The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-11-30
HACKENSACK STENCHES.
Vice Chancellor Van Fleet
Hears the Evidence.
1T IS RATHER CONTRADICTORY
Counsellor Albeit Claims That the
Rendering Is Done by I'M
proved Processes.
1T IS RATHER CONTRADICTORY

Vice Chancellor Van Fleet this morn
ing listened to the argument upon the
application of Garret Van Reiper, Mat
thew Foster and Theodore Gubbleman
for an injunction to restrain the Central
Stock Yard and Transit Company from
maintaining nuisance at its hog abat-
toir on the Hackensack River. Mr..
George Record, for the complainants,
read the bill of complaint 1t :set forth
that the company carries on the process
of rendering dead and decayed animals
and offal at its works on The Hackensack
River; that said dead animals are put in
to watts and boiled. and that the blood is
treated by another process. both of which
produce foul and loathsome stenches
which are blown over Jersey City
eyerytime there is Western wind and
are so loathsoIne and nauseating that the
complainantS and members of their fam
lilies are unable to remain out or doors
near their houses and are obliged to nave
the windows down, all of which is de-
preciating the value of property in that
vicinity.
NO HELP FROM THE LAW.
The bill also set up the fact that the
complainants had frequently applied to
the Grand Jury and the Board of Health
for redress, but had been unsuccessful.
Accompanying the bill were affidavits by
three complainants in which each swore
that he had traced the stenches to the
hog abattoir. They then described the
process of treating the dead animals aud
offa, as described in the bill. They found
the same stenches about the building
which are about their houses.
James Pendergast of No. AZ Cottage
street swore that he traced the sIenches to
the hog aboltoir. and September %, in
the morning, he visited the works and
saw the process in actual operation. He
saw trucks containing dead sheep which
had been skinned; the lungs of bullocKs
all in bad state of decomposition. and
emitting the foulest odors. Mr. Pender-
CAST was formerly in the EN-
ploy of the abatroir company and
knew that the offai was
taken from the abattoir at the foot of
Sixth street to the building on the Hack-
ensack River, where it was treated ac-
cordng to the process complained of. 1t
was carried in barrels which were never
cleaned, and often emitted the foulest
odors. Mr.. Pendergast also spoke of a
meeting of citizens at which DIR. John j.
Craven was present and said that he was
the sanitary inspector OF the works and
was employed to see that no such stenches
as those complained came from the place,
and that he was not aware that dead ami
mails were boiled there in the manner
complained Of
OTHER EVIDENCE.
Mr.. Humphrey w. Carr deposed that
he visited the place in the afternoon of
the same day and found much the same
process In operation. He saw the putrd
carcasses of animals and the rotting ffal
lying about and was told by the Super
inteudent that 1t was there to be rem
aered. Mr. Andrew J. Post said that he
had Investigated the smells and traced
them to the abbatoir.
The answer of the company was read
by Leon Albeit. Jr. 1t admitted that
the company carried on the business of
rendering hogs at the place complained
of, but that 1t was authorized to do by
the law.
EXPERT WORK
The work was carried on by the most
improved methods and under the SUPER
vision of chemical expert. He denied
that the carcasses or offal were rotten
or putrid. The hogs to De rendered were
put into sealed tauks from which it WAS
impossible for any odor to escape. Tue
steam was turned iuto this tank for two
honrs, ana then afterwards condensed SO
as to produce no vapor Whatever smell
emanated from tine process was contained
in the building. The blood was also put
into a sealed receptacle, from which an
opening went iuto the chimney. But no
stencil from that went up the chimney.
rs The plpe from Lne scared NaU went luUO
retort where chlorine gas was pro-
duced which deodorized the vapors
which came from the vat
The answer also claimed that the Court
of Chancery had no jurisdiction in the
case, and the complainanis had a remedy
before the Health Board and by indict-
ment.
Alderman Simeon H. Smith, superin-
tenuent of the stock yards, produced
maps showing, that there were several
other establishments near the hog abat-
toir which were more liable to produce
odors than the compauy's building.
A long affidavit by DR.. Craven was
read, in which he gave different version
of his visit TO the Ctizens' Association,
and that he did not say exactly what Mr..
Pendergast swears he did. He also de-
posed that the processes producing the
orders complained of had been Giscon-
tinued, and that no more dead animals
would be boiled there, and that he told
the citizens this before they filed their
bill He also declared that it was imDos-
sible for the stenches to come from the
abattoir.
After recess the argument was COM
menced, and the Vice-Chancellor reserved
his decision.