The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-18
A Dreary Sunday for Storm
bound EXcursionists.
COMFY ISLANDS DANGER.
Defective Drainage Poisoning the Air of
the Popular Resort.
HOTEL KEEPERS ALARMED.

1t was decidedly wet on Coney Island yesterday.
steady rain OF torty-eight hours duration "pud-
died" the whole island and in spots made mud holes
deep and dangerous OF all desolate places this is
the most desolate such day. and yet i'll the Sea
Beach Palace the West Brighton Hotel and the Hotel
Brighton the attendance remarkably large. The
rain unquestonably diminished the hotel receipts
more than $25 900. The boats went empty and were
withdrawn after the eight O'Clock trip home. Great
preparations being made for the Lederkranz mid
summer night festival which is to be held in the
Sea Beach Palace on the night Of the 21st William
Steinway, Charles Z. Wendt. f. II. Heymann, Fred
Stems. Paul Gerbel and Mr. Herturg the com
mittee of the society in charge. The Abbott deco
rations to be unique and costly. including 5000
goldfish in glasses suspended from the ceiling. A
viii be given by the Liederkranz. under the
leadership Of Mr.. Paur at eight o'clock; fireworks
In front of the Palace follow at nine. and dancing
to Bernstein's music begins at half-past nine Ten
thousand tickets are already sold. and jolly time
may be expected. From Cables to tho Hotel
brighton is one continuous puddle. but at tho
latter place very respectfully sized audience
sembled and Joined in with gusto when Liberai
played his Nearer. My God, to Thee" The trains
were run on time in spite Of the lack of patronage
and semblance OF hustle maintained in the
grand corridors-but it doleful day.
Theimmense popularity of Coney Island eclipsing.
~ 1t does. that OF all other resorts hereabouts bids
fair to work the ruin of the place unless science
come to the relief of capital and find way by which
the island can be continued a. healthful and salu-
brious port of refuge 1t is obvious. the HERALD
urged early in this season. that place to which
three hundred thousand people go every week. and
on which not less than twenty thousand persons
live continuously ut least three months Of every
year. needs. above all others, perfect system of
sewerage drainage and cleanliness. Under
any circumstances, the most favorable.
town Of hotels and restaurants is in
danger OF pestilence unless sanitary precau-
tons Of the most precise nature rgidly enforced
and Coney Island, by Of it's singular subsoil
features. thrusts unique and extraordinary embar-
rassments in the way 1t Ia not strange that in those
parts OF the island where hosteres. clammeries.
and even hotels. have been standing for years.
special annoyance has resulted from the universal
habit of utilizing pits dug in the sand. but since the
nulttudnous rush Of the metropolitan masses has
transformed the desert into thronged and populous
county fair such makeshifts to be not only
impracticable but positively dangerous and tending
toward malarial and pestilential horrors.
TIE ISLAND Is.
Coney Island is u bed of sand long and narrow,
with horn shaped end, known the Point. From
one extremity to the other it is now occupied by
"hotels' of various degree from the architectural
triumphs known as the Hotel Brighton and the
hotel at Manhattan Beach, through the several
grades down to the lbiest roof under which man
can find food and shelter AS rule the Inhabitants
OF the island have not come up to the full
measure OF appreciation Of the importance of
the drainage question:, as 1t is called, by
which they mean the proper disposition of the
buildings temporarily or permanently occupied by
Even tho best of the present arrangements
porary expedcnts devised in haste aud not thor
oughly developed, III view OF the necessities at
early day of more thorough and more effective pro-
visions. No two views are in accord as to the pur-
pose and destiny of Coney Island. Capital
lists. instead of working in harmony,
Mt swords points. Little by little the whole
island IL passing under lease into the hands OF
whose several interests purposes and plans not
only diverse but Numerically opposed to the
other. and the consequence is that unless strong
common sense takes the sanitary problem by the
throat the whole place will become pestience
Ia sanitary engineering for which but little fornu
lated knowledge and reliable practical experience is
provide for the removal OF refuse in Incidental
and imperfect way. This plan, which is
bad enough in Cities where running water is always
available to up and carry oil the Objectionable
material, is ruinous in such unique place Coney
Island. where the earth declines to act a dis
infectant. No consideration of expense will be per-
mitted to influence the discussion of remedies.
Every sensible landlord the island is of the
danger of further neglect. For months all have
thought the matter Some have spent thou
sands of dollars in processes" and all ready
spend much more; but there is yet no concerted
effort ut drainage Each landlord attends to his own
and the consequence is that none Is perfect.
At depth OF few feet, say an average OF three
feet at tide level under the seive-lke sand is all
pervading layer of water beyond which it is mpossi
Bile to force the bulk Of the most deleterious por
tons of ordinary sewage. Common sense shows
that II the refuse Of the island be empted in the
sand 1t reaches the layer of water in which IL
certainly follow aud that must soon make an end Of
Coney Island. Fortunately the HERALD's agitation
OF this subject has come in good time. The atten-
ton OF the press and public Is drawn to the most
vital interest OF the greatest of resorts and
there is little danger that the matter will BIO
again neglected.
HOW THEY DO AT THE POINT.
Frequently the pavilion of Norton Il Murray is
occupied by about ten thousand people. The bath
Ing facilities of the Point attract crowds of men and
women and families. all Of whom eat and drink and
utilize the accommodations OF the pavilion. Exam
lnation of the drainage system shows that the
fuse. of which 1t is evident there must be i'm
mense deposit is run off into holes in the sand. II
of disposng of it, and yet the hatness of the island
makes it very difficult to remove the material by
ton above tide mark OF the whole surface of tho
island renders 1t dicult to call in the aid OF lido
water. MT; Norton has given the subject great at.
accuinulations and to secure cleanliness OF appa-
ratus
The success that attended the Brighton Beach en-
torprse induced Paul Bauer. Cable. Colonel Abbott.
Fetman. Vanderveer aud the host of smaller mon
that cluster about tho end OF the great pier TO
christen that section Of tho Island "wcst Brighton
Beach" At present there Is great deal of apprc-
henson felt in that quarter Water facilities are not
arc simply terrible. HERALD reporter made per-
sonal examination Of many OF the hotels and their
minor hotels are concerned there appears to DO
provision made for sewage. Tho garbage anu
swill carried off In barrels each morning. that
the difficulty Is AZ far as possible limited. But there
IL hardly any provision tor the disposal OF certain
portions OF tho sewage In n majority OF instances
tho treachcrous sand which pretends TO absorb and
carry 1t off, is all that stands between disease and
The public. Weeks and months pass. every day of
which sends its contribution of e1etc matter to the
sand pits. where II gathers and fosters and threatens
danger.
SCIENTIFIC EFFORT.
each VIVA fpuu nd rQt It.
tempt ut scientific solution of the problem. The
reporter was enabled to examine the system through
the kindness OF Colonel Abbott There. in all the
great places. the garbage Is collected reccptacles
and Kept for tho farmers who call for in the early
hours OF the day All tho other matter is washed
through pipes into six mammoth oblong tanks which
are Dramatically sealed. At a convenient hour this
IL blown out through pipes leading into the creek.
whence tho rctreating tide Is supposed to carry IL
out to sea. II Is said by all the island hotel
that the Sea Beach has tho best water supply there
Colonel Abbott recognizes, however, the necessity of
I'LL iurIhcr imprnx nnnnl- and sax ha will my