journeying between any
two given points TO either, walk through the mud
cross streets up here are simply horrible, ana
even the slightest shower sets them positively
2noat.n
'THAT AWFUL sPoT.r
over and over again has the HERALD called the
Intention OF the bOaru Oh Health; now nampereu
by Green to the pestlential spot at the corner Of
106tn street and Second avenue. 1t takes IN an
entire block Its waters particularly along the
upper boundary, are Shiny and reeking with
offensive odors. The entire place should be
drained at once. Recent rains have deeply filed
IT, and yesterday, upon approaching ", the
HERALD reporter found seven or elghS little fell |
lows swimming In It's murky tide. Upon Its west
ern extremity is long line OF tenement houses,
TO which are carried on the winds OF evening the
ponds bad gases. It's mosquitoes and It's dies.
THE FLATS GENERALLY.
The fats were Shiny and foul yesterday. Thev
always are after q rain. Deep pools or dead
water rested on them. over which were clustered
dimlnutlve insects OF almost every variety. The
present condition of the flats is, after all. only
q slight Improvement upon what they were three
months ago. The doors exudng are still very dis
gushing. Inc authorities have only partially full
filed their work. 1t looks as If the public were
to be hoodwinked. Hence the Harlem people are
reasonably indignant. Tney say that their sur
roundings are but very little improved, being al
most as d1sagreeable and surely as dangerous TO
hafO