New-York tribune., 1895-12-29
pVBLICHEAL LTH ENDANGERED
COMMISSIONER EMERY ISSUES START
LING REPORT.
r,,r WATER FRONT BI-RDENED WITH FILTH.
GARBAGE AND DECoMPOsING AArIE'-
WORK OF THE INsPECToRs-"sHoRT

c,pRAGE AND DEcoMPosING NATTER
WORK OF THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
DUMPING" AT NIGHT.
DR. z. Taylor Emery. president OF the boafd OIL
Health Of Brooklyn has just issued report OF the
-, -, IN. sanitary CORPS on the beaches OF Coney
leland Gravesend and Sheepshead bays and Coney
Island Creek covering the period since that section
NJ Kings County came under the rule OF 'he "u'''0
ipalty of Brooklyn. The extent OF water iToit co'
cred by the inspectors is about nifty miles. Inc re-
nor, shows that no less than lo3S carcasses OF ue
non,nosed animals fish and fowls and large guam
,i,os of bedding were buried or burned by the De-
nartment men. This vast amount or pu'riu matter
was washed ashore by the tide and lett there IL ne
hulk of the refuse, the report shows. came iro'"
the dumping scows and from the saughter-houses
of New-York and Jersey City and from emigraht ana
other shps coming up the Bay. The advantage or
the system started by Commissioner Emery anu
the benefit to the public health OF the ocan'y arc
great and arc best shown by the comparison OK
the condition of the beaches when under the regime
of John V McKane and under the Brooklyn Health
Department ~, s,.,.
The 6I,b according to the report from the district
of Inspector Stanley In some places severai ieet
thick mostly garbage, decomposed bodIes Oh AMI
mails and bedding DR.. Emerys report only treats
NJ the results accomplished He says nothing ABOUT
the hazardous work of the inspectors. NO one mas
a better idea of the dangers these men are subject
N while in the performance OF their duty tnah
persons who yachts on The Deach. Inc IN
spectors patrol the shore in the summer time from
daylight until sunset, and those who nave 10 use
boats to cover their districts out In the stormest
weather. such ordinary yachtsman wouio
venture out in. The garbage is gathered in heap
and burned. and the bodies Of animals are buried
The report relating to the First District, whcn
includes the territory from Nortons foht 10 the
Government reservation at Fort Hamilton some ten
miles of water front. says: ION December 49, 1894.
the shore was in a filthy condition.; the refuse In
front of Coney Island shore was two feet thcK car
casses of dogs. were there In great numpers'
they were mostly in decomposed state, ana need
ed prompt attention. The filth had accumulated
near Norton's Point two or three feet thick This
was burned. The shore from Bay Ridge-ave. 10
Fort Hamilton and around the Government grounds
had been neglected that the residents around the
shore made complaint to this Department ,o rneTe
Fifteenth-st. The carcasses In front OF the Fed-
asses after being in the water time become
inflated with decomposition gases, float down the
dents ali the year round in this vicinity, and hun
Greds OF visitors come down durns urine ihe nd iher
refuse is thrown overheard and much OF II comes ne
beach. but it IS very hard to deect the violator,
OF the health laws. Short dumping takes place IN
the i box scows thai come to anchor on the stake
boat in Gravesend Pay The water ter. is covered Io5
| all that garbage comes on shore with the TIDE.
These scoWs are overloaded.
During the year 1O2 mattresses have come
, ashore They were from vessels entering the port
! of New-York This bedding should have been
/ burned instead of having been thrown overheard
and allowed to drift ashore, carrying infection to
the residents of the beaches The following lst
gives the amount OF material detrimental to health
/ that has been cared for by me during the year
Cattle !; sheep 3; goats. b; rabbits 5; dogs 5s1;
cats 32l rats, 500; turtles !; pigs 6; ofal, 1,4fo;
fowl nc; fish, 24s7 garbage, S29 beds, 102; total.
/ 6,572"
a similar character. except that one Of them adds
that four human bodies came ashore, and That the
Coroner was informed regarding them.