Jacob A. Riis (1849–1914). How the Other Half Lives. 1890.
Appendix.
STATISTICS BEARING ON THE TENEMENT PROBLEM.
STATISTICS of population were left out of the text in the hope that the results of this year’s census would be available as a basis for calculation before the book went to press. They are now at hand, but their correctness is disputed. The statisticians of the Health Department claim that New York’s population has been underestimated a hundred thousand at least, and they appear to have the best of the argument. A re-count is called for, and the printer will not wait. Such statistics as follow have been based on the Health Department estimates, except where the census source is given. The extent of the quarrel of official figures may be judged from this one fact, that the ordinarily conservative and careful calculations of the Sanitary Bureau make the death-rate of New York, in 1889, 25.19 for the thousand of a population of 1,575,073, while the census would make it 26.76 in a population of 1,482,273.
1
Population of New York, 1880 (census)
1,206,299
Population of London, 1881 (census)
3,816,483
Population of Philadelphia, 1880 (census)
846,980
Population of Brooklyn, 1880 (census)
566,689
Population of Boston, 1880 (census)
362,535
Population of New York, 1889 (estimated)
1,575,073
Population of London, 1889 (estimated)
4,351,738
Population of Philadelphia, 1889 (estimated)
1,040,245
Population of Brooklyn, 1889 (estimated)
814,505
Population of Boston, 1889 (estimated)
420,000
Population of New York under five years of age, in 1880
140,327
Population of New York under five years of age, in 1889 (estimated)
182,770
Population of tenements in New York in 18691 (census).
468,492
Population of tenements in New York in 18882 (census).
1,093,701
Population of tenements in New York in 1888 under five years of age
143,243
Population of New York in 1880 (census)
1,206,299
Population of Manhattan Island in 1880 (census)
1,164,673
Population of Tenth Ward in 1880 (census)
47,554
Population of Eleventh Ward in 1880 (census)
68,778
Population of Thirteenth Ward in 1880 (census)
37,797
Population of New York in 1890 (census)
1,513,501
Population of Manhattan Island in 1890 (census)
1,440,101
Population of Tenth Ward in 1890 (census)
57,514
Population of Eleventh Ward in 1890 (census)
75,708
Population of Thirteenth Ward in 1890 (census)
45,882
Number of acres in New York City
24,890
Number of acres in Manhattan Island
12,673
Number of acres in Tenth Ward
110
Number of acres in Eleventh Ward
196
Number of acres in Thirteenth Ward
107
Density of population per acre in 1880, New York City
48.4
Density of population per acre in 1880, Manhattan Island
92.6
Density of population per acre in 1880, Tenth Ward
432.3
Density of population per acre in 1880, Eleventh Ward
350.9
Density of population per acre in 1880, Thirteenth Ward
353.2
Density of population per acre in 1890, New York City (census)
60.08
Density of population per acre in 1890, Manhattan Island (census)
114.53
Density of population per acre in 1890, Tenth Ward (census)
522.00
Density of population per acre in 1890, Eleventh Ward (census)
386.00
Density of population per acre in 1890, Thirteenth Ward (census)
428.8
Density of population to the square mile in 1880, New York City (census)
30,976
Density of population to the square mile in 1880, Manhattan Island (census)
41,264
Density of population to the square mile in 1880, Tenth Ward (census)
276,672
Density of population to the square mile in 1880, Eleventh Ward (census)
224,576
Density of population to the square mile in 1880, Thirteenth Ward (census)
226,048
Density of population to the square mile in 1890, New York City (census)
38,451
Density of population to the square mile in 1890, Manhattan Island (census)
73,299
Density of population to the square mile in 1890, Tenth Ward (census)
334,080
Density of population to the square mile in 1890, Eleventh Ward (census)
246,040
Density of population to the square mile in 1890, Thirteenth Ward (census)
274,432
Number of persons to a dwelling in New York, 1880 (census)
16.37
Number of persons to a dwelling in London, 1881 (census)
7.9
Number of persons to a dwelling in Philadelphia, 1880 (census)
5.79
Number of persons to a dwelling in Brooklyn, 1880 (census)
9.11
Number of persons to a dwelling in Boston, 1880 (census)
8.26
Number of deaths in New York, 1880
31,937
Number of deaths in London, 1881
81,431
Number of deaths in Philadelphia, 1880
17,711
Number of deaths in Brooklyn, 1880
13,222
Number of deaths in Boston, 1880
8,612
Death-rate of New York, 1880
26.47
Death-rate of London, 1881
21.3
Death-rate of Philadelphia, 1880
20.91
Death-rate of Brooklyn, 1880
23.33
Death-rate of Boston, 1880
23.75
Number of deaths in New York, 1889
39,679
Number of deaths in London, 1889
75,683
Number of deaths in Philadelphia, 1889
20,536
Number of deaths in Brooklyn, 1889
18,288
Number of deaths in Boston, 1889
10,259
Death-rate of New York, 1889
25.19
Death-rate of London, 1889
17.4
Death-rate of Philadelphia, 1889
19.7
Death-rate of Brooklyn, 1889
22.5
Death-rate of Boston, 1889
24.42
For every person who dies there are always two disabled by illness, so that there was a regular average of 79,358 New Yorkers on the sick-list at any moment last year. It is usual to count 28 cases of sickness the year round for every death, and this would give a total for the year 1889 of 1,111,082 of illness of all sorts.
2
Number of deaths in tenements in New York, 1869
13,285
Number of deaths in tenements in New York, 1888
24,842
Death-rate in tenements in New York, 1869
28.35
Death-rate in tenements in New York, 1888
22.71
This is exclusive of deaths in institutions, properly referable to the tenements in most cases. The adult death-rate is found to decrease in the larger tenements of newer construction. The child mortality increases, reaching 114.04 per cent. of 1,000 living in houses containing between 60 and 80 tenants. From this point it decreases with the adult death-rate.
3
Number of deaths in prisons, New York, 1889
85
Number of deaths in hospitals, New York, 1889
6,102
Number of deaths in lunatic asylums, New York, 1889
448
Number of deaths in institutions for children, New York, 1889
522
Number of deaths in homes for aged, New York, 1889
238
Number of deaths in almshouse, New York, 1889
424
Number of deaths in other institutions, New York, 1889
162
Number of burials in city cemetery (paupers), New York, 1889
3,815
Percentage of such burials on total
9.64
Number of tenants weeded out of overcrowded tenements, New York, 1889
1,246
Number of tenants weeded out of overcrowded tenements, in first half of 18903
1,068
Number of sick poor visited by summer corps of doctors, New York, 1890
16,501
POLICE STATISTICS
Males.
Females.
Arrests made by the police in 1889
62,274
19,926
Number of arrests for drunkenness and disorderly conduct
20,253
8,981
Number of arrests for disorderly conduct
10,953
7,477
Number of arrests for assault and battery
4,534
497
Number of arrests for theft
4,399
721
Number of arrests for robbery
247
10
Number of arrests for vagrancy
1,686
947
Prisoners unable to read or write
2,399
1,281
Number of lost children found in the streets, 1889
2,968
Number of sick and destitute cared for, 1889
2,753
Found sick in the streets
1,211
Number of pawnshops in city, 1889
110
Number of cheap lodging-houses, 1889
270
Number of saloons, 1889
7,884
IMMIGRATION.
Immigrants landed at Castle Garden in 20 years, ending with 1889
5,335,396
Immigrants landed at Castle Garden in 1889
349,233
Immigrants from England landed at Castle Garden in 1889
46,214
Immigrants from Scotland landed at Castle Garden in 1889
11,415
Immigrants from Ireland landed at Castle Garden in 1889
43,090
Immigrants from Germany landed at Castle Garden in 1889
75,458
1883.
1884.
1885.
1886.
1887.
1888.
1889.
Italy
25,485
14,076
16,033
29,312
44,274
43,927
28,810
Russia
7,577
12,432
16,578
23,987
33,203
33,052
31,329
Poland
7,577
12,432
16,578
23,987
33,203
33,052
31,329
Hungary
13,160
15,797
11,129
18,135
17,719
12,905
15,678
Bohemia
4,877
7,093
6,697
4,222
6,449
3,982
5,412
TENEMENTS
Number of tenements in New York, December 1, 1888
32,390
Number built from June 1, 1888, to August 1, 1890
3,733
Rear tenements in existence, August 1, 1890
2,630
Total number of tenements, August 1, 1890
37,316
Estimated population of tenements, August 1, 1890
1,250,000
Estimated number of children under five years in tenements, 1890
163,712
Corner tenements may cover all of the lot, except 4 feet at the rear. Tenements in the block may only cover seventy-eight per cent. of the lot. They must have a rear yard 10 feet wide, and air-shafts or open courts equal to twelve per cent. of the lot.
4
Tenements or apartment houses must not be built over 70 feet high in streets 60 feet wide.
5
Tenements or apartment houses must not be built over 80 feet high in streets wider than 60 feet.
