The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-13
THE HORRORS OF BLISSvILLE.
Eight Hundred Diseased Cows
Fed on Distillery Stops.
Twelve Thousand Eight Hundred Quarts
OF LacteaI Poison Daily.
SHALL THIS GO ON?

verts I'M, they All sink into before the
last one visited Crossing the Grcenpoint Terry
and taking tho road toward Queens county one soon
comes 10 the small hamlet OF Biissyillc. L IS mainly
composed OF cock. fighting hotels and shanties !. IS
situated upon Newtowu Creek. Bordering on the
creek directly across, and little 10 the south OF the
BRIDGE there Is a large dis,ilery. The distillery
proper is mass OF irregular buildings with the usual
large and high chmneys To the west OF the disti-
lery and divided from by the Long Island Railroad
three low sheds with numerous small novels ana
bins here and there along the sides.
The sheds are close on Two hundred feet long and
fifty or sixty feet wide One has Nat roof and the
roots Of the Other two are peaked, with an abrupt
slope The Interior OF these sheds is divided into Sec
tons ana each section and has door
at each side OF the building. Each section acconmo-
dates, by close packing, Of cattle called by
the owners mich cows The space between the floor
and ceiling live six feet. The ceiling IS les.
tooncd with the floor Of tho place is ex.
cecdingly filthy, being thoroughly saturated with the
discharge oil the animals. Tho atmosphere beng
thoroughly charged with ammoniacal gases, IS almost
Sitting enters the villanous den.
Dividing each so.caed stall there Is narrow
passageway that IRON side OF the shed to tho
other for the accommodation OF tho bpeds while they
supply the swl On each side the passagcway there
u
troughs are all Shiny, and appeared 10 DC very
rotten Facing the trough there is row OF cows on
each SIDE thus making 1t easy to ioed Them On tho
outer side OF the sheds there number Of low how
els, some of which filled with manure and some
with milk All the milk cans seen in these low
novels exceedingly dirty. Some milk cans wcre
standing in front OF the door; while some men wcro
pushing the some fell in the cans the men
picked tho up and put them in their place. but
neglected 10 wash them out
EIGHT HUNDRED cows.
within l36e pest dcns briefly described above there
are SEQ cows all OF disease but not abso
luely healthy. The animals in most irightful
condition land their looks alone would elicit the
passion Of any one except Interested Official
swili mkman. They were all cnacatcd, with rough
coats and tho manure actually caked on their
sides. No bedding ever furnished them. When they
wish 10 lie down hey are compelled TO lie on the rot
ten ard lihy door in about hall loot OF their own
discharges Not one large line, healthy looking
animal could be among the $780, stump tailed cows
could found IN abundance Tho writer counted 400,
and saw many more without noting it. These men or
brutes chop OF the fostering tail Of animal and
leave the bleeding stump to get well as best IL may
While the tail fostering they force the acteal secrc
ton IRON her Just the same. They have been known
to the cciostrum, the first milk from the COW
after she has calvcd with The other mix Nearly
many found without iecth as there were
found tails, the hot swiil they compelled
10 live on destroying their one row-cows only
have teeth one jaw Some COWS bad only one horn;
perhaps the other had rottcd of had been Knocked
OH by the bull or faced attendants The hind
hools appeared ready 10 drop OIL.
They rcsemDled The iestcred hoo Of
horse after he has picked up nall II Is
the "hooi rot" after standing on the floor for any
length u time II was an exception from the
lad great ulcers their udders. Some had
running sores on their sides or shins There IS
Gully about Two feet Of between the rumps Of the
TWO rows Often their Pumps touch In lily time the
poor brutes without suffer all the mlseres OF the
tormen,ed in the next word. They have no tail to
brush away the lies, and their bleeding sides
sequonily black With them.
The manure is all iiquId, and ithas the peculiar ap-
pearance which characteristic OF chronic
enterltis. The manure Is placed IN large tubs ana
ioid 10 the Long Island gardeners; not prrsico Of
bedding could be found amonKt
Between tho dstillery anu the dens there Is an
open space bounded ny some small shanties In tho
centre OF the space there are situated several large
eats The watts arc built on heavy posts and
about twenty feet from the ground Tue Tor
the purpose OF receiving the boiling swill as
from the disti'lery Three large pipes conduct Inc
boiling swlll frotu the dstillery tho watts. pipe
with the bottom oil each and opens a
large trough made out OF Two boards nailed together
10 form u right-angled triangle The large troughs
connecs with others situated on the outside OF the
Sheds along which they run Tor their en-
tire length. Tic latter troughs empty into
tho troughs situated inside the sheds and
out Of winch the animals iced. Feeding was gong
at the time OF tho writer's visit, had nne
opportunity TO inspect the swn. When the swl
leaves dstillery IL is boiling not When il enters
the eeding trough Is loo degrees Fuh renncit hav
Ing cooled somewhat by passing through The pipes,
yats and trcughs outside TINS sw IS the very worst
known, being the ''ustilcry wuscn spoken IN the
sanitary code. II is composed Of the residue OF
whatever they are dst,iirg and liberal
quantity oil hot, dirty water added Tho swili
does not contain much sohd matter, ana, to use
nautical expression, one could see bottom III
twenty iathoms II the water used 10 mix IL had
been clean IL is OF about the color oil disbwatcr.
Bcasty aud Filthy dressed clothes nllhlcr than
their iaces II such thing we're possible,
passasewav directing tue feeding vi swi Every few
minutes they would shout the iansshcu animals If
They showed too much haste IN endcavoring TO get
their boiling meal. II the shout sufficient
they showed 10 hes,tatson III bclaboring the poor
beasts with heavy clubs, which amusement the two
legged hogs appeared 10 enjoy. The poor animals
couid no. lap up tue swiil, hot was
they would DIP in Their tongue, draw 1t
that II too hot They were packed so tieht that
when shook her hcad ner horns would strike tue
neck OF tie one standing next some OF tn ANIMALS
did not have the inclination thoy had the slrength
which IL douUtiulto get up IRON the nllhy aud dis
gustne loor to eat the repuisvc food r they did get
up u was perfectly sckenins 10 see the liqud nth
from their sides
DEATH IN THE CAN
Upon he large watts three were standing, alter
natciy stirring up the vile trash and turning on the
taps VOL like yep the novels 10 notify
them that one trough was Iui OF the milk. pc SON
ing The odor ol the Stop as 1t
poured through the trougns almost one sick.
Several Wagons drawn by apologies Tor horses and IA
swill cart dashed crosswse them drove under the
watts ana loaded up with the poison away
some cows IN the neighborhOod. Boys ud come
with goat wagons on whicn there would be
three mix cans, The would be TILED and the boys
woud depart with Loson Tor other cows. THESE peo-
pie Put mix IN the same cans ana sell II to mothcrs
The hot poison was not only put INTO the the
goat wagons, but some cans about the place were
TInsed with the fearful mixture. All seemed TO
revcl ia the swill and lllh.
IL some OF tho city practitioners would 20 TO this
place they would no longer be doubt 10 the
Vi the death OF children IN many How could Tue
brutes expcct the cows to be Ecany WHOM they only
led tncin upon the boiling, nby messY The
confined In he BIissve distlery smell OF any
food except the poisonous swIlI The bot mess pro-
suces all manner oil diseases the allmcnlary canal.
IL destroys the mucous membrane OF their stVnacis;
a nd once that destroyed how digestion 20 Oh
IL il impossible for COW TO give healthy MIX II any
al her tissuus discaseu state inc tissues uf
hor d,Oercnt organs cannot be- in a healthy state