New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-22
THE CITY'S WASTED REFUSE.
OFFICIALS CANNOT YET PREVENT THE
DEFILEMENT OF THE BEACHES.

NEXT SUMNER THE NEW PLANT ON BARREN
ISLAND WILL BE AT woRK-How THE
GARBAGE WILL BE TREATED THEN
officials who have been deplorng the defile-
ment Of the bathing beaches along the shores
of Long Island and New-Jersey with the gar
bage from this city have declared that all pos
sble pains had been taken to have the garbage
dumped at sea at the furthest prescribed limit.
They saw that with the present facilities OF the
Street Cleaning Department the garbage scows
could not be dumped further out at sea, ana
that a strict watch has been kept to prevent
the dumping Of scows near the shores. AT the
same time it is admitted that a great part OF the
most offensive material in he citys refuse VIII
float 10 the shores when the winds and tides
are favorable to such a movement. and that
the nttering of the beaches with such material
is an intolerable nuisance.
A FORTUNE WASTED ANNUALLY
The delay in providing other final disposition
of the city's refuse has caused the city 10 waste
a fortune, while the seaside resorts near the
city have suffered much loss on account OF the
annual nuisance. 1t is believed by the ofnclals
who have given considerable thought TO the
subject that If the city had established plant
for the reduction OF garbage on Barren lslano
fen wears ago there would be an annual profit
OF the city reluSe edCn Ntdl ny tHiS tiiiiV'
and there would have been no nuisance at the
bathing places The value Of the products
which have been dumped at sea for years Is
enormous and there ought to have been a
revenue 10 the city. Instead of revenue. there
has been continual waste continual damage TO
the harbor. and continual damage TO the sea
side resorts the city
Now that the city authorities have made
contract for the final disposition of the citys
refuse by converting it into fertilizers by the
reduction process at Barren Island. there is n
prospect Of better times for the seaside resorts
II is believed that next summer there III be
no floating garbage TO defle the oathing
beaches and that the filling up Of the harbor
channels with waste material will cease For
few wears the city will not reap any material
profit, out If its refuse. but IN time the waste
products will yield an annual revenue which
will lessen the cost of cleaning the streets. If
the plans OF Colonel Warning. the Commissioner
of Street Cleaning are carried out. all the
ashes will be kept separate from the garbage at
the houses in the city. and will be collected
separately Then the ashes can be sold Tor a
considerable sum every wear. At the same time
the garbage can be reduced to fertilizers and
grease which will sell annually for a small
fortune.
WHAT THE NEW PLANT WILL BE LIKE
While the New-York Board of Health is using
vigorous means to force the people to separate
household refuse. and residents at the watering
places on the Bay having half their pleasure
spoiled by filth from the dumping scows which
Is daily washed up the shores. machine shops
in Pittsburg Coatsville and Lebanon, Penn are
casting and making the machinery that Is TO
cremate New-YOrk's garbage. Along the water
front at Barren Island about quarter of mile
from the present fertilizng works of Thomas r.
White there is already piled the bricks that are
to be usel in the construction of the boller-house
and engine rooms Of this new cremating plant
of the New-York Sanitary Utilization Company
and near the bricks are vast piles Of lumber. to
be used in the construction of the other build
ings When completed. this dgester of the
citys refuse will cover four acres Of ground. VIII
have the capacity of crematng 500 tons OF gar
bage a day. and will give employment TO over
100 men. day and night. weekdays and sundays
The digester building will be 100 feet wide. llO
feet long and - feet high The dryer, or dry
ing-room Will be so feet wide. 100 feet long and
40 feet high. 1t will he only two stories, but the
main part Of the digester is another story, ana
the central portion UP still several stories
more The boiler-hou will be 40 by l3' feet
and is only story high. The boiler ana en-
CINE that are TO generate the force for this great
Il
The storage shed will be 200 feet wide by
$50 feet long Nj. Whites dock property at
Barren Island has a frontage Of go feet.
When this plant of the New-York Sanitary
Utilization Company IS completed the company
saws that il will be able handle all the gar
tage of New-Yorl: City. so not alone TO do
away with the nuisance of the floating refuse,
which annoys the summer bathers but to put
this garbage to soma practical use. So well d.
gested and arranged are the plans. it is said
that from the time the garbage is taken OUT OF
the houses until 1t comes out OF the FACTORY IN
the shape Of oil and fertilizers # Will not have
10 he touched by human hands.
THE CONTRACTOR A BENEFACToR
A neighbor Of Mr. White. the principal mem
Der Of the company, is man who might pos
sibIv be considered business rival, In speak
Ing Of Mr. Whites business, this man saio the
other day that Mr. White was much greater
benefactor TO the human race than anybody
would ever know that Mr.. White who had
heen in the business of Transforming dead ami
mails into fertilizers for thirty years, had MADE
2 careful scientific study If the work was wei
Informed as 20 the most advanced methoos III
use in all parts Of the world. and that ne put
this knowledge to the best possible use only 10
have some one who might be coming up the
Bay when the Wlhu was IL 'iie 'ie"' N
10 get Whit Of air from the fertilizer Factory
complain of the nuisance. But. continued inc
neghbor II the kicker were not constantly
blessed by having dead animals removed from
his own neighborhood he would be much worse
off Where the atmosphere is universally pure
and healthful an occasional disagreeable smell
attracts attention. Yet. While the odor from
fertilizer factory may not be just such as any
one would select there is said TO be nothing /
injurious the health in it. Mr. Whites neigh /
hors mint out In snnnnrt of This that there are |