New-York tribune., 1906-08-06
MOSQUITOES RETREAT
DIR. DOTY. WINS B4TTLE.
Staten Islanders Jubilant at Scare.
ify of Winged Pest.

A uosqufoless Staten Island. The mere sprros-
ian Of such a thing would have been r.css,,a,
qith sneeTs and jibes few months ago 80
D- A. H. Doty and his corps OF exteru,nators
ssEan rheir "oFA NOW. however. the citizens OF
he island are no longer cynical They have boon
SHOWN" and ridicule has been turned 20 annrec,a
1on-
Tie cause Of this change in the pub,,c a,,,.,a.
ssaTd the attempt OF the Department OF Healsh
70 minimize the mosquito pest is the wonaerfur
snccess that has attended the work along rt s,
shore OF the island. For the FIRST season In +no
snemory Of man the beaches are practically, FREQ
., mosquitoes.
The average Staten Islander regards this welcome
state Of affairs with much appreciation.
doctor said one native the other day est pat
.ck wasn't in II with your
About nine months ago Dr. Doty invesplea
Mayor Mcclellan aboard a tug and took him on
zip around Staten Island. He pointed out long
stretches of salt marshes IN those r,arsres ;,
saii DR.. Doty. Ties the cause Of the r,oso,,i.o
ragpe. II is there that they breed. once drain
fh6se marshes and you have solved the problem
q getting rid OF the pests"
Dr. Doty showed him spots he had drained as
81 experiment, and. the water being drawn off.
only firm land was left. which there was no
place for the mosquito TO breed. The Mayor was
convinced. Within twenty-four hours he had taken
artion. and $1,000 was appropriated for the work
The contract for digging the draining bitches was
lst TO Johnson Brothers. local contracting firm
=
sFst stretches OF salt marshes attacked were those
hack Of South and Midland beaches. They sloped
illand for perhaps mile. and were absolutely i'm
passable IN places Frequently the laborers would
sink up 10 their waists and their fellows would
have 10 eXtTieate them. All the time the vnns-
ous;oes sWarmed about them. penetrating even she
fDs netting they all had TO wear. Defections in
ihe ranks were frequent, but the work never
Jagged Long lines of bitches about 10 inches wide
and feet deep were dug. These drained Into
lrger bitches. feet wide By feet deep ard
sbese in turn emptied into the sra at Midland
Beach.
ONCE MARSHES NOW HARD LAND.
As soon as the system Of trenches had been COM
yleted the effect became noticeable Gradually the
water drained out OF the land until now il is as
firm and hard could be wished and il is l.os-
sile TO walk from South Beach to Midland Beach
Accompanied by DR. Doty. Tribune reporter
walked ali about the former marshes and although
& had been raining hard for hours, the ground
firm under foot There were scarcely any
mosquitoes. A few stragglers buzzed about Lut
nelT millions OF fellows haa disappeared.
When these marshes had been drained. those
On the north shore received attention All the
OF 50. Dr- Doty estimates that 2SO miles of ditch
ing has been dug and area equal to twenty
square miles drained.
While We are gratified at the success attending
of the island realize. that much remains 20 pc
done before we finally get rid OF the mosquito
have the cooperation of every Householder sni
iano owner. SO far as the salt marshes are CON-
oerned the city take OF them. but il must
BE borne in mind that mosquitoes will breed any
where n stagnant water. Let water remain stand
ing in rain barrel. roof leader. tin can or any
thing. IN fact, that will hold IT, and the culeS
pungens, the inland or fresh water mosquito
: known. will deposit its eggs and breed. II is
tnerefore up 20 every householder to sac that
no E1cn thing happens around his place Next
year the Department Of Health intends send
sanitary policemen all over the island ~ make
lnsIections Literature on mosquitoes will also be
distributed. Every one will be taught now pre-
vent the pests from propagating and then they
@3ll be held 20 strict accountability Il has been
SHOWN that the plague can he eKterminaIed, ard
q citlzens VIII only cooperate mosquitoes Will
soon be as rare as the truly good
u Is, however. not only in Staten Island that
war on the mosquito has been declared Maryland
snG PENNSYLVANIA have taken up arms and so has
work on Staten Island that Jersey took mn the
tssnt II VIII be Vageo under DR.. John B. Smith,
te state entomologist, whose researches have rom
It1ed the discovery Of DR.. Doty that the culex
faicitans or stripedlegged mosquito. deposits its
eggs on me earth OF salt marshes. which develop
INTO winged insects when the marshes become
teoded II IS this variety OF mosquito that fur
nishes about % per cent OF those found along the
Atlantic Coast and which cause so much annoy
ance. Under the Governors direction the New Jer-
sey State legislature recently appropriated S350O00
fog the mosquito which viii be begun in the
coming November along the shores that face Staten
Island 7