New-York tribune., 1884-11-17
CLOUDS OF FLOATING DUST
WHERE rlrrn.Avs. NEEDS RErAvISo.


NOW n,s,pESTs ALoya fiit rAnk AhH AN"o'|'
THEIR HEALTH iMrAihrn
..,,.r f,,u, Paris or London, Philadelphia ur
uas,on or almost any great city, strolmg n'"ng
,hs mart Il FIfth-ayc. that skirts Central fafh
os,.c;,llv the lower part Of u, yesterday wo""
how, noted some phenomena that womb nave
stort,,d him. The promenade outside the wan VI
the Park. rs usual. was thronged win pe"e',r,"n'.
and in the roadway many carriages and hen'
'.oaon. bovlcd along The windows of the resi-
Jences fronting the Park were all tigh,S
closed The clothing OF those VIM
rode and those who walked. though douotless ai'
were in tier sunday garb, wore dihVy iooN'
Man, were snecz,ng and many were coughing
while still Others were wpng an oecasionai e'i
trou their eyes. But little was said and lips were
,,onoro,iv t,gbtIv compressed if the people had
q Great objection 70 opening their mouths Inc
,naior;tv walked or rode with downcast look ana
with eyes partly closed
The cause of all this painfully evident at
glance. From hoof and wheel Ill the roadway afosc
| n constant cloud of fire gray dust, whien
nervaded the entire atmosphere. 1t had beeh'rlsihe
annarcntIy for some time for the faded folia2e oi
the frees on that side of the Park all wore the same
| preyish tint and the dust had settled on HafDio
| and brick and brown-stone fronts and made inc
| window panes of the costly dwellings OPAQUE an
| along the avenue the dust lay two mches deep. A.
had completely obliterated the cross-walks ana was
powdered along the sidewalks. In no c'S wiz"
| tho pretensions of this metropolis. assurediy.
| oorld bc found = quarter "a much elegance and
! hoantv and in which evidently so much wealth nau
been Invested left in a condition OF such shameful
neglect by the oilcia VINO dfaW laige S"i"ii'' '
| keeping the streets III proper cohol''oh'
| WHAT THE ROADWAY CONSISTS OF.
| Tho n,vement of this portion of the great
| avenue is a macadaml1ed road, the fine stones OF
| winch have been ground and puiveti%ed
upder the wheels of passing vehicles for over three
Years until the dust lies thick upon its sriaGe
| os the ashes around crater. Mingled WIN u IL -
tbe filth of countless horses and OF the Groves of
| sheen that daily crossing the transverse roads Vi
| tne Park march in funeral procession TO the places
| of slaughter selected for them. DOWN this P"I.io
of the avenue, during 'he s"''', morning
| of the night and the carry i,i; inolIi,us;
countless market and grocers wagonJi nS,as ike
thnsc %v which tbe great lagcr-beer bIewcries OF
the East side disseminate their poisonous peNcIagt
throughout he city, pass daly' he here are
smooth and comparatively nolseleSs, anu theIc "lS
no cars or car tracks to Obstruct the passage .,
wagons as on nearly all the other thoroug hfares OF
that neighborhood and so the divers OF 'he ou'-
ness wagons prefer to use the fli1h-aVe. .
| At other portions of the day numerous carriages
are passing and repassing III intervals. an nc'pins
in the work of dust making. hus me eNil y eo. w.
| st,ntlv growing greater, and nothing Is done 10
| remedy IT,
| pANGrR TO HEALTH.
| But the discomfort of those who ride and walk
there and of those residing in the ncighborhood Is
not the worst Of IT. The atoms of ground stone ana
| filth combined that float III the atmosphere ana
penetratc into dwellings. have been pronounced by
phvsic,ans most dangerous tn the health OF all who
| ,nhaIe them while their effect upon the ewes IN
some cases has been most serious. producing tVp'
| of opthaltnia which, VI not quickly placed nndet
| treatment leads to blindness. number ot sueh
| cases ha yc claimed the attention ~ medical men
| Tor many people the sidewalk along the park ~
| favorite place Of promenade. IL should he health
fnl and agreeable to walk there but ~ II IL now 1t
| IL positively dangerous Mt,
In Iondou they have maCndami1od roads 1so
this aud they are preferred for diving, hut th'tr
thry ntn kept constantly ~ good order ~" aust IN
| allowed 10 accumulate aud They nfe frequently
spr,nk led Ho ~ to form always hard, moist, yield
| inp roadway over which ~ N n pleasure Tor people
Ia rdc aud for horses 10 trot. aud hy the Hidn oi
which one can walk without diHcomI"ti
or danger The residents along The park ihnk
that n IL too much ~ expect that local oihcihI-
whose attention Is ~ much taken up by Their per
sonai interest in public affairs should devote any
of their valuable time To keeping the roadway III
| proper condition. Probably tho best thing that
can be done under these circumstance Is 20 pave
tnis portion OF the avenue with granite blocks, IRON
which the ram will wash the dirt aWav OCCASION
ally and save the authorities the trouble of looking
after the public health and comfort too closely