The evening world., 1891-06-23
DRIVEN AWAY BY THE STENCHES
Homes Abandoned Because OF the
Standard Gas Works Nuisance.
Harlem People Demand Imme edIate
Relief from the Health Board.

II Is evident there Is to be no let up in the
night which the residents and propcrt y-owr-
crs IN the vicinity OF Pleasant avenue and
one Hundred and sixteen; II street are waglng
against the gas-house nuisance In their neigh
borhood They are determined that either
the Standard Gnslight Company, whose works
are at the foot OF East one Hundred and FIJI
tecnth street, must ind some means OF
corking up its bad smells and stenchcs, or It
must go.
Citizens Association has been formed,
which includes both the men OF wealth and
the dwellcrs OF the tcncment-houses in that
| section OF the city, and II IS increasing daily
IN membership and influence.
The following letter from Mr.. j. T. Rosen-
hcimer, Chairman Of thn Association, gives
some indication OF the feeling in the district:
! IT, ne EIi'or.
To give you an idea Of how the Standard
| Gas Company foul smells have deprecated
property In our neighbUrhOOd will mention
| few cases. In the row OF thirteen houses on
| Pleasant avenue, from one Hundred and Fif-
| tCenth to one Hundred and sixteenth street,
| on the east side, newly built, handsome apart
| mcnt-hOuses, owned by col Lathrrs, onc-half
the floors are vacant. There are more private
| houses To let on one Hundred and sixteenth
| street and In the immediate nci ghbOrhpOd
| than there have been since thcJ were built
| Many OF the owners, IN order 20 have them
| occupied, are letting thes" Ou In floors. THIS
| has never been known before ON one Hundred
and sixteenth street, east of Lexington
| avenue.
| II was only this morning that Dr.. Formln,
OF one Hundred and Sixteenth street and
| Second avenue, mentioned that three Of his
| patients had moved out OF Col Lathpr-'s nats
on account of h" bad smell from the standard
| Gas COmpanys works.
| They are; NJ. H. Thompson, now at West
| one Hundred and sixteenth street; Henry
Brewer, one Hundred and Forthwith street
| ana Tenth avenue; T.. Wells, Z West one
| Hundred and sixteenth street.
| Mrs. James II. Byrncs, ut go WcS; one
Hundred and Ihirty-htth street Mr.. smyth
| OF the Department Of Public Works j. H.
WatorhOusc. of 4"7 East one Hundred and
| Twcnty-seCond street, all moved away on ac-
count OF he gas works smells to my personal
| knowledge.
our committee will appear before the Roarl
Of Health Tuesday. Tho whole neighhorhoOd
| Is oycrjoyed ut the stand you have taken In
our DehalL j. 4. RosEShEIMER.
The members of the Executive Committee
of the Citizens Association which have the
matter In hand are: President Thomas Thed-
| ford, OF the COal-Dealprs' Association, who
lives at one Hundred and Seventeenth street
and Pleasant avenue; Contractor Robert
Mills, OF 4lG East one Hundred and sixteenth
street; II. f. smith, OF AL East one Hundred
| and sixteenth street; W. u. Brown, OF IA
East one Hundred and sixteenth street, and
| Mr.. Rosenheimer, the President OF the London
| Needle Company, at the foot OF East one Hun
| dred and Sixteenth street.
These gentlemen have already sent big
petition to the Board OF Health and propose
TO follow this up by appearing before the
Beard at It's regular meeting this afternoon
| and insisting that something shall be done tC
abatc the nuisance.
"1he Board has been investigating this
matter for some time past" said Commi ssion"r
Bryant to an EVENING WORLD reporter to-
day, " but It has not yet been brought officially
| to our attention.
AT the meeting OF the Board this after
| noon we expect TO hear from our inspectors,
| and from DR.. Martin, the chemist OF the De-
| partme who have been engaged IN investi-
| gnting the complaints against the STANDARD
Gaslight company, and also TO hear from
| The residents Of the ncighborhoOd.
"When we get the facts before us we Will
| be ready to take some action"
| Meanwhile, the Company continues TO dis
| charge the refuse from Its works into the
East River and at certain turns OF the tide
| the water about the docks at the foot OF one
| Hundred and Fifteenth and one Hundred aud
| sixteenth streets Is covered with IA filthy
scum which emits the most sickenirg and dis
| guStlng odOrS.
| II is from this pollution OF the water Of the
| river, and not from the gases rislIg from the
| works themselves, that the air Of The neigh
borhoOd IS contaminated and made unnt Tor
| breathing.
The residents OF the locality have plenty Cf
proof OF these facts to present 10 the Board OF
| Health, and they claim that the practices ~
| he Company are In clear violation ~ the law,
ls THE EVENING WoKLD has already pointed
| Out.