The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-17
PUBLIC NUISANCES.
"A Visit to Localities Most
Afflicted by Them.
INTERESTING 10 OFFICIALS
Or. James and Superintendent Day or
the Situation.

ing an unusually large share OF public attention, tho
greater portion OF which is directed toward the lctid
cxhautioGs proceeding rom slaughter houses, OH
works, ier,iiiziug manufactures and Other kindred
nusances, which have Tor some years past rendered
certain uptown sections OF the metropolis almost IN
inhapitable. Through some means or Other mo own
OF these odoriierous enterprises have oeen thus
far enabled disregard pubic opinion as well MS the
public health. Nor do many OF the uptown streets
appear receive that IN the matter OF Cleaning
that would be all commensurate with the enormous
which tho taxpayers contribute annually for that
purpose.
A OBSERVATION.
tour OF several To oroughares tie west sido OF
the city and between Twentieth and Forty-hhh
streets made ny HERALD representative yester-
day with view to observing the condition OF tho
and Of noticing the state Of the atmosphere In
the neighbornood where tho pestIlenual odors al
ludea 10 mostly abound. Had member OF the inde-
fatgable Street Cleaning Department. been walking
on that severely respectable block in Twenty-tnird
street. between Ninth and Tenth avenues, yesterday
afternoon, he must have seen occupying conspicu-
position between The horse tracks old boot
Of tho pattern known AS 'rawhde," and which evil
deltiy at some time IN its history covered 1907 Of
very liberal proportions ia regard TO epgth BREATH
ana thickness. Ga tho east side Of eleventh
avenue rhirtylh ana Thirty sixth streets.
two three large boxes OF garbage lay on tue side
walk TAnk ouOT5 from ueCay lpS Fcsttauio
matter other refuse Tho cutters rhirtyeighth
street. Eleventh avenue were in very filthy
condition. as also those OF Thirty ninth street,
In the same vicinity. Near the corner OF Fortie.h
street, on Eleventh avenue. dead cnt was stretched
out by the side OF offensive Ilation OF refuse,
but whether poor puss had given up her seven lives
TO the foul exhaiatons OF that particular offensive
spot otherwise will in all probability remain unde-
cidcd.
STREET CLEANING DEPARTMENT.
The Street Cleaning Department might spend
little time the cutters in Fortieih street, near
Eleventh avenue, without detracting from the health
funess of that locality On the same avenue, between
Forlieth and Forty hith streets were observed
worthless remnants OF wearing apparel
pieces OF old wire screens, battered articles OF
dapdatei tnware and many other odds and
ends unworthy the notice Of fourth rate junk
dealer. Groups OF children acting scavengcrs
Forty.seconi street. between Tenth and Eleventh
avenues. taking up refuse that had been swept into
heaps the south side gutter, but thay only took 1t
mp IN buckets 10 deposit in places few yards fur
Their on in the gutter on the same block there
seen mui!arious assortment OF old rags and paper
scattered in the street.
oDoRIFERouS LOCALITIES
Between Ninth and Tenth avenues, on Forty second
street, tho cutters also ished evidence OF neglect
and Forty drst street, Immediately OF Eighth
avenue, looked as though 1t had in contact
with broom for week. To say that the atmosphere
OF Eleventh avenue and Foriy-second street was
surcharged with disagrcea5c odors would only be
Stating well known and oft repeated fact,
that vicinity has long since, by universal consent
eclpsed the city OF Cologne, with It's proverbal
thousand horrible smells The writer was IL formed
by lady hvGg IN Forty second street Tenth
avenue, that Ia her hcuse they have frequently TO
keep the doors and windows closed during warm
wosthsr TO prevent themselves from being pros cd
by the unendurabie odors which prevail in tho neigh
borhood She described these as being "deathke and
sicxcniug in the extreme"
DIR. JAMES on THE SITUATION
During conversation with DR.. James, assistant SUI
pcridtebdeut OF the Health Department., regarding
the bad doors the side OF this city he spoke
as foowa:."rherc Is no disgusting the fact that there
Fortieth street No one connected Win this |
Board mas ever attempted deny that such |
odors exist lh.re. 40 rot know what they |
proceed from. In the first place, Thrty-eighth |
street tncre Is dock where all the animal refuse |
shipped from the city Is dumped This rs carefully
collected, however, and covered much possible
IN wagons, which are opened only ahilc the homes |
and other refuse are beng collected The boat which |
receives inns refuse belongs 10 Lister Brothers, VINO
collect bones IRON butcher shops aud every other |
source ayaiintie. On the other side Of the dock
Is the boat that receives all the dead animals and all
Of the butchers dial that IS taken away from |
city THIS business Is done. believe, carefully |
MS can be-much more ~ than II some Years go.
At the foot OF Tnirtysevenih street there
boats, and portion OF the ground between Thirty |
seventh and Thrtycighth strcets has been used Tor
the temporary accommodation Of this stable manure,
but this all done violation o The sanitary code,
and people nave frequently been arrested for 1t,
thsti believe practice been entirely discon-
tinued Tor some time past
VIGILANCE or HEALTH BOARD
"And here desire TO state tnat this vigilance, fol-
lowed by the arrests OF parties, Is by
modtc mo part OF the Board OF Health. which has |
never relaxed It's efforts 10 abltc these nusances and
20 control offensive trades. Tae manure thus accu-
mu atcd through The winter has lately been removed
the Uoats, and the act OF removal causud
u good OF tho bad odor complained OF IN that 10
ealIty. Now, thcro are some odors emanating from !
Ihe Metropolitan Gas Works, at Forty-sccond street /
and Eleventh avenue but these doors Iaye within mo
puS q
Inc method which tue company now adopt IN purify
ing their gas Is ully up to the science OF tho day. II
Is, IN my opinion, impossible to run gas works
30 that the limited area ABOUT them Will
be absolutely tree from its influences. The
doors IRON the Metropolitan Gas Works do
not spread now as they diI Two three years ago,
ana II is hardly ever now that get the smells from
these WORKS as lar east as ghth avenue, while for
merry 1t was very common to encounter them east OF
Sixth avenue. At 1hc time the tide Is low there Is
offensive In the ucghbognood OF Fortieth street.
owing TO the TACT that the water Is shallow COCA
deal OF surface exposed wncrc number OF sewers
al. OFFENSIVE TRADES.
"Now. as 10 the trades Let US Dcgln with the hog
slaug utering business The odofs that are most oil
fcnslve to me personally are .nose which cmanatc
from the hog yards. fncy are perhaps more perma-
Dent than any other odor except possibly that from
the gas works, but never get TINS hog odor VI
Eleventh avenue. Connected with The hog slaagntcr-
lug interests is, VI course, theIendcfug OF lard. rms
~ pu N rendering tanks wncn u Is perfectly fresh
aud great care Is exercised TO render tho operation IN
onen.ive Inc vapors escaping rom the melting lard
arc generally run through coudcGscrs ana ihen into
the sewer or 'lto The furnace
TliB kL14NQt ~.
sanitary superintendent Day, on being asked by
the HkRALD reporter Tor incarnation REGARD The
Algonquin, said:-'l have rever smeed any olen-
Odor IRON the Algonquin, but can't say that
hhc has not at tmc distributed doors 10 cpnsderi.
bic distance. We have had, however, no complaints
made at tins .flicc Ia regard to her. rue vessel is
enclosed, aud when was board OF her ABOUT two
weeks ago there PROCEEDED strouE afnmoniacal
smell from tho Manufactured fertilizers, but this
oIur not percspublc ut "A distance rod
or tao from the 0ots do hot wish to ap.
pear the hght VI apoOglst Tor the
Algonquin, or any Vtner supposed source oi offence,
neithef w0ud ike 10 be represented making little
oil tuo complaints oi citizens, which when made In
GOOD faltu Always great pleasure receive
and upon. IL Is exceedingly difficult trace
smells To thcr sources 30 certainly as TO give us
ground Tor Just action. While We not deny that
Nov York has several bad smells Oi IT'S own. my
pureuce IN this department has convinced nae that
Indebted TO hunters PVn tor the worst ana
extensive odors act some oi the people OF ins
CITY, In 1873 when thi. present. Board Was organized
Innnh mo CITY a Very nnn nanlRT GOnaIllon.