Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1842-10-27

renee OF hres throughout our country, show
the danger we are IN.
Does any individual still say that we can
not afford To pay so much as this great work
has cost? ! desert that security against such
awful calamities cannot be too dearly bought,
i( it is bought mt the highest possible price.
Ii must be had it possible in every com
muniiy, aud the man who srudges money tb
save the city from destruction can be only
one who wants no security bu, for stocks,and
dividends, and bonds, and mortgages, and int
whose thoughts the welfare and happiness ol
his fellow beings never enter.
But does water cost so much? London, in
1884, was supplied with 34.000,O00 Of gallons
and paid for it annually s. ,3S0,0 900 Paris IL
supplied with two quarts per day To each IN
dividual. at an expense of $750,000 per an
mum. The CrotoD would furnish eight hogs
heads a day to each of our population, at bul
$600,0O0 per nnnum.
After all we have followed, bu, ot a respec-
table distance, ancient Rome, with her nine
aquoGucts, some of which were longer than
The Croton uqueduct, and together were ca
pable of supplying 100000 of gallons PEI
day. But history does not enable us to say
If all Of them were IN operation at one time:
nor do we know all the purposes to which i,
was applied The irrigation of the land was
no doubt among its most extensive uses
Nor do we learn whether these aqucdncts
supplied one million or four millions Of in-
habitants, SO widely do the accouts Of the
population OF ancient Rome differ.
The works of Rome were built by soldiers
and by slaves. Ours was voted for by free
men, was constructed by freemen, and We
make the aspiration that in all ages to come
it may bless ireemen and frecmen only?
But we pass to another subject: it is the
value Of the water for domestic purposes
by the almost mysterious property OF water.
the Croton, without steam power, animal or
human labor, descends into the cellar, aud
again mounts into the garret Of the loftlest
house. even up into the cupola OF the City
Hall. The turning of a cock fills the tubs
and culinary vessels Of the kitchen IN mo
ment, aud almost as soon, the fihy hogshead
boilers Of steamboat. Now the saving H.
human time and labor in the performance Of
these operations is incucuabe. The weight
OF the daily water is equal to $50, 600 tons,
and i, goes, itself, precisely where you want
il. Providence has given 10 wafer this IN
descrbable property, that by rivers nnd
streams 1t flows throughout the globe TO sus-
tain every living hing. While food has TO
hc carried or transported, water OF Itself
travels for the benefit of all creation. The
Deity, not content with giving it this proper
~, evaporates and draws it to the skies that II
may again condense and distribute itself on
the leaves and foliage OF the whole vegela'
Tie kingdom.
The healthfulncss Of all water is in proper
tiou to an absence of all mineral substances,
or, IN other words, in proportion to its purity.
Mineral aud other substances in water may
net bencficlally sometimes, as a medicine,
hut M "a cougtant bpyp rn o. M water good
except pure water and the Croton is so per
fectly pure that it may have an influence on
lead, which the mineral aud other impurities
IN common water have n tendency to prevent.
Numerous analyses, too, have shown the
water To be remarkably pure, even before II
passed through four seltling and clarifying
departments Of the reservoirs.
We leave the farther consideration OF the
security, pecunlary and practical advantages
Of tins great work, and pass TO make one re
mark on lis moral results.
Filth and crime, cleanliness aud virtue
are near klusio.ks the more means and con
ycniences for cleanliness that are furnished
our populaton the more industrious aud vir
tuous they will bc. The more good wa,eI
that is conveniently supplied, the more TEN
perute will be our people, because we shai
now no longer afford The apology for mixing
brandy and rum with water-thnt ot making
it drlnkuble and we may hope the temper
nnce cause, with pure Croton water, aud Il
banner floating 10 the breeze. VIII on The
present system 81 successfully carry on the
wartare in uil future time IA to make It I'm
possible for them to find subjects to fill W
that portion of their corps which now con
sists of reformed drunkards.
To the ireemen of the city of New-Yo-k
Ian. - nnftn IN
duous duty than properly falls to the saar,
~ any of our free citizens, we say, that lh,
Cro,on water works were made emphntIcal,
Tor them /, for, though other advantages have
been given us reasons for its construction
Vet none bad so powerful and controlling ur
influence as the universal allegation that th'
fire depa artment, to enable them 10 preven
the destruction of the city by fire, must hav,
Il full aud ample supply OF water.
Flremrn, you have now got Vt, and th'nI
I hear you sav-"With the Cro,on water TO
fires aud for fire MEN-tce stcedr the dUfi
confagraiion Of 1885 shall nerer be repeated
Excuse me fellow citizens, for advcf.lng Il
one fact, that in all the expenditures whc
have been made by your agents tor this grea
work, the accounts for which have been reg
ularly settled, il is not known or believed lha
one COLLAR of your money has been lost Q
dishonesty applied.
In handing over to you Mr.. President e
the Croton aQucduct board, and your assoc
a,cs. the agents of the corporation OF the CIT
Of New-York the Croon water and tn
works on this Island, which have been con
pleted, I cannot but express my full cont
dence thut you and your assoc aies will rec
ommend, and that the Corporation will adoI
such principles and arrangements IN rc:eI
cnco 10 this water, MS while it will be mad
to furnish large proportion OF the ln,ere
on the debt, nevertheless in some measu'
supply the incstimuble benefits which shon
flow from this ample supply "pure and who'll
some water" TO our whole community.
fine, that you will be just TO the rich aud libe
al TO the poor.