Evening star., 1897-01-12
LIFE IN THE ALLEYS
Results Of the Investigation Of a Civic
Center Committee.
some OF FHE PRIMITIVE CONDITIONS
A Speedy Change to Small Places
and Streets Favored.
STRTCTER INSPECTION URGED
some OF TIE PRIMITIVE CONDITIONS
STRICTER INSPECTION URGED

The condition of some of the alleys of
this city is the subject of an interesting
report just submitted by the committee on
housing OF the people to the chairman OF
the center council of the Civic Center of
this city Tue committee. consisting Of
Gen. NJ. Kober. chairman G- A. Weber.
secretary; Katharine p. Hosmcr. G. W. w.
Hanger and Henry Gannett. made the fol-
lowing report:
1.-The Civic Center committee on housing
the people has for its field of work the in
vestigation of the alley houses and slums
in this city. with special reference to sani-
tary and sociological conditions and their
effect upon the health and morals of the
inhabitants. A preliminary investigation
was made by the committee In 1896. refer
ence to which by Pauline Pry" appears in
The Evening Star Of November q. 1895. In
the following winter the committee pre-
pared q schedule Of inquiries. OF which
copy is herewith appended. and In the
spring of 1886 employed an agent Tor one
vestigation. The Woman's Anthropologtcal
Society was asked to cooperate In this In
vestigation. and Its executive board very
generously voted to support the agent. al
ready in the field under the direction OF
the Civic Center committee, for one extra
month, during which time the same sched-
ule sheets and methods were to be used by
the agent. in order to unity the work and
facilitate the tabulation Of the entire re-
suits.
1.-The investigation extended to thirty-ffve
alleys and 191 dwellings. and the results
have. In part, been tabulated by Miss Clara
de Graffenried. special agent of the de-
partment of labor. in a paper read by her
before the WOman'S AnthrOpolOgical So
ciety November IA. 1895. Miss de Graffen-
ried's analysis. however. applies to only
alleys. and from 1t we learn that 249 indi-
viduals Occupy these fifty family dwellings
very nearly an average of five persons to
a family; ~ Of the 24S residents are under
or mulattoes. except one white man, who
lives with q colored woman.
Location Of the Alleys.
1.-THE thirteen alleys were distributed as
follows: Nolans court in the southeast.
Armory place, Willow Tree alley and
Clark's alley in the southwest. while the
remaining nine are situated In the north
west. The geographical distribution seems
quite impartial. and no doubt a worse show
ing would have resulted had the canvasser
confined her inquiries to certain notorious
districts OF the city, whereas, in fact. these
districts have been merely sampled.
"Of the thirteen alleys tabulated by Miss
de Graffenried several vary in width at
different parts. Goat and Bla9rien being in
one place 30 feet wide and in another 20
feet, while Freeman seems to dwindle from
30 to ID feet. Willow Tree IL narrower in
some places than at others. Counting this
among the remaining ten alleys, three are
30 feet wide, one 10 % feet one "a feet.
Madison-is only 10 feet across. Seven out
of the thirteen are blind alleys. no thor
oughfares. They form 4 cul-de-sac, wind
ing and turning in the middle of blocks of
buildings. and undiscoverable almost ex-
cept by the initiated.
Twenty of the houses under discussion
front on open alleys. the frontage Of one
Is not reported. and twenty-nine front on
blind alleys In other words, SO per cent
Of these dwellings are hidden away In the
rear of other structures. with only one
approach. and that sometimes disguised.
The buildings are difficult. even dangerous,
of access. on the poiiceman's beat, inviting
lawlessness and crime.
As to construction, these houses are
rooms are small. Fortunately. every room
has at least one window. Brick as q build
ing material predominates, thirty-three
ence. however. Of seventeen old frame
structures-34 per cent Of the totals q
constant menace in thickly settled resi-
dence and business districts, greatly In
creasing risks from fire.
Cause Disease.
what has tho landlord provided, or the
| city compelled him to provide. for the sani-
tadon Of these alley homesf In general
they are without cellar or attic. the floors
resting almost on the earth, the sun beat
ing on the bare roof above. Such condi-
| tions. where drainage and precautions for
cleanaineoo are lacking. inevitably cause
disease. How many of these public aileys
are properly severed for. carrytng Oh
refusef Into how many premises has pure
For fourteen houses out Of the nifty n
our study NJ sewer has ever been laid n
| the alley on which the house fronts; hellce
there b no chance Of sewer connectlon eye1l