New-York tribune., 1903-03-14
Il TENEMENT DAY.
Tour 5rith Woman Inspector Re
CeaLs DepLorable Conditions.

CeGLs OepLoTd0te COnd2u071S.
The rooms full Of records and statistics. ceiling
high piles OF detailed data, even sight Of the
forty more typevriters working busily from
morning till night give adequate idea
OF the work accomplished by the Tenement House
Commission does day spent side by side with
Of its inspectors This is perhaps pict-
uresquely If the inspector be woman A
corps Of these were taken the force last fall
something Of experiment but 50 ably have they
filed the post that they are now an established
fact
One of these women. whose field work is
OF Third-ave- and south Of the teens" had par
cicularly busy day yesterday Eight or ten build
fngs is about the daily average days work This
inspector was physician but as she expressed it,
she thought IL quite as legitimate and much
more reasora bic TO prevent disease than treat
It afterward." and she puts all the enthusiasm OF
profession into her inspection OF family plumb
ing. filthy vainscoting aRd leaking scuttles
All inspectors are armed with burglars jimmy.
q small electric torch and box Of safety matches
They also wear badges. stating their office and
number Miss .s1' Is tall and athletic and mounts
miles OF stairs IN a day without losing the least
spr-1g from her step The first place visited yes
ter6sy was three deep tenement Being inter
preted this that behind the i've or six story
tenement that fronts OF the street there are two
other such buildings opening only On back yards
In two cases in the lower city they have actually
beer found five deep in very vide blocks-niseraoie
I'll lighted filthy holes. hardly ht for pigs to live
IN though occasionally pigs do. along with their
human
DARK AND DISMAL
Into the third Of this three deep combination
the inspector walked. turning on the light In ne
torch as she entered. for il pitch black inside
.re loose hinged door We've been after this
house for some time" she said, as she turned the
light On co5ve5s in corners fully foot long, ano
rrsde tough and clothhke with dust and danpness-
The sickIy green paint in the halls. too. was
patched with dust where the danpness had made
the plaster bulge
T,e- sewer pipe leaks into the cellar" explained
the inspector. and there are only couple OK
boards ac1 oss the scUttle in the rooI Nheh 1t
-s.ns the halls and stairs are flooded. OF course
we want TO Le just to the owners They We oeeh
1e-ung things so like this for so many Year, tna'
rs hard 10 come down on them all at once lot
soC or 500 worth of repairs. but you see This is
res71,, horrible srae of affairs and she turned the
light on q hail sink half full Of baked beans CAD
hage and u1acaroni Another Pile OF gdEpase was
hssvnAd in the corner. while the two foot space
between thai house and the next was ev1oenty
used as q garbage dump Potato parlngs. onion onion
skins tomato cans. and sardine boxes greeted tne
eye Of the inqUiring visitor, who summoned sum
cent courage TO thrust her head through broken
rare (tEe window sashes were fast) and look down
he aperture that had been fashioned for an ar
Snaft" -
through broken panes everywhere IN the oulio-
ir- garbage and sIops had been poured into TINS
sE9fy tho only way Of cleaning which was ny
making an opening from the cellar at the bottom
II i 10 use 10 talk 70 the tenants. said the
Inspector: zone IN dozen can speak Enghsn- ailo
~ rsaIi-v II is tha owners business to proV1oe
some sort OF garbage receptacles- We nave been
after him for months now and il something Is nor
done soer >re will be forced TO issue an order to
vacate--
These orders are executed through the Cor
7oration Counsel, and are resorteo 20 onIy AS an q
rene measure Previous TO their issuance pnoto-
z-,nhs are taken Of objectionable points 50 tnar
s1Itseouent protests by owners that the mousse was
IN re-fecf condition may be readily refuted
IN the three deep tenement the darkness OF one
room was relieved by the diamond" shirt studs OF
,ha --,an of the house" In another the wheels OF
: ou~bcart leaned up against pile OF ciotn soooA
beside = rarnshzckIe machine. and as the inspector
opena6 the door q small. wanfaced 1lue looAeo uP
v7+. frightened expression, and asked: Is you tne
14v boss--- fearing evidently visit from the fac
tory forewornan regarding the overdue "orA
,Vh.eIseee prshcarts were ranged around the ma
to-,- of the crowded backyards 1t being explained
trz. minus wheels they could not be so easily
-. tn. t,So4ctor went about IN the most ous-
KessIik4 way asking the necessary ouesuohs' CIV
ing some directions. ripping on with her jimmy .
blt Of loose woodwork here to mo ieak IN une
rl,,rblnr or prytng open window there 70 leI our
eoourh smoke 20 make seeing poSsioie One oe-
fec-i,-s chimney had been piecec out above tne
roof with an old washeofler whose oOe1onh na
long since burned out" and this opening aoinn-
ting little too much weather mao Deen p1luy
upon the boiler. The effect was something unique
v chimney world
NO VENTILATION HERE
IN another tenement the small ooof"ass' wiz
eovs and transoEns Of the "drsr floor rear were AZ
found heavily draped with lace CURTAINS -1n1cA
cotton stut.s allowing almost no light or ar Tne
ptsc. vas sitting with the odors Of fried things
which a woman was preparing over stove whose
outline vas scarcely discerrioIe through 1ne s1oA
ana steam She complained feeiingy tnAt une
haby-Iost to sight in mass of unc4eAa So
ESgs-"seeme6 puny- The KI'enen -.
been 9 part Of a hallway and was about three teet
wide by ten OF twelve in length. Most Imperfect
toilet arrsnRenents with faulty plumbing. occupied
the extreme end Of this; sfepiAcoeE' s7anS w.
tAhIeE and tia uteasfIs the u1sddle poreaon' VILE
the cook stove nearly caoked the enerancs -
was no ventafloE "a the place except tnToosH -
uxy-oW doorWaY that connected II With the HVinS
F0oD-
tenement house acc0umcdA9on1. - sSAEe 80 SS0rv
ne TIE ceIiSr and ground floor OF one I've ssou:
hoase In the ssb-hesement Of snctner - IN,
we're discovered eating cabbage fesk Nlea 5s,s
the csrner Of place used % drr ~ NOT =
SnK IeatherE a<ER hung In ropes uon E.SHs -
yard from tbs Roa4S naeS8 ae4 o eGslAtts11
eS16ing for when we're 0verS0W1SSSs Sa@SssEeI
nk1aeuI Ing