New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-14
TO RENOVATE COMFY.
THE HERCULEAN TASK AHEAD OF CITY
OFFICIALS.

| PROPERTY OWNERS ADMIT THAT THE SANITARY
| CONDITION OF THE WEST END IS A MENACE
| TO NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AND TEN
| ANTS HELD PARTLY RESPONSIBLE.
The task Of purifying Coney Island. which Is
| now being undertaken by Commissioner OF
| Health Emery will be something similar 70 the
| cleaning OF the Augean stables. For long time
the stencil at Coney Island has been so pervasive
and persistent. and the complaints so numer-
Gus. that the Health Department finally felt it
| self forced to act. Yesterday afternoon con-
| ference at the Commissioners office was held
| between Commissioner Emery Assistant Cor
poration Counsel Moore and Superintendent of
| Streets Flocken one SIDE and number OF
property-owners and tenants at the Island OF
| Stenches on the other. The conference was
| brought about in order to arrive at some amic-
able understanding between the authorities and
| the property owners so that the herculean task
| of cleaning I'D might be facilitated The Tribune
| has heretofore called attention to the frightfu
sanitary condition Of Coney Island. and pointed
| out facts showing not only the unsatisfactory
| condition Of the place a seaside resort. but
| Also and what Is more important, the grave
danger from pestilence and disease which be-
comes more and more apparent every day.
Yesterday morning. DR.. Emery issued state
ment which sets forth clearly the position OF the
Health Department on the subject. 1t Is as fol-
lows:
The Health Commissioner has taken up yigor-
ousy the work Of purifying the sanitary conditions
of Coney Island. Preliminary work to this end has
been going on for some weeks and Will eliminate
| to-day at n hearing which will be held at y. m
before z. Taylor Emery NJ. D.. Commissioner, of
% The be eson In 5ne
| most complaint exists have all been invited TO DE-
present at this hearing The street cleaning con-
| troc md he contractors
have also been invited TO attend. and the matter
m the ss few WEEKS maps Of s
| Bowery region have been made and the ownership
e s the and
officers. The responsibility for the present condi-
! The physicai conditions OF Coney island arc such
that the sewage and surface drainage problem Is
| pitch for branch to the main sewer on Surf
only be had With deqy Taae Of tho he
rain water into the soil by blind chambers which
situated at various places In the surtay y gut.
really not such. The population Of Coney Island
Of waste garbage and sewage involved in the enter
| tanment and feeding OF that number OF people IN
dIai i,,' handling in order to avoid offence.
Most Of the walks IN the Bowery area are %, OF
uncommon practice for the denizens to dispose Of
their garbage by lifting plank in the walk anu
nighttime and stealthiy and 1t is very hard to find
| the transgressor. But while the Health Depart
ing the problems which arise here It has deter,
mined that 1t will master the dime ulties ana wiii
| surely be had and sanitary conditions ne as lul!
observed in tho builtup portion OF the city Oh
Brooklyn.
CONTRACTORS AND THE STREET DEPART
MENT.
| The first question which came up at the meet
ing related to the removal of the vast daily ac-
| emulation OF garbage. Mr. Moore read an
| opinion in relation to It's removal. In which he
| held that tho contractors. Norton & German,
we're responsible for the complete removal OF
all forms of garbage The difficulty all along
has been that the street department has con-
sidered that as the walks leading from Surf
ave- to the Bowery and thence to the beach are
private property, the contractors could not be
compelled to go up and down the narrow alley
ways and collect the refuse by hand. 1t being
mpracticable, and in some cases impossible to
drive the big garbage wagons down along the
walks from Surf-ave The plan In vogue has
been that unless all the garbage was carried up
to Surf-ave to be taken away by the con-
tractors wagons, 1t either dumped under
the board walks, or thrown on the sands, there
to rot and tester and breed disease. 1t came
out during the discussion that the contractors
have refused all along to cart away garbage
unless it was taken to Surf-ave. from the var-
Gus walks and alleys by the tenants The
Superintendent Of Streets, Mr.. Flocken. did not
knew this He has rested strong in the idea
that the contractors could do as they pleased
and that the Street Department could not move
them He was Of that opinion until after Mr.
Moore had delivered legal opinion against the
contractors and 1t even took an extra hint on
the part of the Commissioner to enlighten him.
After that Mr.. Flocken declared his intention
to move horse foot and dragons, against the
derelict contractors, and make them purchase
sufficient hand carts for the purpose.
CITY OFFICIALS BLAMED.
Judging from the opinion laid down by Mr.
Moore and approved by Corporation Counsel
Burr the responsible officials. both OF Health
and City Works, have been almost crimlnaliy
slow in moving along direct line OF duty espe-
cially so when 1t is considered that the lives and
health OF thousands Of people depend upon ef-
fectivc sanitary arrangements
The Assistant Corporation Counsel. In his
opinion. says that the territory complained OF
occupies the ground from Tilyou's Walk to west
feminist. and Surf-ave. to the sea; that the
tenants defy the health authorities by dumping
refuse in the cutters. under the plank Walks ana
along the beach The question is. ne goes on
to say "can the city demand that the contractors
go private property to collect the refuse
material? If they cannot drive their teams
through the walks. Is 1t their duty TO PROVIDE
hahdcarts and transfer the garbage from them
to the wagons? 1t must be assumed that the
contractors had such places In their minds when
they entered into agreement with the city au-
thorities to collect garbage In the Twenty-ninth
Thirtieth and Thirty-first wards Sufficient
power seems to be and is given to the Health and
City Works departments to demand this Of the
contractors and to enforce Section SS OF the
sanitary ordinances. which describes the nature
of receptacles to be used by the tenants or prop
erty holders. and to compel the use Of such by
the tenants.
Mr. Moore went on to say that part Of the diff
hculty lies In the fact that the tenants OF the
Bowery carry their garbage to Surf-ave. In re-
ceptacles that do not comply with the regua-
tions. inasmuch they are all sorts and de-
scriptions of boxes and barrels. most of which
leak and scatter garbage In the streets. cutters
and sidewalks. The result OF the Assistant Cor