New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-23
THE CRADLE OF CHOLERA
say,rARy STUDY OF THE Sums.
THE FEATURES OF THE ITALIAN QUANrEh
OF NETWORK.
ny CHARLES L. wINGATE.

,vrocts Of ITS finding a foothold III Now-l ork
shouId il visit this country next year, rs most
authorities anticipate Despite tho precautions
taken by the health officials, no one who Is ~ ai'
familiar with the sanitary condition OF ths CITY can
doubt that If the plague gains an entrance INTO
the metropolis. il will find many nesting Paccs
among the dives and slums in certain quarters,
whence jts balefu influence Will spread far ana
wiac Chief among these hotbeds Of disease which
constantly invite infection, are tho Italian ana
Hebrew quarters the former occupying the region
of Mulberry Baxter and Crosby ats. and the latter
the district In the vicinity Of Ludlow. Essex, lics'cr
and FORSYTH sts A careful description OF these 10
ca'ities may serve rs warning TO the ci'izopS VI
New.York and perhaps lead to the removal OF some
Of their dangerous features.
Stand on the beach at Rockaway and watca tho
magpifccn, rollers sweeping in straight from across
the Alta ,tio and dashing against the pcbo'y Sho''
their white crcsts shining IN the sunIigh'' '"""
visit Concy Island after tho garbage sco's have
dumped their pcsticntial loads int" the sea-
covering the whole beach with rotting, fccEine
masses gathered from the cutters and sinks OF the
metropolis The first fairly typifes tho early
emigration to this country. when the grand army
of sturdy women aud artisans led by Winthrop
Miles Standish, iicndrick Hudson. Calvert. Zap
tain John Smith and Oglesbv came to settle TINS
New World and to found nation IN the wilder
ness. They have been followed by humorous OF
thousands OF peasants and mechanics from an
parts of Great Britain and from the Ic'e'h
aud breadth of Europe, bringing their savings
their household goods aud their families 10 Docohe
valued and self-re ,pcotiug citizens The other sconc
typiiies the wrciched Ofi-scOurings OF Europe now
being cast on orr shores. ignorant. degraded de-
crcpit unframed and reduced to the lowest moTal,
physIcaI and mental state The tide of Irish. Ter
mans. Swcdcs Scots English and Danes who have
hitherto made up the bulk of our emigration mas
ebbed, while ON the other hanh since 1870 the
number Of liza lians, Russians Bohemans foles an"
Hungarans has increa Sod enormously Here are the
official fgnrrs as given by the Commissioners OF
EmigIation 49,
s% is ! sJfs 81 's! Ss isls 'sS M @
nas.a
pc,nd aiss 5g9o eso aa.e nos 1908 70 o., odq
nonsa,a - o6s a.,ai gJi5 aOoj a,sOi 1000 2l''
Ii In only recently that tho emigration from these
countries has been OF any considerable
amount There has been steady inotoA" ~ 'h'
number While II IL noteworthy TINT avery mnoh
larger proportion roman permanently ~ New-'WN
tbnn tboee of other untlonnliiies Physically tho,
nrc much inferior 10 tho tclt, and SnNonS WI"
u ccodcd them. aud who were mostly bred 10
ouidoor occupations and poscs.od ttorc OF health
mud yicor Some Of The Italians vino have come
from the rural districts show Iiko physical traits
Int n large number have Of late years hubSisicd
amid filthy surroundings aud on poor. unsa'riyinp
food. They nrr siunicl. pinchcd aud unhealthy
looking. The women seem worn out Win 'apor'
the children are prc'na urey old nnd The aged are
30 weazenod and dried mp that they appear Ike
muinmics Tho Russians and Siavs are OF the
same low ype of humanity and show tho ELECTS OF
generations % tyranny. poverty ana SLOW H'arVn-
tiop. ANY one who will stroll through Mulberry.
Has xi4itf
quarters around Ludlow Street Jail, will learn the
number of these unfortun tie people. Their low
vitality makes them specially susceptible to unsan
itary conditions or late years there has been
steady increase in the mortality among the steer
are passengers on European vessels. where ventila
ton aud other sanitiry considerations hav" bcen
neglected and where ~ English medical Journals
have pointed out. u low grade OF physicians nave
been appointed Those passengers who die on amp
board when vessel is nearing port are brought to
kew-York 10 he buried and ilns swell the citys
mortality Others who die while ut the Emigrants
IIDspital n, Wards Island should lie charge 10 the
same cause The deaths AT the reception hospital
nj Castle Iiartlca increased from eighteen IN 1880
IA sryrnty-nve IN isa2. while the number of bodies
srnt ff in,rririi Al Wards Islanl ~ dilcier yeais
vns ne Is lows: 1879 thtttsD 1880, ninei y-che
1891. one hundred ard IUttt -eisht 1892, two
hunif,h ANA thirteen. n Ia also no'iceabie thnt
,he Italians, itNnaatiias an hUlten,itns rierunu
l,ae a,,,Ds the ia,ents a, he Warts Island lios-
plsi bai ~ u tHlal ~ biats ralieH's 'itateh ~
tssR ,hefe Npfe f,t italians 10 iiNhhai'ahsl ~
Assliiaas, 40 taes ~ iiasslsAs. ~ felito"iaiSl
~ Rnhen,aHs Hablag shn ~ all Whlie ~ ma M
deaths un lass than ~ ~ naafiN one f'nIlh Whir
of tiase ,ii0nailas. hnpu igarps si,elk volumes
as 10 the low pny slea grade at tha eMigIahis lihh
these countries aud of tho bad effects at their stay
on shipboaTi while crossing the ocean.
LARGE MORTALITY All M IN ilAlANs'
The Italian quarter comprises what was formerly
noSuas the " Bloody " Sixth Ward not 'rouS ~
criminal annals. Ia 1868 only hgo per cent oi
the population were native Americans. "a per cent
benp Irish. AMI the remainder Germans Jews and
ItaIans Since then the 1t llIaus have monoo0iized
the neighborhood. Though many He Jews are stu
found IN Baxter and Bayari sts. The total tene-
ment population III 1864 was $4,000. averaging
seven and half families 10 each of the 900 tenc-
ments IN the ward. OF these only twenty-f0uf
were then reported to he in g,oi sanitary condi-
ton One half of the population had less than 900
cubic feet of air space while 720 others had less
than 300 feet. There were 4O6 rum-shops and AZ
stables with 10 / rear tcDeme lis in all. Tho NOR
tahty has always been excessive. In 1860 there
were 9G3 deaths. in 1861 the plumber reached
1854 aud there were ]. ia deaths III 1858. In one
yoar there were 253 cases of fever 20 OF small
pox md Of measles sent 10 the hospital OF the New
York Dispensary in Centre-St.. VIII oh annually
treats 30 O)0 patients IN this district.
Children swarm throughout the Italian quart cr,
as in all tine tenement regions aud their presence is
pIcsagco OF sickness There are 700 pupils in tho
Italian school in Lc0nard-st.. and the RECORDS OF
the Board of Educate show an Italian popu alton
within the school age in the Sixth Ward OF l.OG3
out a totalof 3.3i2. The mortality among children
in this d, fict IN times past was fear!uily high.
Many families lost all their progeny and DIR. Elisha
Harris said tho pro portion of still births almost
unpaIal. clcd.