The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-08
OUR WATER sUPPLY-rHREATENED SCARE
NEW YORK, April 4, 1872.

NEW YORK, April ., 1917.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
The HERALD. which Is usually among the first TO
sound The alarm wnen any measure detrimental to
the interests OF the city urged. have over
looked the circumstance that bill involving cOnse-
quenccs more serious to entire population than
any that has been before the Legislature TIPS session
has passed the Senate, with but three opposing
votes. and IA likely to meet with similar success IN
the House unless the of public Opin
Ion here protest In 80 l0rcibe as to arrest
It, Tue writer has watched the columns OF the
HERALD with interest, and, knowing its immense
power in directing puolc opinion, has been sur
prised that on this occasion 1t has not reused the
public to sense OF the imminent danger impending
OF disaster with which no other that could befall
the city IS scarcely comparable. l refer to the near
prospect OF great water famine, and the bill al
luded TO Is that repeal the act OF 1871 "Go pro-
vide further supply OF pure and wholesome water
for the city OF New York." Within the narrowest
limits OF probability 1t is safe TO airm that there. are
nine chances IN ten that this city will be subject 20
scarcity OF water. II this bl passes, which Will
entirely paralyze that portion OF the anuiacturng
interest at all dependent upon the Cr0tOn supply;
mer by ou IS M i1 and ecenr
Will leave the heart OF the city az the mercy OF the
flames m the event OF hre, and WIN. IN addition to
tate greatly diminished supply TO every city house.
mold ~ season when comfort and necessity seek an
increased one.
Tne engineering laws which govern the establish
men OF water reservoirs for the supply OF towns are
based within limits upon facts and experiences as
positive as any supplied by nature ana the reason.
Ing which directly leads 10 the conclusion that we
are most probably 10 suffer an extraordinarily light
water supply this summer In this locality not the
result OF any mere theoretical specuatons or timd
on the rain fall, reservoir capacity, minimum flow
and various other relevant facts observed tns year
ana compared with those OF past years, whereby the
probable event Is almost assured The Commls-
sloner ana Chief Engineer OF Public Works nave
given the facts and Iney are sufficiently alarming to
This morning the HERALD had an able ana very In
terestng article relative TO the cholera and other cpl
demlc diseases-strlking the alarm at This most sea-
sonable moment. In order thai timely sanitary pre-
cautions might be taken TO ward them OIL. In the
light OF that article water famine with It's neceS
sary accompaniment OF reeKlng sewers and stag
rived from official or reliable sources Will prove to
the readers OF the HERALD tnat the passage OF the
BILL to repeal might be properly entitled an act 10
ensure water famine, TO prevent the eXtlngulsh.
ing OF fires and to encourage epdemlcs ana general
distress In the city OF New YORK. A brief summary
SHOWS mat an average OF 1000 900 gallons OF water
was consumed daily III 1871 by the CITY from the Gro
ton aqueduc; that the entire storage capacity OF the
aqueduct is less than 900 900 gaois therefore,
that the storage reservoirs cannot contain twenty
days average supply Tor the city; that the mini.
been ascertaned by careful gaugngs to be about
twenty seven million gallons daily, IA deficiency OF
5s,o0ooo gallons daily III the average demand or
the city, to obtain which would exhaust the entire
reservoir capacity m twenty-nine days. 1t is
recognized principle OF engineering that the storage
reservoir capacity for the water supply of towns
should not lall below The minimum Of 100 days
reservoir capacity OF $50 DAYS OF the excess or The
average daily demand over the least daily
lngs In Great Britain a storage equal 10
lao days entire demand mas been Known
cess of the daily demand over the least daily supply
for the necessary storage capacity, we should have,
H. 900 600 gallons as the requisite reservoir capa,
city TO Keep up the present supply To the city, OF
more than SIX times the actual.
w.
are number OF lakes, aggregang some 2 l49 acres
IN area, from which the Croton authorities were au
thorlzed 10 draw IN case or emergency, under the
act OF 1871, winch II is now proposed TO repeal. By
drawing three ieet IRON the surface OF these lakes
New YORK standard. would be made to the
storage supply, and each additional foot
only intended to draw as the citys
exigencles require. The act authorizing TINS addi-
city's escape from water famine was simply provi-
dental. the entlre available storage supply having
been exhausted and twice slnc the passage or this
act has 1t been necessary the water stored In
these lakes TO meet the clty's demands
Now, all the indications point To an unusually low
condition OF water this season. one lower than for
many years previous, ana that, consequently, the
lakes ls greater than ever before. Tne rainfall on
the Croton drainage area for the first two months
Tor the corresponding two months In the years
wnen the water from the lakes was indispensable
to the city, and the natural springs and suDterra-
mean reservoirs below frost lower now than they
have been Tor years. Along the line OF some deep
Cutting In the tenth avenue, Wnere tile bank has
caved In, exposing the earth below IL Is ike ashes,
entirely wltnouG mOlsture-Dut little snow has
failenthe drv, cold weather Ned the surface Of
the SOIL early In WINTER and, being unprotected by
snow, the frost has penetrated the earth to great
depth. All OF the RAIN and snow iat has flowed OF
the surface OF the ground. without adding TO the
subterranean deposits OF Water, and for some time
10 come yet whatever rain may TALL Will only 90 TO
! increase the temporary surplus OF the Croton
| River and this must continue I'll! frost leaves the
! ground.
| 1t must be remembered that extreme cold
| weather continued about one month later tnis year
that last, and that, therefore, Irost Is ikeS to
remain at least month later IN the ground, with
out taking into account the greater depth to which 1t
has penetrated this year.
Want OF space prevents giving additional reasons
though there are several, why this right should not
| be taken away but enough has been written to
prove tnat this year, especially, II would be equiva
lent TO inviting disastrous water famine to repeal
/ the act ITO provide further supply or pure ana
! wholesome water for the city OF New York.r
The Croton water shed, with area OF over three
hundred square miles and an average annual rain
| fail OF over nity inches, Is capable OF supplying
population i've times tnat OF New York ii sufficient
storage capacity be provided but until other
reservoirs be constructed and completed than those
now belonging TO the aqueduct, the deprivation OF
the right TO draw water from the lakes will expose
the c!ty to an annual water famine and win almost
certainly ensure one this year. VIII not the HERALD
| help 10 avert the danger S.
| n kTu