New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-05
OVER INTO USEFUL SUBSTANCES


though there is a tradition that in Indian days
It was carpetcd with soft green turf. is set at
the eastern end of Jamaica Bay. five miles or
so from Canareie and little less from Rock
away Beach For many years the business OF
handling the waste Of Brooklyn and New-York
has gone on there in some Of the factories night
and day Little is ropuarly known about it,
and few have ever paid a journey 20 It's shorea
That there is not rauch to attract visitors miSh'
fairly Ire said. Nevertheless, there are etw more
interesting and curious places around New
York-novel processes, Cueer machir,.y. and
colony. chiefly negro and Polish, that - In many
ways utterly unlike any other in the world.
Several tugs that set out at periods of about
every three hours or so from the little fishing
village Of C1narsie are. save the barges and
scows that come from the city, laden with Garb-
age, fish and dead horses, Barren Islands only.
communication with civilization. From the pilot
house of one OF these boats it is that the first
impression Of the island is gained-a line of
smoking chimncys over several groups Of build
ings these silhOucttcd against the sky. and few
half-stunted, scattered trees. for the most part
down at the other, the western, end When the
island is once reached and explored the first i'm
preston changes very little. on ridge running
down almost in the islands centre are nearly all
rest there is sand and Jamaica Bay marsh, slug
gish. grass-grOwn water. In which the tide
rises and falls Crossing this marsh which prac-
tcally cuts the Island into halves, is accom-
plished on a narrow bridge OF planks quarter
OF mile long many of the boards loose and
shaking al the step. and ha!f-rotted A journey
Of great uncertainty is the passing over.
THE FACTORIES.
Five factories stand on the marshy. sandy
thores, and over eight hundred people nearly
all employed In these enterprises. but few
keeping primitive stores and quaint saloons
there ar. four saloons in all-constitute the
Barren Island colony. The factories are all Of a
piece one might FAY. for while different in plant
all are devoted to the utiiiza ion Of waste and
refuse -Onc-thc largest and most complete
handles Ncw-York City's garbage two 'rcndcr'
or "rcducc' that is. boil down dead horses and
such other carcasscs as they can obtain; a fourth
does the same for waste and dccaycd fish. and
the nfth makes fertilizers
II is not. perhaps. a pleasant task to look
upon (or even to think about the scow loads OF
jccaying refuse and the dcfunct animal llf", but
this Is soon lost sight Of in the interest the
plants excite and the way In which al! these
substances are converted into products that are
useful After all. the waste has TO be taken care
Of. and science seems TO have learned the trick
rncasurably well AZ all events. there is very lit
tie in thcs. scow loads If refuse that cannot now
lao turned f. some rr,Gt
Adioirino each oihcr or rather scparatcd hy
orlv n t.,v fec, If ,,,rsbl,rd arc IN. new rarb-
o,o works and the "rcdu.!u.,' plant. In opera
,l,n less than a wear. the machinery OK The for
n.cr has worked go successfully that the com
rany that owns # is no,y putting up los its side
with the greatest possible haste plant precisely
similar which viii Just double the present ca