The New York herald., 1879-02-15
THE WAR ON SWILL.
Prevalence of Disease Among Cat
tie Fed from Distilleries.
RAvAGES OF PLEURO-PNEUMONlA.
Efforts of the Health Authorities to Stop
the Sale of Infected Milk.

General Patrick, who has been commissioned. as
stated in the HERALD of yesterday, by Governor
Robinson with extraordinary powers to act ON
behalf of the State in the suppression of pleuro-
pneumonia among cattle. has established his
headquarters at the apartments of the Brooklyn
Board of Health, in the new Municipal Building in
that city. The General whose varied experience
in public positions of trust and responsibility COM
mands popular attention and respect, was Provost
Marshal of the Army of the Potomac during the late
rebellion. He was subsequently president OF the
New York State Agricultural Society, and i'll 1868 he
was head of the Texas Cattle Disease Commission
The General visited at headquarters early yes
terday forenoon by Sheriff Rushmore, who was in
quest of instruction to what he should do with re-
gard to enforcing more rigid quarantine at the
Blissville stables The instructions given to the
Sheriff of Queens county Of most concise
and definite character such to remove all
doubt from his official mind to what was
required in the premises The Sheriff informed
General Patrick that he did not apprehend any
trouble from the employees at the stables though
they felt very much dispeased at the action taken
by the authorities. The police on duty in the
vicinity and should any breach of the peace occur,
he felt fully prepared for such an emergency.
The disease. the General said. was con-
fined to comparatively small strip on
this end of Long Island and the southern end OF
Westchester county. The system of dealing with
the pleuro- pneumonia in the country could be made
uniform with that which had been adopted by the
Brooklyn Board of Health supplemented by the au-
thority of the State. The money appropriated by
the Legislature for contingent expenses In
cattle had to be killed he would give certificate
of their value to the owners, provided such owners
came forward and notified the authorities of
the presence of the disease and did
not attempt to conceal it. Through dis
infection Of infected stables and their
tents and the killing of diseased animals and the de-
struction of their remains even to the hoofs. would
eventually result in the eradication of the disease
The quarantine must be sufficiently close to prevent
even fowls from passing in and out of the stables
GENERAL PATRICKs VIEWS.
The General said he did not like to see number
of people thrown out of employment and an extern
sive business brought to standstill. as it must be
at Blissville. THE interests, and indeed, the lives
of the people at large are involved said the General
to a HERALD reporter, land nothing must be allowed
to stand in the way of thorough ameoration OF the
evil Professor Law, who is IA reliable authority in the
matter, says that the work to be done is huge one,
and it NAV take long time to root the disease OUT
The General said he had received information
that the disease prevailed in Orange county and
other places. but he thought these reports
ton from Blissville. He had, however. taken
steps to inquire as to the truth of these rumors.
a conference held in the afternoon between the
General, President Crane, Nj. D.; General Jourdan.
of the Police and Excise Board; Superintendent Ray
mond and Secretary La Fetra, at which views were
mutually exchanged upon the subject of diseased
cattle and swill milk, and considerable routine busi-
the work of the authorities. Detective Corr of the
Central Office who has been employed for the past
week in assisting the Health Department, was yes
terday specially assigned to aid in ferreng informa
ton for that bureau The legal adviser OF the Board
with the Superintendent in relation to the
prosecution of several cases of milk dealers now
pending before Justice Fisher for selling swill milk.
General Patrick. who will probably remain in Brook
lyn for week, will be at the Health Office daily
from ten A. NJ. till four p. Nj.
ARREST swILLcART DRIVERS.
The Sanitary Squad OF the Brooklyn Central Office
found driving swil carts within the limits of that
city. Yesterday afternoon officer Mcmahon ar
rested Peter Weber, driver driver. of r,; swiL cart
32l Marcy avenue; Frank Farrell, driver of a
swill cart for William Buckley. corner of Sixteenth
street and Seventh avenue. also arrested by the
officer They obtained the swl from Kings
distillery. at the foot of Division avenue Officer
Duggan arrested John Geblein. driver for Carl Wa-
ner of No 303 Waabout street and John Cor
man, Jr.. who drove swill cart for his father.
John German. of Ninth avenue. near Nineteenth
street. Officer Hamilton arrested Theodore +. Briggs,
of North Tenth street. near Fourth. for similar
offence The prisoners who charged simply
with violating the city ordinance by driving un-
licensed carts arragned before Justice Elliott,
who held them in bail to appear for examination on
Friday next.
Sanitary inspectors Brennan and McCauley stopped
various mikmen who came over the Brooklyn fer
ries and caused numbers to return. man named
hussing OF Dutch Kills, Long Island. stopped at
the Tenth street ferry. His cans were properly
marked, but as the inspectors suspicious of the
nature of the milk they made him return.
BI.IssvILLE STABLES.
Yesterday afternoon a HERALD reporter wended his
muddy way through the tortuous roads that lead TO
odoriferous Bssville. and, strange to say, he did
not meet with any opposition whatever to his view
ing the exterior OF the stables to his hearts
tent. Wondering where the officers who to
maintain the strict quarantine ordered by the Cover
stationed the reporter sought to explore the
"tabooed" establishment of Gaf, Fleischmann n Co.
On reaching the place where the swill gutter crosses
the railroad track from the distillery to the
yards gate found open. which allowed very
fair view of the interior of the swill milk stables.
There no venturing further. however, for a
strong advance guard Of the 'mikmads. who
unamiable in their demcanor uninviting
in their appearance, barred the way. The gem
eral scraping ana securing which the stalls have
undergone during the past few days has benefited the
animals immensely. but still the whole surroundings
have the appearance of the utter contempt of the
management for the cleanliness of the animals. on
asking one OF the employees il General Patrick was
there during the forenoon it ascertaincd that
he had postponed his visit until to-day. While
returning from the stables 20 Brooklyn the reporter
informed by a resident of Williamsburg that a
man who owned q number of cattle had them driven
across the creek some few mornings ago before day
light, and that there seventy to eighty
cows in a small house and barn very near Penny
Bridge The house is the Brooklyn side OF the
creek and is just east of the point where the street
cars stop. There is strong suspicion that the
stables. and that they not very healthy.
Professor Law intends going to Staten Island to In
yeagate the condition of the cattle in that county.
AT THE SLAUGHTER HOUSES.
The reporter called at the slaughter houses on
but was informed that comparatively few
cattle killed on Fridays The slaughter
houses; Tour ln, IN nnmoes are owned oy BY, Ley &
May. The average number of cattle killed at each of
these sheds every we is li5. but this applies only
to the cold weather. Inspector ONeill had exam
iucd the buildings aud inspected the cattle thoro-
ughly and no attempt was male TO introduce
diseased cattle into any of the slaughtering
p1ns. number OF the employees in the slaughter
houses crowded round the HERALD reporter while he
was seeking information but their curiosity di-
rectcd in another quarter when they two police
men approaching The officers conferred togetherfor
short time in front OF Levi Mays sheds and then
moved northward. Every stranger discovered in the
vicinity during the day was suspected to be an ennis
Rary Of the Brooklyn Board of Health Even Pro-
fcssDr Going. who made minute examination of the
cattle, eyed with suspicion. Meanwhile the
lager beer saloons in the vicinity did thriving
business.
"What ish dot peesness nit de babers?" cried
TeutOn with blood-staincd apron looking savagely
at the HERALD reporter. His threats and ges-
lures created some excitement, and the
reporter entered the first of the slaughter