The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-09-22
A Terrible State OF Affairs Said 10
Exist Underground.
WHERE NOXlOUS VAPORS COME FROM.
Foul Odors Complained Of by People on
the West Side.
LIGHT ON A DARK SUBJECT.

For some months past the residents In the neigh
,srhood OF the loot OF West Twon;ythird street. as
woll us those doing business In that locality. have
been complaining Of worry offensive odor when
seems TO mprcg nato the surrounding atmosphere and
In almost sckening in its effects, especially at low
water The long suffering people OF that section have
been TO some the dark TO the cause oil the
noxious vapors, which arc at times almost over
towering. Some believed that they einanAted from
the cattle establishment ut the foot Of West
rhirty-iourth street, while others said they were
mainly tracoabe TO the garbage and kindred refuse
which is regularly dumped into an immense floating
receptacle at Twenty-hrst street and North River
Those, however, who take moro than an or
binary interest in the nuisance firmly believe that
the foul odors OF subterranean origin
In short that they proceed from detective sewerage
on Twenty-third street, and perhaps also on those
streets i'm south OF that thorough
fare tits alleged that when the rwenty-third street
ferry built a Corporation ordinance was passed
authorizing the cutting off, At Eleventh avenue OF the
sewer on each street Twenty to Eighteenth
street. both inclusive, and the construction Of
large sewer on Eleventh avenue which should carry
the contents OF the street sewsrs indicated down to
seventeent til street, where IL emptied into the North
River
AHERALp reporter visited the neighborhood a day
or two ago and ascertalned persons doing bust
moss there that on the from Twenty
TO Seventeenth peculiarly offensive gaseous odor Is
porceptibe ut low water. This, and especially the
stencil the foot Of Twentythrd street, 10 generally
for the theory that that portion oil the
sewer from Eleventh avenue TO tho river being cut OIL
inere Is a sufficient flow OF water from above to
sarry away whatever foul deposit may be In the elbow
Of the sewer at Eleventh avenue and fwenty-third
street, and consequently the delstcrous exhaiatons
Aof Aleb 1y
Ing into and concentrating the surrounding AIR. The
writer, while prosecuting his inquiries found one or
Two ctIzons who were OF tho opinion that portion
OF the bad odor on the streets indicated might
DO traccabie TO refuse matter from the
Manhattan Gas Works, located on Eighteenth
s.reot and Eleventh avenue, largo gasometer oil The
Same corporation being situated between Tenth and
Eleventh avenues ana extending from Nineteenth TO
Twentieth street From the works on Eighteenth
tncre Is good sized iron pipe running to the
Tver aud this said to be used for the purpose OF
carrying of some worry noxisus commodity. tho pipe
emptyng into the river distance under the sur
face nj high At low tide, It Is asserted, tho
end Of pipe partially out OF the water, and then
Inc atmosphere is flooded with very noxious vapors.
INJURIOUS HEALTH
A gentleman doing business at The foot of West
twentieth sroct informed the reporter that the tor
ribio stencil existing in that neighborheod has not
pnly affected tho health OF those living or carry
ing on business there, but also the business in.
tsrssts oil thai portion OF tho city, as those
residing elsewhere visit the place only when they
sannot possibly avoid doing 3D. He also called the
attention OF the to tho condition OF the gutter
On tho north side OF Twentieth street, which was
alled with foul smelling green liquio for some dis.
lance up the block. This gentleman sad:-"It Is no,
surprising that we have to endure sickening doors
here even II there worse Cause tor Thorn than
the state OF that gutter 1t remained even IN worse
condition than you SOC It now all tho summer until
Tho HERALD com rnenced It's exposures Of the hitn In
tho city but lately they have begun to wash the gut
ter out from tho hydrant once or twico week. Oi
course It Is still In a very bad state"
Mr.. NJ. c. Dexter, in business ut the loot OF West
twentieth street. remarked that whom the wind was
IRON NORTH Twenty street direction, they
suffered most from the bad odor, but he thought a
good deal Of 1t came garbage receptacle above
referred to.
Mr.. Stephen Cable ierrymaster at the Twenty-third
street iery being asked about the nuisance alluded
to, said:-"Ycs there Is smell here and very bad
one, 200. Where do think 1t comes from believe
The old under this street, which cut of
somo time ago at Eleventh avenue, Is filled up and
that the deposit cannot dow away. The water
In the slips on the north and south
ndes OF this ferry building is nl.hy, and the
Every time u boat comes she, OF course stirs up
The water and then tho Is horrible for about hal
al hour uiterward. 1t is the same way At low tide
The sewer must be all cnoked up they can't get
o. IL remedy tho difficulty on account OF the water
running up 50 lar from the ordinary iscaion OF inc
buIkhead. You see this ferry house Is built alto
gcther over the water; II stands on piles and the
mouth OF old is away ia behind those piies
SOURCE oF THE srkNC9.
A gentleman connected with the Twenty third
Street Railroad Company, on beng spoKsn to oy The
wrher, said:-"lhe stencil here ~ somsthing awful
am taking quinine every Day NY ply sician leeds me
with IL ali The Tho stencil conos from the III
sewer under the ferry house Sometimes when the
water Is very high II Dois up IRON the bottom and
then spreads on the surface, causing irightiul
odor, which poisons the atmosphere OF the whole
neighborhood We nave drodgod the river here every
seasou order that the esnteuts OF tho sewer might
have chance TO pass away. but the bottom has not
yet been dredged TO sufficient depth Tor that pGr-
pose. Now every time a ierryboat comes IN sho
washes away porton OF this filth out o the sever,
md that s In my opinion, sole oil the smell
that anicts LOCALITY. Tie top OF this old sewer,
or where cuvcrt pipes connect with II, must DO
Al least fourteen eo from the surface OF the street.
you imagine the dlculiy there would be IN clean.
ing out that peco Of sewer TO give us healthy
neignborhood."
Street Railway Company's stables has no eutlet 10
the river except through this opstructed severn
"Quitc tue contrary. Our stables have been built
20 combine all tns modern Improvements In that
class OF architecture. We have separate sewer 10
the river, composed OF large ear theuware pipe, tho
end OF wnien, as you may here soc Tor yourself Is
boxed above the surface OF the wntcr. THIS pipe,
bear In mind, carlos away oniy the ndud refuse
IRON our stsbos, the remainder being carted away
every morning; ana until II IS removed 1t is Kept ia
brick vauns having airtght tops, and besides being
ventilated by chimney leading 10 The rOoi oi the
buildings. l can bring you forty Witnesses from
night around hore VINO Will tell you that tho CAUSE
Of the smell arises IRON the nhh that Ia
constantly washing cut from under the Terry mouse
| have no doubt II proceeds from that old piece vi
fewer, and II will remain there until the slip Is
sredgcd deep enough, wnen the NTH will naturally
ana us way out aud pass OIL. At present the water
around the terry house 10 50 foul that u turned the
huit IA nil lho way a
sbort time"
ILL PERFORMED CONTRACTS
While searcnIng Tor information IN regard TO ru-
Injured frauds on part ot The contractors who built
Tue sewers tue HERALD reporter obtained an utter
view with city Utlicai nish IA authority. % tho
writer making known OBJECT OF his visit the geo.
ueman ALLUDED TO said:-'it Is pretty well Known
That a system Of fraud connection with The Duid-
ing OF sewers has bceu carried on Tor some time Tho
Contractors rarely. " ever. follow out the spccnca
Mons"
AN Ex-suPKRISTESDESr sPEAKs