The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-08-26
SCIENCE ON HARLEM FLATS.
now TO ana NUISANCE WITHOUT
HAPPENING MILLIONS.
The Pcstiiencc. Brc ding Districts OF New
York mny he Made Dry aud Sniuhriovs
without Iirinr them above High Tide.

! res Llref an fsle Of a
~, WV, ''...,....
'"'" may We """c IVY W."
- ,,,,
!" i"' i,hi ~" 80 ~ '--'
years ago the Harlem lata, ext ndihg along
th, East river from Eincty-sccond 10 los Il
-, 20, .ii 80. H. -, 49,. ,t.. if,.,,f
etr'cl' ana pouhuou on We "'7' ny NV INV W
| Third avenue. were proud street 'h's "l meadow
| lands. covered with Green, salt grass and inter
','.it ,',t .ni, ,,,,,rn.,,,.
sccted 10y running s'r'ams ana sal. N""'r '7'u-
aries. Thost. inle,s were broad and de y enough
t,ndnit ,f .hc .utrnnro Of rf,,nll vessels lond ri
...,'' p', r.,,.,,.,. ,,,.',,, ,,,. ,sl.nls
rising somewhat higher than the rest Of the
mus anu '"i"lo''" ", o''1' syn .'...
the inlctH was old SANDY unison no' mousse,
WHARF ,rrr, wont to con srotntc the atht tns and
,,rs,,,or ~ ,hn, d,v ynhoIv c,usiI.r,d unr-
lem flats a nuisance then. On tho contrary.
| being subject TO the action of pure snlt water
| ,I r...i, oi,.,rn,t.ly ,hrv amir hut.d ,r,.nt
anu pure "ii "''.' n"', WY
| ly to the general sauhiity OF the n"iEhooihood.
| Al innu-h n decided change began to come
,,.',s ,h,, rn,in, mo ,.,,L ,,r,,,,h 81 ,bo ci,,
forced the removal. from what were becoming
| business centres Of numerous factories
| -. -, -, ,t ~, -
sihuHnur houses anu pr'"'Ilos' i"oso 10
| grther with shantics and stables. found place
along inc banks ana near 'he streams 'h,' emp
tlcd on ,he h"rlcm MATS me hi'hS r''uH' "i
these places. discharged into those streams.
| ,,n mad, oncn snw,r- If thcn filled with
| 80" mo-" '' " '"''" 80
black, iutid water. In many cases stFee's were
| graded across the streams. and under some Of
.hnso e,r,o,s ,,,iy,,ts v,.r, ,r,y,,i, Ian, ,,nlcr
| 'h's' s'rccs 'uiNcr@ "''V p'oN'"'"' ""' "ii"ci
| others none.
The common nroc,ico whore culvorts were
| ,.,.,,, ,a a., :, o,l r hI = ,, ,,.,-
| CONSTRUCTED was hfSt 10 M me pea "l the Wh'''-
course with rock in order to get Foundation.
| Tins was formed n dam md this set the water
| p"ck W " u'pth 'uuul 10 lil' "hl""h' "l T'"h'
thrown into the stream, causing permanent
| saturntion of the surrounding soil with liuuid
nth.
For years these streams deposited thcir loads
| Of disaasr- breeding nnsfinr-s on the Harlem
% ~ IN nue. ~. ~
h"s' over tne 'h''rc Su'Ia'u o., Nnirh F" was
became nuisance. and i was prupos d To- III
Inn IN To- hsiSnt o' o9r '..t nn9Nr tid''-
sinner Dlslrckor To- e"t rat of tie liy Earna.;".
sow loads and wagon ioad- 81 rAriug". the
rctus" 81 great city. were duml ~ on the llar-
lem Mats. II purified IN Ia" hot sun. and saiu-
rated .th salt water twice u day, Il h"rame
noisome. rrekng nmss. W. ~, eNhnlations
nligntrd the surrounding country. W ia aw'st
wind they carried sickness and death across
the river. into the crowuri institutions ON the
tho city and passing r. ~ TIA" rapid transit
trains oi tho Harlem Railroad v,r. nuu.rat"d.
Tons # H. pte'tant wcro spread oy,r The Han
lnm flats and an end WIS tut tpthe dumping
oi garbage on thcm. 4 Tret"use %. covering
the whole mass VITA layer Of gray. and Garth
The Han ~ flats of to-day may he described
in thu following terms: A .rge part % them II
the openings between The bnr- oi ne sriliron
contain great pools of sreon. shiny water:
outer crust Just concea- the horror below;
The manner IN which tho streets ar" grndcd
might b. lauehahle were II not 81 sad tu SEQ
the city money wasted as II l.. Instead Of III ins
gravel, clay. or sand. the labo4or- ll M To- tie
gradr with lnrge boulders and slabs II rock,
thrown IN poll mel. AMI covered with u thin
layer of Garth. Curp ana gutter stones arr laii.
ami the job j. de- Jared flushed Gradually,
tho tons of rock sink into the soft mud. travel
and ram pack the roycrng OF errih INTO the IN
t,lstlc"s below, aud tho curb AMI gutter stones
tall down. draw apart. stand on end. ana
assume various positions for .whirh they
w'rr not inirndcd The suriH," ~ thr
street is broken into NILS ana holloWS. II
finally becomes impossible, and wiilln year
OF rs construction. Is closed Tor repairs;
or fouf>r. sewer was laid ere IN, nilirg IN
o. the s'r"t was "sun' but should th" builder
uy, t,nHhn"r ,hr wt-'rliIns ~ ~ s,.l. 'NI"