The New York herald., 1879-09-23
How New York's Ashes and Gar
bage Can Be Utilized.
EX-JUDGE HILTON'S OFFER
Improving Long Island Farm Lands and
Reclaiming Swamps.

reason. it would seem. than that they promised
relief. Three years ago generous offers were made
to the city, through tho Police Board. by certain
capitalists who stood ready to bind themselves in
heavy penalties to thoroughly clean the city. and
Later Frank Swift the of Barren Island made
almost similar proposition. but like the others, it
disregarded. swift declared to reporter of the
HERALD. In Albany. during the session OF 1878. that
if the Board OF Aldermen OF New York would pass
On ordinance making it obligatory on householders
to separate their ashes from their garbage he would
pay the city q bonus for the refuse and at his own
expense provide every house below Ffty-ninth
street with two zinc cans in which to empty ashes
and garbage. He continued to reiterate his PROPOSE
tion until. finding that there desire
intention the part Of the authorities to
treat with him. he wearied Of the whole
business and abandoned his project. The street
sweepings. garbage and ashes, he said. had each a
commercial value, but when they were mixed they
destroyed each other At that time he declared that
he had means Of disposing of the sweepngs and gar
bage to farmers for fertizing purposes. and could
find many men anxious to treat for a regular supply
of ashes In a dozen places around New York
where ground to be made the ashes could
be sold at SO much scow load. These people had
also endeavored to treat with the Street Cleaning
Bureau for ashes. but had failed No one has yet
been able to discover the why, with success
citys refuse by contract have failed. but it is
sonably inferred that there is what is known o
.dickcr" in the Street cleaning Ring.
THE HILTON SCHEME.
Tho latest offer to take the ashes and refuse Of the
city comes from ex-Judge Henry Hilton but it would
seem from what has happened during the past few
months that his plan, like all the Others is to be
discarded. For very brief period tho bureau made
pretence Of accepting ex-Judge Hiltons offer, but
some time since it discontinued giving him any
street sweepings The history Of the Hilton offer is
interesting and necessary to complete understand
ing OF the present status of affairs On the 9th of
March ex-Judge Hilton wrote the following let
ter to the Police Board:-
NEW York March IT. 1879
Goneral W. +. SMITH. President of Police Now York
DEAR sra-Observing that your Board iabors under
difficulty in the OF the disposal of street
value as fertilizer Tor iand am willing to undertake the
Of Of Ns tine ses a & s Of OF the soil in
this refuse and thereby the city great
pargSso. aooo tons q street sSespips
the department boats 1t tho docks Of the Long Island
Railroad Company. ut Hunters Point
Should this with accept it Is possible
that may during the season % dapients % this his, offer will
other equally dsntorestsd persons to use even much
tive should hsSe to horo
weather Respectfully submitted. HENRY HILTON.
CAPTAIN GUNNER AND THE Ex-JUDaE
few days after the letter was sent Captain Cum
appeared at ex-Judge Hilton's Office and tho
proposition was talked over. Captain Gunner said
It would be difficult to give him street sweepings
alone, rs it was the custom to dump Ill sorts OF
stuf-ashes garbage and street sweepings-nto one
barge. The ex-Judge. however, convinced tho Cap
tain that TO keep them separate was not such diff
cult task, and the Captain departed. saying that he
would recommend that a scow load OF street sweep
ings DO delivered daily at the dock at
r.an deli iverea abont scow load per 'N Sav NJ
the railroad dock. and then suddenly the supply
was stopped. During the time the delivery was
oitrp data ira1 fbn,, Iav nd
the sweepings were Immediately shipped on cars to
various points in the interior OF Long Island. For
time the of the failure of the supply
manned u mystery, but finally explanation
rived in the shape OF notification from Mulberry
street to the effect that one Mr. VRourke had Of
fered the department seven cents a load for the
sweepings. some days alter the notification Cap
exhibited a resolution of tho Board accept.
ing the proposition of Mr.. ORourkc. 1t turned
out tnaa Mr onourGs Gs never n. took ta Load Of
offer was anything more or less than gentle hint
to Judge Hilton of the value OF street sweepngs.
AS ex-J udge Hilton was giving the sweepings away
to farmers to experiment with and paying for its
transportation. he tailed to interpret the hint and
not knowing what else to do with the stuff, Mr.
O'Iourke having dcfaulted. tue bureau sent him a
fow more scow loads. BY this time the ex-Judge had
become more familiar with the value OF the city's
refuse and in position. owing to that knowl-
edge. to treat specifically tor it, and the following
communication he forwarded to the department:-
To Tux COMMISSIONERS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
GnsrLsmss-in view Of tho difficulty which appears to
attend disposal of swscpne garbage and
pose receive from and utilize all such
YORK below riy-ninth street Tor term Of years com
m,neing from N, date at, 70 be agreed upon.
tho follow ing conditions:--
eria which shall be suitable for filling sunken lots 10 be
as, i b . s sMsspass and and to
which Will be provided for the purpose the docks
the street swsopags and saIosse shall be
distributed no, less than 100 pounds of gypsum IN
department. transfer boats suitably
arranged for tho transfer of raroad aud from tho
department dumps and the railroad transfer docks at Hun
raa
many advantage. TO tho city. which DO noted
the following, 10 wit -
collected aud will not Se left hc dumping grounds
large saving will be effected in towing the scows
across the river instead OF out to sea and to tho Narrow
An questions Of injury the harbor from dumping
4 The garbage sweupings win be utilized and savod
instead OF bog wasted or burned as has been proposed
preparation part receive The ashes is desirable
d., Is .ss
e'p''' Us ""''' very '''Ds'"'' HENRY yGSIsY HILTON.
STILL NO ACTION.
On this communication no action was taken, and
the proposition still hangs hre In tho Police board.
In order to ascertain exactly how exJudge Hilton
intended to perform his portion of the proposed
contract anu how he would make use of tho sweep.
ings garbage and ashes, HERALD reporter sought
his agent aud ovcrseer. Mr.. Hinsdalc at Garden
City. Long Island. In long talk with this gentle
man e detailed tho plans OF his chief and exhibited
drawings OF the proposed boats that had been sub
mitted to the Police Department. II appears that
the plan submitted in the letcr given above con-
templates the use OF about 120 box railroad cars
which would be provided by the ex-J Judge Each OF
these cars would have % capacity of about fifteen
tons, and they could bo loaded ton at time, that
being the mum ber. placed each scow. The fol-
lowing is section of tho proposed scow show
ing the platform aud cars:-
g -