New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-04-23
THE ODOR NUISANCE.
INJUSTICE OF THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE REfohl-
FIDELITY OF THE BOARD OF HRALTH-No Of
'rrvs1vP GASES FROM sLAUGHTER-HOUsEs-

INJUSTICE OF THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE kEfOhl-
FIDELITY OF THE BOARD OF HRALTH-No Of
FFysIvF GASES FROM sLAUGHTER-HoUsEs-
THEY COME FROM PETROLEUM REFINEmEs.
To the EDITOR OF The TRIBUNE.
SIR: Having read the report OF the Cltl2ens
Committee on the "odor nuisance" published IN your
last SATURDAYS issue beg leave 10 offer some criticism
on the same That suffer at times IN this city from
the presence Of most offensive there can be no
oueston and no words which employ on this occasion
must be construed into excuse for the continuance Oh
this nuisance But II will serve no usefn purpose 10 can
hard names and ia sfy the situation as this committee
seem inclined to do What people want, and what they
insist upon is that the offensive Odors which, under GER
tain conditions OF orr atmosphere, settle down upon our
streets md enter our dwellings, shall be traced TO their
source and If that is within the control OF the
Board of Health then we should demand its removal
The Citizens Committee come TO the conclusion that
the saughterhouses situated the banks OF the North
and East Rivers the primary cause OF all these vile
odors for from these saugherhOuses are all tue iacO-
ries which utilize animal ofa supplicd-and therefore.
upon them primarily must he placed the responsibility
This committee have spent much time apparently upon
the statistics of the oa trade Of city, and have ex-
hausted the adCctvcs Of the language IN trying to ex
press their disgust their presence and their practices
They hold the Board Of Health unreasOnaby respon-
sble for all abuses which may grow up IN the handling
ana utilizing of the animal oa Of our city So far then
agree The public understand however, that the whole
question OF the fidelity the Board OF Health as presented
by this committee the question OF fact which
they assume that the odOr of which they 80 justly com
plain are directly attributable to slaughterhouses, tan
neres, bone and fat boiling, etc
II this committee are mistaken in this then all their
statistics and adectves gofor nohing-except perhaps
to give gratuous advertising to the oa manufacturers
At various times IN the past history Of this city we
have had TO contend with dangerous gas emanatons.
The gashouses the shell burning the stable manure ac-
cumuations, the slaughIcrhouses aud their resulting
nusances-a OF these early taken hold OF by the
Board Of Health and each treated upon Its merits
The gas companies could not be absolutely stopped hut
they could be induced 10 Use al appliances known 10
modern science to mitigate the odors which 1T periods Oh
their manufacture tHel ali9Wtu 10 tsCaP5' Inns ro
companies joined the hoard IN accomplishing. Inc
stable manure. in connection with the animal oial from
than three hundred saughteI-houses, was placed
tie lots ana on heads ui piers, 10 innate
into Il mcTChautabc fertilizer The oyster ana ciam
shells Of the city were burned in open EinS the slauR
tcring of animals carried on in the Oulltup ana
most populOus portions of the city without any general
arrangement for the utilization OF the'E Ona ana Va
many instances without connection with the sewers
a Iae'e tc aeEon Of Ic Board of Health
At that time had offensive Odors to contend with as
and bone boiling formerly carried IN open kettles
and emitted III their immediate vicinity most Often
erected into which al these offensive vapors were
direCted-but these cLiGneys or served TO distribute
these sickenng gases wider range Of country
and II VIII be remembered that rat ana bone boiling
finally made nuisance by the health ordinances
and all persons doing this business were required TO
render these animal substances in tightly ncioscd iron
tanks just as the Citizens Committee say mat McssTS
y m rv bgv 10 do his business in any other way
am induced to say THIS not moro from my confidence
neIsonaI knowledge OF the fact that all are now
rendering ofal. Beside it is the most economical and
Ib3t The nresespt practice viii be continued
To induce capitalists 10 erect permanent works for the
utilization Of this O the Board OF Hea IA have made
constant efforts and as think. with cOmmendauc sue
No CITY in world sHuEutcIS many animals
for immediate local consumption win az little offence
10 the general public The civ Of NcwYOIk and This
result has brought about by the most persist ut
efforts OF the health authorities, with reasonable coop
packers Are all these efforts OF the past years and
ali this outlay Of capital 70 De set aside and condemned
10y citizens committee who certainly show h' Ihrlr
report that they have not examined the subject ia any
other than IN ITS financial aud statistical Dearlngsl
ton written without personal in-pcc
ton OF the localities severely criticized
The evidence OF inns IS lWtc apPlrgnI IN lLc il.s
statements OF IN" report. As for instance: there
I Il nd S IS e a. QUE p' w mile Of hat location
If indeed there ia a single one Oh the whole Island Of
doubt was that AIessrs j. b. Hoyt u Co. occupied a
buldu. the purpose Of curing green hides in which
curing Of hams or beef The committee equally at
fault in their tUt.usm OF the factory Of Messrs.
allowed 10 escale from Their well conducted
MOTHS. nnIeu ~ a TnTitn ~, Nm "iuGnc .nT
steam tanks COudeuse the vapors and send them
of TO The river by an independent sewer II is safe 10
say that these gentlemen have good facIliuc, a,
Messrs Eastman a Co., Wnum the committee much
commend. Knight pas, M review each establishment
they quit familiar 70 mel and show that the re-
port has truly set forth the facts ana consequently
the conclusions are not Justified.
Notwithstanding all these l,udahe efforts 10 utilize
animal substances II offensive gases DO yet escape" we
should condemn them and Try something else or
drive them from IN" city. IL may be DIFF
Ecult 10 say where they should 20; Dui |
would be willing 10 adopt cremation" or any
remedy rather than 10 suffer gases 10 escape into the
external which are injurious 10 health and danger
TO life. But fortunately for the sanitary and bust
interests OF TINS city shall be forced Ia no such
alternatives. We now utilizing all the animal sub
stances of city economically they are In Paris
any city OF Southern Europe, ana doing this
without offending the endangerng the life OF
the inhabitants.
But this leaves the important question unanswered:
Whence the offensive OfOIs which occasionally
sweep and settle down on our city, answer, from
the refining OF petroleum. and ~ requires only the small
personal attention u the subject to convince even
citizens committee Of the fact. j. - :.
Acto- York, April q, 1878.