The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-01-28

It will be remembered that when the
and caused a salutary reform to be adopted
there were found self-styled scientific ex-
perts in abundance to testify that the exha-
lations from the garbage dumped on the fats
were not only innocuous, but with q little
stretch of the imagination might be COM
pared to the aroma OF eau de Cologne, the
ottar of roses or any other odoriferous per-
fume. Even the profound Professor Dis
becker depicted the garbage heaps and the
reeking mounds OF filth in such glowing
colors as would make one almost think they
were monuments of healthfulness and mod
els Of sanitary excellence. The Board of
Health, too, was q long time finding out
the magnitude of the evil, and it was only
when the police surgeons reported the mat
ter as on unmitigated nuisance that any
corrective was applied. Then simple,
cheap, but we fear only temporary remedy
was adopted. The area was disinfected,
and since then no offensive or unwholesome
odors arising from the flats have been CON-
planned Of.
hygienic knowledge in the action of the very
disinterested opponents Of the movement
to render our street cars comfortable in cold
weather, especially so far rs the feet of the
passengers are concerned. 1t is unnecessary
to tell even a child that cold feet
are extremely unpleasant and unhealth-
full, and that when the weather is
=
sential to produce warmth in the feet-viz.,
vigorous bodily exercise by walking or the
application of artificial heat to the extremi-
ties When one is going to his business in the
morning or returning homeward at night
he cannot afford to walk from the Battery to
Harlem Bridge merely in order to keep
his feet warm. He must ride, and if he
does so on a bitter, clustering day, cooped
up in crowded car, his feet will be cold,
no matter how full the car may be. This
difficulty is remedied in steam railroad cars
by the use of stoves, steam pipes or
small furnaces. In the horse cars in
other cities outside of New York
naces or other sources of heat arranged
beneath the flooring of the cars. In the
cities referred to the heating appliances in
the street cars work satisfactorily, which is
sufficient answer to the sophistries of the
car owners here in opposition to any heating
apparatus in or under the cars at all. 1t is
quite unnecessary for men of the scientific
calibre of Professor O'Guntster ana Profess
sor Won Reilly to launch into pucrile theo-
ries on this subject after the fashion Of Pro-
lessor Disbecker in the matter of the Harlem
flats nuisance Everybody knows that if one
is sitting in the cold he must have heat to
his feet to keep them warm. And as to the
| objection raised about artificial heat in the
cars being prejudicial to health, the follow
ing from the World of yesterday will tend
to remove such an impression from the
minds of those who may entertain it,
Every frequcntcr OF our travelling poison ought
TO know that the cravcst disadvantage of crowded
trip in cold weather lies in the instructive desire of the
passengers to their animal heat by cxcud-
ing fresh air far possible venators arc closed,
growl arises whenever the door is opened for
gress egrcss and thirty or forty misguided mortas,
pent space OF insufficient cubic capacity Tor one
pair OF lungs devote themselves mutual asphyxi.
| alton. II the interior atmosphere were srtifciaiy
warmed by almost any Of the contrvances which have
been suggested the inmates would tolerate open VENT,
lators and door. and certain amount OF ventilation
| would be established by natural laws.
Our intelligent contemporary suggests as
a remedy for these aptly termed travelling
poison vans" and as means of getting rid
of them altogether the substitution of rapid
transit by elevated railroads. But it unfor.
tunately seems to forget that we may not
have rapid transit for some time yet, and in
the meantime the public have right to de-
mand that they shall be made comfortable
while travelling in the ordinary cars Be-
sides, there will always be considerable pat
ronage extended to the stree cars by people
travelling only short distances.
Let us hope, therefore, that the Aldermen
will not be bull-dozed by the wealthy coz
owners into belief of the sincerity of their
professions of solicitude about the public
health in connection with this subject, OF
misled by the equally silly talk that the
winter is nearly over, and, therefore, the
companies should not be put to needless
expense Let MS have test Of the plans
proposed upon half dozen cars imme.
dately. The stove plan, however, is oh.
jcctionable, and would not answer But lei
there be tried without delay some good,
sensible method by which the heating ap.
paratus will be placed under and not inside
the cars and the caloric so distributed tina,
the feet and not alone the heads of the pas
sengers may be kept warm and comfortable
English Opera in New York.
1t is probable that the hard times and the
anxiety caused by the political situation