The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-03
POLLU ITO N.
A Manure Factory in the Centre
of Harlem.
THE SOURCE OF THE STENCIL.
Skeletons and Entrails Brought
from Barren Island.
STREET CLEANING PERQUISITES.
THE SOURCE OF THE STENCIL.
STREET CLEANING PERQUISITES.

During tho last two months the region around and
about the foot OF l05h l06th and lO7tn Streets East
River, has been internationally pervaded with oGcn-
sive doors Occasionally the stencil Is oppressive
that las driven laborcrs In the adjoining works from
their occupation and In instances have left
their employment rather than subject themselves to
what they thought risk to their health and TO
smell offensive that II frequently brought nausea
Persons residing in the neiehborhood attrbSaed this
nuisance the Ang in OF l07h street with garbage
and Objectionable refuse; others thought It
halations caused by the mild weather from the old
filing OF the Harlem nats; few thought II was from
street garbage that had been surreptously deposited
In the night, few months ago. in the open lots SOUTH
east OF Second avenue and 10Th street.
THE SOURCE or THE STENCIL
Tho nuisance Is, however, not directly traccable 10
any OF these causes. II is OF much more malignant
and dangerous character than could DO produced from
any OF the causes given above At the foot Of l05th
and l06th streets, East RIVER situated old abat
toir or slaughter house, that has not been used for
some years. Latcly-hat Is during part OF the winter
and notably within tho last three months-thIs build
ing has been used for the manufacture OF what tech
nically known as "fertiizer," or In moro popular
language artificial manure. The main constituent
OF this sfertilizer' made up from the remains OF
dead animals. These are brought in scows, sometimes
ss often three times week. from Barren Island to
this old slaughter house and there deposited for fur
ther manipulation. It Is needtul for the purposes
for which these remains required that certain
stage OF decomposition should have In, and this
requisite their contact with the light and
very sufficient for the diffusion OF the offensive
odor OF which the neighbors complain. Part OF the
manipulation brings these Skeletons entras and skins
OF dead horses goats dogs and cats into contact with
sulphuric acid and phospaes from South Carolina and
alter further process an ingredient is formed which
becomes very marketable commodity under the name
Of soluble manure" reporter OF the HERALD went
through tho panufactory few days ago. and without
the workmen knowing his object saw ana smet Tor HIM
self not only the product but the material
In Its earliest stages before 1t became the article of
commerce that results from tho manipulation On
gind OF dumping board the side Of the estab
lishment, heaps OF the bones and dried entras
OF these dead animals from Barren Island These had
been stepped In sulphurc acid, and the smell there
from was even under those circumstance unendura-
bic for any protraced period; but when dumped from
the boat at the emptying Of the scows II could be
readily imagined that It compound Of all
the objectionable smells that even Harlem has known.
wHAT Is TO BE DONE ABOUT IT.
IL Is strikingIy illustrative OF the oit-repeated
proverb that public bodies move SLOWLY, tnat this
manure factory should have been in operation
great part OF the winter all the spring and that
last week 900 tons OF the manure should have been
ton Of the Board OF Health. 1t is only within the
Last hours, and when there every
HERALD exposure, that the preliminary official step
for closing this factory was Initiated. Every
lance OF Jaw The propretols havo received q
permit from the Board OF Health TO carry on their
work. Untl very recently they did not even make an
application. Dr. Veil, the inspector OF the district,
and Sanitary Inspector Day visited the place till
Monday last. They had scarcely reached the adjoin-
ing avenue when The reporter of the HERALD n tho
neignborhood, and very shortly acrward discovered
the OF the nuisance Of which tho neighbors
SO justly complain Dr. Veil says that he has reported
that the permit be Withheld, and that that re-
port was placed on lie yesterday. The inquiry, how
sver naturally arises, Why was not this done beoroY
There been neglect at the least, by the officials
whom the guardianship Of the health OF the city has
boon entrusted These boat loads of dead animals
have been brought openly and in the daytime 10 this
establishment from Barren Island where city officials
have to some extent supervision, and yet no steps
taken 10 prevent the creation OF this nuisance
NEIGHBoRING ESTABLISHMENTS.
Adjoining this manure factory is tailOw rendering
IN an nnobiec,,on msnner snd .be DetSnnors do
not complain. There Is an atmosphere Of burnt can.
die grease made very manifest TO oliactory nerves
that strangers 10 the nelghborhood. but this
be endured by the occasional visitor Near by is the
asphalt tube works, ana this mandatory, Dr. Veil
says, has mitigated somewhat the offensive stencil
from the manure factory and acted, fortunately, as
sanitary corrective But the Doctor says, any
and doors closed when Il IS desirable that they should
be kept open Is an infringement upon the laws Of
health and Is sure prelude to sickness that in the
THE FILLING IN OF ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH STREET.
Whatever Ambrose l. Nils the contractors for I'LL
Ing in certain streets in Harlem, may have been
guilty OF in past present they only dump
ing at the foot Of 10Th street dirt and material
visited yesterday the loot OF Fourteenth street. East
River, wbero they receive the contents OF all the CARTS
and It was indspuable that all that was dumped on
the scow was earth taken from excava ted cellars
ashes and cnders from gasworks and like material
The people In the neighborhood Of this street say that
they have no complaint to make OF the filling in,
and think that when the factory closed their
ncighborhood VIII be toerable place TO reside in.
Ambrose 4 Mills do not receive any refuse from the
Street Cleaning Department Some time ago an On.
deavor made by them to enter into q contract
with that department TO take away the sweopings at
fifteen cents per load, and subsequently at five cents
but this offer was not entertained and lately the de-
partment has not received any proposals from them.
almost continuous succession to the foot OF East
Fourteenth street will be that the contents Of
said that all persons in connection with the city
cleaning their good behavior during the
sitting Of the Legsls.ure but that after the adjourn
STREET CLEANING pxRouIsIrEs
Ever snco the year 1856, BY system introduced in
this city by Mr. Thomas b. Asten, the Chairman Of
the Board Of Assessors, very largo number OF tho
best OF city, including the districts winch
nearly all the residences OF the moro wealthy in
habtants are situated are swept by private contract
stipulated sum OF about one dollar month for each
householder is paid to private contractors named
Smith Very, and thereby the regular employment
OF gangs OF sweepes are enabled TO have many Of tho
carefully swept during all OF the year. To the
ordinary observer IT would seem that tho Street |
Cleaning Bureau should chcerfully encourage
prise OF this Kind that saves them so much labor and
gives them a reputation among citizens that do not
know OF the private contract system. The ways OF
politicians are however, dark and mysterious, and arc
not 10 DO judged by the usual course OF human con-
duct. In the days when corruptonists were learning
their alphabet OF the OF the swept
by private contractors would be taken away by tho |
carts OF the Street Cleaning Department by giving
the men In charge OF the carts "a drink" |
A cd
and obtained; tho private contractor is known
ccivc certain amount Tor specified block, or sec-
ton OF ward, and unless certain payment Is prom
iscd the carts Will fail TO put appearance and the
private contractor must devise his Tor the
removal OF these swecpings. The taxpayers OF this
CITY are twice taxed once by the city, second by the
private contractor, and the latter must pay the city
servants again Tor dong the work that they would DO
compelled 10 do II he did not do It. These and similar
abuses still prevail and tho citizens appear help
less amid the corruption that surrounds them.