Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-09-22
A SPOT.
Homes Of Twenty Poor Families
Invaded by SowerG Gas aud Foul
OdOrs-Dimculties Encounter
ed By the Board OF Health.


-OdOrs-DimcuIties Encounter.
ed BY the Board Of Health.
New York SUM-
Complaint was made to the Board
of Health on Monday concerning the
condition of two houses in West
Forty-third street, 68 and 20, the lat
ter at Sixth avenue, and bearing the
number 754 on the avenue. On the
same afternoon the promises we're in
spected by Sanitary Engineer Nealls,
and found to be in 9 condition almost
beyond description. The house at 68,
q double tenement, has FIVE stories
and q basement, and there are four
families on each floor, except in two
instances, each family occupying three
rooms.
Inspection was begun in the cellar.
There one third Of the cobble-stone
flooring was found covered with stag
nant water. Where the cobble-stones
Of the floor were not covered by water
they were deeply hidden by a foul
smelling slime. The sewer pipes were
broken through in a number Of places,
where holes had been made to let off
the water when the cellar was flooded.
Some Of the holes we're big enough to
drop melons through. The waste
pipes were also broken, and the place
was full observer gas.
From the yard an overpowering and
terrible stencil arose. Through the
entire house the waste pipe connec-
lions were made with putty" joints,
soft, 50 that q knife blade passed easily
through them, aud in some cases they
were broken away, 50 that there was
leakage from them. The whole house
was full Of the most abominable odors.
The waste pipes being sealed under
the roof, instead Of extended above
and ventilated, as the law directs,
were constantly syphoned out by flow
ing water, and left open for the free
ingress Of sewer gases.
ITS nothing to speak Of to-day,
SIR said one Of the tenants, but
when it rains, or the air is heavy be-
fore a rain, the smell is enough to
turn q dog sick"
God knows how our children have
lived here" said another, but l sup
pose he knows how poor we are and is
goad to us"
mo odds how hot it is" said a
third, we've got to keep our back
windows closed when the weather is
heavy, or the smell would stiAe us,
and then when we do the smell from
the sewers hat comes up through the
sink sickens u.s."
The foulness of the whole building
was indescribable. 1t is but a bloch
from some Of the finest buildings on
Fifth avenue, but a block from Reser-
voir Park, where hundreds Of children
play every afternoon, close beside the
elevated railway, and the center of a
densely populated section Of the city.
The condition of the other house was
not quite so bad, the lessee, Mr.. Nc
Kenna, having done all in his power
TO save it from becoming a plague
spot, but its cellar was foul from the
overflow out of that of the house at
6S,
The tenants Of these houses pay
rent to Jacob Korn, who lives al
Sixty-fourth street, neal Third
avenue. The lessee of the corner
house holds a lease from Jacob Korn.
but pays rent to Jacob Korn, and has
been assured that the property has
passed in the latter's possession.
Mr.. A. H. Bancker, Assistant Coun
sci Of the Board Of Health, says: I'VE
have had q great deal Of trouble with
the Korn family. There are a mum
Der Of them, all owning property, aud
when we have a serious complaint
against one OF them for fragrant viola
ton Of sanitary laws on his property,
as we have every reason TO believe, he
goes into court and swears that the
property does not belong to him,
Against the man complained ofin this
instance, jacob Korn, we have re.
corded on our books no less than
eighteen suits. The condition OF the
very property now made a subject Of
complaint has been the subject Of lie.
gal action by US on complaints within
the past sixteen months, on June Is,
and August q, 1880, and on January
10, February 20, March 30, April 20,
June 81. and August IL, 1881. We
have had Jacob KOrn arrested, locked
up in the TOmbs and brought into
court over and over again, and each
time he swears we have the wrong
man, and the court, of course, has to
discharge him. And we have also NO
less than eight suits recorded against
Henry Korn, six against Hermann
Korn. four against Bertha s. Korn.
and each against Rudolph Korr
and David Korn. No matter which
Korn We grab he is the wrong one"
Does the law not authorize the
Board OF Health" Mr.. Bancker was
asked, TO make the needed repairs
and eleAnings in cases like this, and
constitute the cost thereof lien upon
the %prOperty2"
yes, he replied, "but the trouble
is that we have now no money
for hat sort OF work"
Hermann Korn was yesterday ar
rested on the strength Of complaints
as to the condition Of the house on 6
West Forty third street. lie was
held in the Yorkville Police Court in
$500 bail.
King Louis Fairy Palace.
The London telegraph