New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-06
DISCUSSING BAD DOORS.

COMPLAINTS THAT THE DIRT DUMPED THERE EMITs
OFFENSIVE sSELLs-CoNTRARY OPINIONS OF
THOSE IN CHARGE
The New York Central and Hudson River Railroad
Company has been engaged for over year IN filing
III the space between SiXty-hfth-st. aud Seventy
second-st west Of the railroad track on the North
River, in order to erect piers and storehouses for
freight. Recently complaints have been made that
The filing used was emitting offensive smells and
rendering unhealthy the air of the neighborhoou.
1t was also requested that the work be stopped until
October. TRIBUNE reporter visited the place
wednesday to ascertain the extent of the nuisance.
Piles have been driven at some distance from the
shore to form the bull1head at the proposed water
'front.' The space inside, several acres in extent is
being filled in, and large part is covered by water
deep enough to float the dirt scows which enter ot
an opening at the north end. The filing in has
been completed as far mp rs Sixty -nnth-st Five
seows were unloading yesterday and three more
lay IN the basin waiting to unload Their contents
were the usual congomeration known as "strcet
dirt ana ashes" and apparently contained some
garbage and refuse which is thrown into the streets
and ash-barres. Smells of various kinds were TO
be met with, which need no description to person
who has passed n dumping-place or met one of tho
loaded garbage scows in the bay. These smolIs
were rather of the offensive class than posltiveIv
deeterlous to health and came principally from the
scoWs rs their contents were being pitched of by
the Italian laborcrs ~ ~
much viler smell, however was TO be detected
near the waters edge. and on examination the sur
race or tIie water showed multitude of small
bubbles which rose from below and broke on ton
thus poisoning tn" air. The street dirt from fhe
scows was being covered with soil from an excava-
tion near by, well with cellar dirt bronobt from
adjoining streets, nearly fast as unloaded o.
caslnnay a carr o. street refuse from the adjoining
streets would be dumped, containing more or less
garbage which would emit n disgusting smell but
was 80. generally soon covered with earth The houses
IN the vicinity are mostly lahorers cottages few
in number steep bank rises east of the raiirood
track and beyond this little if any bad odor could
be detected. although the wind was in the west
Philip Pinfldi, the contractor who was suncrir-
tending the unloading OF the scows said that the
Scows came from the dumps Mt Canal. Twelfth
North River II was impossible, he declared, to
people put it in their ash-barrels Some street
refuse also came from the upper end of the Twenty
second Ward in carts and quantities of dirt came
how we can improve on what we are dong We
ana also sprinkle the street dirt with dead oil
after 1t IS dumped, according to the directions of
the Health Officers The worst smell comes with the
river mni, and that can be observed at low wafer
all along the river front OF course we cannot helm
II here. When the water is low and laws the banks
OF mud bare they make bad odor We have from
earth rs fast rs possible" ''
Mr. Roberts the engineer in he employ of the
IalroaH company who has charge of the filling in,
treated the report of bad smells as "a joke Why
we have much worse smells here said he rs Inc
Sperlended some pile-driVlnC ut the foot of West
Forty hrst-st; 81 have seen no complaint cxcenf
oH' ~ 1hllaN paper. ne tact is, no
up the street dumpings as FAST as delivered. using
the earth dug by thirty OF oar own men near Inv
and two or three bundled cear-diQgers in tle
upper part of the city. We also have 300 men IN
unload every scow before the next high tide Dead
oil TX used for disinfcctant and | think we ba 70
done all we can in the matter and there is no cauee
for complaint. The locality is frcer from smells
than Tor six years past"
Al the Health Boards office il was stated that the
Stre"t-t leaning Commissioner had been directed
July to dsinfect the street dirt used i'm filling in
the land IN question fast dumped on the scoyys
from the carts, usng dead oil for the burmese A.
ttnton was also AIDED Ia the Tact that ONLY street
DIRT and ashes We're to he taken TO fill i'm ot tbe
SEVENTEEN 81. grounds. Two complaints had been
received from the locality. and one of these was
forwarded 10 the Strect-C Cleaning Commissioner
complaints came from, DR. Ewing had been di-
rccted to watch the dumping closely. Sanitary
Superintendent Day had also visited Commissioner
Coleman and had been assured that the disiufectin
wonld be done properly. The Health Board deter
mined on Tuesday 90 revoke the permit 10 dunn dirt
al the point II us requirements not observed
commissioner Coleman was Thursday morn
ing by tribune reporter, to whom he stated that
he had given orders two weeks 90 10 have The refuse
sent To Scventiethst thoroughly dsiufected at the
dumps as II was loaded on the scows II seems y
Sald ne, " that some of the were dcrcrt in this
regard and they viii be displaced have tbis morn
ing sent man around 10 he dumps TO see that the
Previous directions are carried out and have sun
piled barrel of dead oil and two barrels of lime nj
each point Tor tins purpose. | have had no com
plants lately either from the Health Officers ar tha
public, and, as the contractor sad he would thor
oughlv attend 10 the disincctinp IS,lpposed II was
being well done. But, ii he cannot do H. will sec
10 II mNScH. as am anxious to carry out every
order of the Board of IIealth.v