Wise and Decided Action for the Improvement of the Nepperhan — In All Proper Ways Let the People Support the Measures in the General Interest.

A stated meeting of the Board of Health was held on Wednesday afternoon. Mayor Weller presided, and Alderman Schlobohm, Police Commissioner Treanor and Health Officer Browne were present.

The Health Officer submitted his report of deaths in Yonkers in the mont of November, as published in the STATESMAN of December 2. Ordered on file

The following preamble and resolutions were offered by President Weller, and were adopted unanimously:

WHEREAS, John Copcutt, who is the owner of the dam at the first water power on the Nepperhan River, in this city, which was recently partially torn down pursuant to the warrant of this Board of Health, threatens or is about to rebuilt said dam wholly or in part, and recreate the pond adjacent thereto; and

WHEREAS, Said pond and dam, when so recreated, continued or retained, will constitute a public nuisance, detriment to the public health; Therefore be it

Resolved, That said John Copcutt be and hereby is directed and required to refrain from rebuilding said dam and from recreating, continuing or retaining said pond; and be and hereby directed and required forthwith to entirely remove all of the obstruction in the said river at the point or place where the dam at the first water power heretofore existed, and so abate and remove the nuisance heretofore exising thereat.

On motion, a copy of the preamble and resolutions, certified by the Secretary as having been adopted by the Board of Health, was given to Patrolman Peter McGowan to deliver it to Captain Mangin, with a request that it be served on Mr. Copcutt immediately.

President Weller also offered the following preamble and resolutions, which were likewise adopted unanimously:

WHEREAS, The condition the Nepperhan River, in the city of Yonkers, is and for a long time has ben a menace to the public and a source of great danger to the health and lives of our citizens; and

WHEREAS, The said river will continue to be such menace and source of danger until the waters of said river are confined within a narrow channel; and

WHEREAS, The public health requires and the sanitary condition of this city demands, that the channel of said river be walled in, and the low places adjacent to such channel be filled in with solid earth; Therefore it is

Resolved, That the present condition of the Nepperhan River be and hereby is declared a public nuisance, detrimental to the public health.

Resolved, That the owners of all land through, over or adjacent to which the said Nepperhan River flows, below Ashburton avenue, be and hereby are directed to remove forthwith from the channel of said river all dams and other obstacles which obstruct the free natural flow of the waters of said river; and that such owners be and hereby are directed and required to proceed forthwith to clean out and wall up the channel of said river, and provide a stone bottom to said channel and fill in with solid earth the low places adjacent thereto according to the plan therefore made by William Henry Baldwin, chief engineer, and which is hereby adopted and approved by this Board of Health as the plan which the proper sanitation of this city and due regard to the public health demand and require should be observed, carried out and complied with which said plan is herewith filed with the Clerk or Secretary of this Board.

The plans provide for the walling in of both sides of the Nepperhan, on the general line of its present course, from Ashburton avenue to Warburton avenue, the filling in of the ponds on each side of the stream, the cleaning out of the accumulated filth, and the paving of the bottom of the channel. The plans can be seen in the office of the City Clerk.

The following additional resolution was offered by Commissioner Treanor, and was also adopted unanimously:

Resolved, that in case of neglect or refusal by the owners to comply with the requirements of the above resolutions, the Mayor be empowered to direct the City Attorney to commence an action against the same owners to compel the compliance therewith, or punish for failure to comply.

The following letter from W.L. Plumley, Tuckahoe, to Health Officer Browne was read. The letter was dated Dec. 3, 1892:

Dear Sir—I congratulate you on your efficient work with the dams at Yonkers, and its success. I hope our people here will shortly see the importance of securing your agency in removing our dams here. Just now they are trying by delay to secure the co–operation of the Hodgman interest. We shall be compelled to invoke the Health Officer, in the end, I feel sure.

Colonel Waring, the sanitary engineer, whose services we secured, has prepared a report, which takes the strongest view of the situation. He says that no competent sanitarian in the world would disagree with him. He says the dams and ponds must go.