New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-28
BURNING GARBAGE.

One massage in Commissioner COleman's re-
mort on STRENGTHENING deals with plan that
has been anxiously urged upon the authorities
for several yearS-the disposal of garbage and
refuse by burning The act creating the De
partmant Of Street Cleaning authorized steps
to be taken for the purchase of land and the
erection of crematOries or furnaces, but TINS
has never been done, and Commissioner Cole
man declares in his report that the plan OF
cremation has not been successful in European
cities The city of Bolton, England, has one
furnace for a population of LOG, 600. ms
cost S110, 200, and burns about l2,loO TONS
a year, at an average cost Of 20 cents per ton
The city Of Leeds, with population OF
- 3, 900. has two Instructors and vegetable
carbonizer. which cremte %, 600 tons year
at an average cost of 80 cents per ton. III
costs the town of Bury ~ cents ton to burn
its garbage Bradford and Manchester also
burn their garbage, but the cost is not stated.
Now compare this with the cost of dumping
which New-Yorh City is able to adopt thanks
to her proximity to the ocean. The cost OF
dumping has never been more during the eight
years the Street Cleaning Bureau has been IN
existence than a fraction over 20 cents CART
load-the equivalent of the English ton-and is
now 10 cents ton. Dumping, then, as prac-
tised in New-Yorh. is cheaper than burning
as practised in cities in England, although
these have the advantage of cheaper labor
This seems to make out case against burn
ing, at least on the ground OF expense. But
there are other considerations, which the Com
missioner deals with. Upon these Mr. Cole
man grows emphatic. He is an ardent be
lever in the dumping system for this city, and
as his mind dWes upon It's many beauties, ne
becomes more than persuaSive-he IS CON
vincing "There is probably no city" he says
Gin Europe or Anne lea that possesses such adj
mirable facilities in an economical sense, for
disposng of ashes. house waste, street dirt
etc. as Newly ork. twenty-five miles of tow
ace brings us to point 50 far seward that
when the refuse is dumped as it is now
/ done, twice a day from three and half to SIX
miles from the nearest point Of land and with
from three to five hours outward flow of the
! tide. the offensive d i'll is carried to the north
east beyond the influence of the next return
/ tide
There is no ground Mr. Coleman contends.
! for the common impression that the lower bay
and some Of the important channels are being
ruined by the dumping Of refuse. 1t is nine
years now since The Legislature passed the
act forbidding dumping within three miles Of
/ Concy Island. Bockaway Beach or Far Rock
away, or within less than one mile beyond the
outer bar. The dumping ground is from six
to nine miles southeast OF Coney Island Point,
and the refuse has from three to five hours to
sink before the tide turns, or to pass out Of
its reach. This is. in theory, complete vim
dication Of the city dump, which is mighty
and shall prevail In practice. it is to be
feared that when the sea is rough and the
crested waves rear themselves threateningly
on high. the prudent mariners of the dump do
not always venture out as far as the law re-
quires. But it is true, nevertheless, that there
have been few complaints from the beaches
this summer. and that the regulations are, on
the whole, well observed.