The New York herald., 1872-12-16
DEPARTMENT or PUBLIC WORKS.
Commissioner Van NOrt'S Annual Re-
port for This Year.
What he Has Done in the Past and Desires
Done in the -Retrenchment Made
Abolishing Offices and el29,s32
saved-SS40, $50 Saved on Wages.

5aved-SS4O, 800 Saved on Wages.
Reference was made In general terms to the
report Of the Commissioner Of Public Works when
1t was presented early In July. The report il now
printed and from copies furnished we gather the
following:- 2aw saE 5000 straNfa3
Mr. Van Mort was appointed Commissioner OF
fuDic works december 20, 1871. though his report
the condition Of things which existed when he
entered upon his duties, MI. Van Mort says:-
Aproper and economical Standardization Of this depart
sa Sess
e. ssss Ss sn
s' ii s ss ss
ssssoy ns5sSe wSiss SSdc sG%s
Ons u s @ Sshse @ S the s9s
Ss d N @ SSss
ssaasd correspond win lie rates paid ~ osSss
city departments AZ e8.atl@
By the abolition Of the positions Of Deputy Super;
inspectors, four r0dmen, ten inspectors, sixty
water policemen and twenty clerks, an annual
adjustments $s4o, $50 have been saved on = wages
and In the expenditures connected with public
:asdd :asd sss 50, making total annual saving Of
In treating in turn Of the several bureaus OF his
department Mr.. Van Mort states that
ha mains 81 a t. e city
s'e
vae % es ~
would result IN great ss loss 9 property The new thirty
ready iSI during hs and II addition to ne
to s oiiy to ali wa''
inch p %ee rs FEET OF yp eee OF sSe
Rf inly 5 sIs sss Of
making AGGREGATE feet Or more than Twelve
ana Th nall ,h miles O, o. Oh PIPE @ iaid; stove
In win the ordinances Common coan;
xosasn sas snss ss IL Sss sss
s ~
iss as
are now performed with greater efficiency than formerly
Mr.. Van Mort favOrS the Introduction OF water
meters as means to increase the revenue from
water rents and to prevent undue waste Of CrotQn
water.
The receipts from water rents for the year end
Ing April TO- 1872 were 81 239,233 e. an increase Of
$780, 1893 10 over the receipts OF the previous year.
The receipts for penalties during the year were
$15,50l Is, and for permits to tap water pipes
sS,736 5O making an aggregate income from CrOton
for the first three months under the present ad-
ministratlon exceeded those for the corresponding
period period OF the previous year $50. sos 80.
Mort states that the new storage reservoir will be
finished in time to be filled during the wet season
gallons. The capacity OF all the reservoirs will
then be 00O or sufficient to supply the city
III Tie present rACe OI consumption nifty days:
add to this the minimum quantity daily furnished
by the CrOtOn river in seasons Of severe drought
270O0,00O galIons-and the reserve supply will last
seventy-six days. In addition to the new storage
reservoir preparations being made for the con-
struction OF one still larger, with capacity OF
$4,000 900 gallons. The average daily consump-
ton of Croton water last year was sS 900 900 gal
Ions. 1t is remarkable that while the population OF
New York has little more than doubled since 1S48
the quantity Of water used is nearly five times as
large. This would indicate general and growing
waste Of water by consumers
second to 11sth street SO as to remove the barrier
which so greatly Injuries property in that vicinity,
and M the Improvement o. she supply Of water to
With reference to street improvements Mr. Van
Mort says that
The grades established for the Eighth in the
and il places very steep II March ise the Com.
s1 81 snSs
streets hlIed TO depth Of ten and
Ct ssy ss
From io5h 70 2a street the descent very gradual
yards
II the sa
@ g. rSes s uss q s s.
e street as % rsn ss9f n n
NeyenbeT 1867 the Commissloners Of the Central Park
s sras e ten ss s n and % m
dnsng It iitssn feet at l9st street Ninety thousand
sss q ns @ for % s
nue. between Eighty sixth and Nine ninth Streets work
suspended by the contractor In consequence Of the
Finance Department questioning the legality Of the
tract Under the contract for work said avenue from
Ninety ninth to 10th street nothing has been done the
ordinance therefor not having been properly advertised
Some idea Of the magnitude OF the work per-
formed under the Bureau Of Street improvements
may be had when 1t is stated that during the year
four miles OF streets were regulated and graded
eight and three-quarter miles Of curb and gutter
were set and eleven miles OF sidewalks were
tagged, cubic yards Of rock and 65 066 cubic
yards OF earth were excavated and 3S7, ,928 cubic
yards OF material filed in. Much more would have
been accomplished had the contractors received
regular payments, enabling them to prosecute
their work during the Fall and Winter. New York
city has AGO miles Of streets and avenues, of which
1926 miles are regulated and graded and 304 miles
are paved.
In the matter of lighting the streets Mr. Van Mort
states that he found that the following rates were
paid to the several gas companies for lighting the
pnDlic lamps-
Per Annuns
Name of C0ntCdry. for Each Lnmp
Metropolitan Gas Light Company y............$5 37
Manhattan Gas Light Company. ny................ So 00
New York Gas Light Company. 40 90
Harlem Gas Light Company 63 90
Average cost. $50 96
The quantity Of gas consumed annually by each
lamp Is $500 cubic feet at the rate OF three feet
per hour for 8,s33b hours. Private consumers are
charged So per 1000 cubic feet, which would make
the cost of gas for each lamp including "a SO for
lighting, extinguishtng and cleaning, $50.
On application to the companies he procured
from them an Oner to reduce the price to S42 SO
lamp thus efrectlnr saving of LEO 600 n wear