New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-21
TIE STE1M-HEATING NUISANCE.

TIE STEAM-HEAIINu NcIDh
The president of the New-l ork steam H1"''
ing Company desires the community 10 unuer-
stand that the explosions, erupuohs' ero>io'''
evndations. permeations, inftratlons, satura
t;ons and compound stenches for when nc Is
largely responsible have been grossly eAassoi
otod Theoretically, there may be some con-
ISOLATION in this assurance, but pfac'lcaiiS IL "s
oravatcs the offence of which thousands are
bitterly complaining. 1t has not YET coihe "
mass that when Mr. Andrews takes one sac
of a question and the rest OF the popula'loh INC
other nothing is left to the majority except "
retract and apologize in the humble nope ol
bcinc forgiven by the minority OF one Inc
business of the Steam-lleating Company IS ana
alwavs has been so managed as TO damage en-
danger and inconvenience great NUMBER OF
nersons Protests have been heard by the
officers of the company with impotence ana
dismissed with contempt. The SITUATION mas
constantly grown worse, until now IL mas
reached stage which the municipal authorllieS
and the people agree in pronomclng unehdur-
able.
Meanwhile Mr.. Andrews has adopted as his
motto the saying of the Apostle, None OF 'heSe
things move me- In a bodily, as well as III
=, sniritual sense this motto has hitherto been
undeniably appropriate None Of the things
which have moved others have moved the
president of this company. He has never been
hurled into the gutter by paving stone nor
shot into the air by man-hoe cover, but IL
it is permissible to employ an overworked meta
nhor in good cause he Is nevertheless III con-
slant danger of being hoist by his own petard
We rcsolntely refrain from wishing that this
fate NAV oyertake him, but If, in the IN
scrutable counsels of Heaven, he ever should
be lifted slxyward he would certainly change
his mind about some things before he returned
10 earth.
Mr.. Andrews thinks that the present aglta-
ton is supremacy silly, the result OF mere news
paper clamor, and it bores him dreadfully. II
is painful 10 contemplate his subsection to an
ANNOYANCE in comparison with which destruc-
ton of property and pcrils 10 health and lie
are of slight importance, and so We venture
to suggest that, putting principles ASIDE ne
might perhaps, as a mere matter OF cNpeul-
ency. be justified in adopting course OF acton
which would allay the Indignation OF his Eel
ow-citizens. Otherwise, there is no telling 10
what extremes they may 90. In the case OF
the Supreme Court, sitting in General Term,
expohndcd the legal principles involved very
frankly and firmly. They declared that when
= business becomes hazardous TO public safety
If ceases 10 be a lawful business and is com
mon nuisance, which may be abated as Judge
Brady took pains to add, not only by the aI-
thorlties. but by any citizen who chooses to
assume the responsibility of justifying his
action.
II is reported that Commissioner Giroy i
embarrassed BY the extreme privileges granted
10 the Steam-lIeating Company IN ITS charter
and is at a loss how TO proceed against II. bu'
no charter can protect public nuisance, and
if is not improbable that the Grand Jury would
sustain Mr.. Giroy's classification of this com
pany's operations in the lower part OF the city
| under that head No doubt considerable
number of persons would be inconvenience
if the steam service were cut off below Cham
bers-st.. as numerous individuals were incon-
venienced when the electric lights were put out
last winter: but. to state the case moderately,
il is not too soon to consider in sober earnest
whether this long series Of eruptlonS ought not
10 be ended by the first available method of
procedure. The company has prepared state
mcnt showing that nobody has been killed
through It's agency, and designed to show that
il performs useful function in harmless and
benefcent way. This statement in reality
serves to remind the community how constant
the peril is, for how many narrow escapes they
ought to be thankful, and how small is the
chance of equal immunity in the future.