The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-20
FILTHY STREETS.
The MvurdS Of Dirt in the Ninth and
Fifteenth Precincts.
AWAITING DECENT BURIAL.
Pestilence Breeding Refuse Endangenng
the Public Health.
AN INVISIBLE BROOM BRIGADE.

the pages Of history were not fragmentary 1t
might be discovered by indefatigable searcher
after truth that the Of the burial of Troas.
Mycen@ and other ancient cities was the possession
by each of them of stupid. indoent AMI negectful
street cleaning bureau The present rate of accumu
lation in the public ways OF New York suggests
similar fate during the twentieth century, unless.
happily. the officials who have long tried the patience
Of the people give place to entirely new order of
mon. The enforcement of the ordinances against
obstructing and poluting the pavements aud cutters
Is apparently entirely abandoned for they are fire.
quently violated under the very eyes and noses Of
the patrolmen whose duty it is to make arrests for
such cause Many poverty stricken people themselves
complain the relaxation Of Civic discipline this
respect. saying that while they disposed to pre-
serve decent standard of cleanliness it is impos
sble to do 80 long as their neghbors show
gard for it.
1--WE are sorry" said q tenement house resident
Hto others prosecuted especially when they are
rs poor ourselves and have to struggle very hard
Tor o subsistence. But they have been brought up
differently in their early life and seem to lack the
instincts OF order and decency. 1t is an injustice to
US not to punish them for offences against the
public welfare. and in sense 1t is an injustice to
them. They will never. become Clearly unless
cleanliness is beaten into them should like to
system of penalties established which would be
less hard upon them than the exaction Of fines and
yet would touch them in sensitive spot"
These views those of many of the better class
of tenement house residents. and they probably
suggest Of the most practical remedies for the
abuses with which the Street Cleaning Bureau is
obliged to contend
PRECINCTS REVIEWED.
reporter. in reviewing the ground defined in the
HERALD yesterday, found in almost every street
something in illustration of the above facts. The
result Of good deal of activity the part of the
sweepers was observable in the Eighteenth and
Twenty-frst precincts but il there were dozen
blocks which had been newly swept in consequence
of the HERALDs warning there were . hundred Of
whose existence the proper functionaries might just
Is well have been ignorant far concerns their
condition. Second avenue, from Twenty -seventh
street down to Twentythird. is little better than
continuous slough The pavement has long been
worn out and is full of holes that trimming
with liquid filth. The cutters contain masses Of
putrescent vegetables and oal. tin cans old shoes.
old hats. rottng rags ashes and ali of other
useless things Along the whole Of this part Of the
avenue there piles of material for repaving it.
and it evident that for weeks it has not been swept
Between Twenty eighth and Twenty ninth streets the
character of the filth is disgusting and it lies
dozen blocks the surface is notified with large and
small holes, in which greenish black liquid stag
mates and stinks.
Third avenue through these precincts was swept
yesterday morning. with the exception Of the space
occupied by the tracks. For short distance
below Forty-second street the gutter was still
clogged with impurities. In front Of No. 651 was
poolof stagnant water and half immersed In 1t was
u heap Of rotting matter, which the flies were
feeding in black swarm. Up to two o'clock
carts had made their appearance and of the
smoking masses which had been swept into the
cutters had been removed In front of Nos. 1893 and
$50 Second extremely foul spot. about
hundred feet long by twenty-five wide. where the
mud was mixed with garbage, cobs. clam shells.
tin cans. old boots and reeking rags. Huge holes
noted in front of No. $40 Second avenue at the
of Nineteenth street. between Twentieth and
Twenty first. Nineteenth and Twentieth and Twenty
hrst and Twenty Streets all of them emitting
unpleasant smell.
NEEDS REPAIRING.
Forty -second street. east OF Third avenue. needs
repairing. Under the IL" station at the corner of
THIRD avenue. there is . hole having OF
about one hundred square feet snd 1t is probably
foot and half deep. In front of No. sl3 the gutter
contains q quantity of garbage. Ashes strew the
pavement OF Foytyfrst street in abundance and two
heaps in front of Nos 221 especially con-
spicuous In Thirty ninth street. between Second
and Third avenues, there is good deal of stagnant
water. owing to the obstruction of the northern
gutter with the iron girders to be used in building
the new IL" road. Ashes and old shoes adorn the
pavement in front of Nos. Dos and 235
Returning to Third avenue the reporter found in
front OF No: 5SI and No. 549 masses of filth COM
posed of u dozen different kinds of matter, all of
which. however. under the combined influence of
dampness aud heat, was rapidly assimilating. At
. basket standing the curb OVERLOOKING with
sawdust which had absorbed all the drippings of
the tap. besides stale tobacco and tobacco juice In
front OF other ale houses, notably at No. 52 there
were nuisances OF the same Sort
At No. 207 Twenty ninth street ashes have usurped
the gutter, which all along both sides of the
IL extremely foul and unhealthy. In front of No.
233 there isl putrid pool of water. The pavement
flth, In the middle OF tho next block, to the east
ward. there is perfect museum OF old shoes. Before
No. 32l Is big hole filled with amber and stink
ing fuid Twenty-sxth street tolerably clean.
and in Twenty second street there signs of u
recent visitation of tho broom. Eighteenth street
between Eighteenth and Seventeenth streets smells
day morning. Sixteenth street east of Second
dirty. while west of the thoroughfare 1t
was cleaner than usual. Fifteenth street was still
very dirty. In Twentieth street. which cleaned
yesterday morning, "P ID. 40S" was being
loaded with the collected sweepngs In front OF No.
3i2 there lay two tin cans and in front OF No. is9
dead cat. Tho latter was swelling In tho sun and
cloud of gnats was buzzing about IL. The driver OF
cans or the dead and presumably they are still
part of the Interesting landscape In East Twentieth
street.
The Ninth and Fifteenth precincts the regions
visited by the HERALD reporter yesterday afternoon
They the west side of the town aud
bounded by Houston street, Broadway, Fourteenth
street aud the North River This irregular rectangie
is divided by Sixth avenue. the portion lying
the river constituting the Ninth precinct and that
toward broadway the Fifteenth. A walk through
this quarter Of the town. especially the part lying
nearer tho Hudson River, is by no means pleasant
occupation at any time. but when to its natural UNI
cleanliness is added the blazing rays OF summer
sun aud the horrors of decaying filth. the walk Is
to be Stunned by all who not utterly regard
less OF their health Nevertheless duty compels one
to brave oil dangers and the HERALD reporter bear
ing this fact In mind boldly started ON his tour OF
exploration.
Houston street, the southern boundary Of
both precincts. IL marked by rows of
garbage barrels which line the sidewalks on both
sides often remaining exposed for several days.
These emit frignttul smell and often make the