New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-20
DEFILEMENT OF BEACHES.
,o,r1NG CITY REFUSE CAUSES MANY
COMPLAINTS.
z r,1r MAYoR ANp pErurY coMMIssIoNER

THE MAYOR AND DEPUTY COMMISSIONER
GIBSON HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT.
sn,te Of the promises and efforts of Mayor
ord other members of the Board of Esti-
0" and Apportionment to settle the veXed
mo- on of the final disposition Of the cty's ref
w. time TO prevent the deflement of the shores
Vs. 'r,s island and New-Jersey with garbage TINS
,rrer the annual nuisance has given rise 10
81 and loud complaints recently. The nui-
- ,ras narticularly annoying to people living
So the bathing beaches during the long not
ao, and TO thousands of New-Yorkers who TOOK
.rs to the seashore for the purpose of bathing IN
the salt water. ,aos
rver since the bathing season opened the tides
have washed on the sandy shores OF Long isiahu
a,a New-Jersey large quantities of decaying veg
o,arles old Shoes worn-out hats and many o'her
,nngs which had been thrown into the city gar
,sge cans The delay in providing for the maj
a,snosition Of the garbage in any way other than
the dumping Of it out at sea has been the cause u
the continuation of the nuisance
Even worse has been the nuisance caused py
A. coot,ng of The bodies of cats and dogs
n the bathing beaches. During the heateo
,.r, tho boats Of the offal contractor carried to
Tarren Island thousands OF bodies or anlfnals
which had died in the city. and the dropping OF
boats were overloaded. The warm weather there
fore served 10 make the dehlemeht OF the p"'"
ing places worse than usual
While the bathers at Coney Island and Rocka-
way Beach have had abundant cause for COM
nlaints the nuisance has been particularly annoy
ing nj Long Branch. Asbury Park and Ocean
Grove Mayor Strong has had reason TO COM
plain at his summer home at Elberon and he has
received complaints from the people of Asbury
Park To Tribune reporter he said yesterday:
"The dumping Of the citys garbage in the Lower
Rav Is an outrageous nuisance and ought to have
been stopped long ago. ] thought this time last
wear that we would have been able to have the
citys refuse disposed Of in some other way De-
fore the beginning of the warm weather tins year.
but here along in August and no rehe1 yet
There has been much red tape in the letting OF
contract for the final disposition of the garbage
that the DELAY was unavoidable. When we want
cd 70 let a contract at the beginning Of the year
we found that there was no provision for the final
disposition Of the garbage. The works had to be
constructed before anybody could begin to handle
the enormous quantity of garbage from the city.
] understand now that the works may be ready IN
a month but the bathing season will be over be-
fore there is an end Of the dumping nuisance
Next season l hope there will be no cause Tor
complaint
BARREN ISLAND WORKS TO BE READY SOON
Captain Gibson who is In charge of the Street
Cleaning Department in the absence or Coionel
Waring said yesterday: THE works OF the
New-York Sanitary Utilization Company at Bar
ren Island probably will not be ready until about
September l, but shall begin to send garbage
there few days before then. 1t is too bad that
the garbage had to be dumped at sea during
the warm weather OF this season, but leei
sure that after a few weeks there VIII be no
further nuisance on account Of the citys reluse;
An officer in the Army Building SAID ne couiu
not give any detailed information regarding the
matter Of control by the Government OF the
garbage-dumping question. as 1t was all III lhe
hands of Commander Daniel Delehanty, of the
Navy. who acts under the Engineer Corps or
the Army, whose headquarters are IN Washlng-
ton Commander Delehanty is stationed In the
Army Building. but was not In when the le,
porter called. Continuing. the officer remarked
that in so far as he vas able to say the Gov
ernment has succeeded very largely IN prevent
ing the Illicit dumping of refuse within the line
prescribed off shore. The bumpers are very
wary Of coming into conflict with the Govern
ment officials on this issue.
An officer of the Army was led 10 speak or
the condition OF things Staten Island, os-
pecally along the line of coast on the side OF
the Lower Bay. There it appears no provision
is made for keeping the coast line in front OF
the Government reservation clear OF refuse that
may be carried in on the breast OF the tide.
workman who had been sent to keep the resi-
Gence portion Of the front clear reported that
for period Of some days IT was rare that he
was not compelled TO bury one or more dead
animals that had hoated in, having possibly
fallen from one of the barges on their way TO
Barren Island. This uncertainty has destroyed
the pleasure of possible bathers along the beach
and the question is ono which grows in serious
ness as time passes and the volume Of refuse in
creases There would seem to be no excuse for
the presence Of dead animals in the Upper Bay
Of NewYork.