The New York herald., 1876-11-15
Importance of an Early Settlement
of the Question.
EFFECTS OF DROUGHT IN VIENNA
How the Supply in This City May Be
Increased.
Quarterly Report Of Commissioner Campbell
OH CrOton Water.


Of New York 10 n the present moment in A. great
OF confusion the political OF doubt
full Statcs has this uncertain condition OF things
been made more clear by tho very interesting
and intelligent resumt Of Professor Doremus delivered
before the Art and Science Association on Monday
evening. The Professor gave valuable statistics
with regard 10 the present supply and the uid capao
y OF the drainage Of thc Croton Valley but shcsc
figures involve tho same source OF which has
suited very recently in disastrous consequences to tho
city ofvienna Il is well TO refer to The unfortunate
state Of things existing In that city. matter
for consideration in connection with she
present condition OF supply.
VIENNA WATER WORKS.
Visitors TO tho Vienna Exhibition will remember
with what exulation tho vcnneso proclaimed tho
successful completion OF their water works after
long years Of waiting. and after much public and
private Inconvenience and even distress from tho
absence OF . proper supply OF wholesome water.
This was accomplished on The very evo OF the Exhi-
bit,on the satisfaction Of all parties, although at
cost, and far In excess OF the original
estimate. These grand works have now, it appears
utterly facd and Vienna Is in paroxysm or disgust
The main OF the failure is duo overesti-
mate oil tho drainage area, resulting in season or
drought in the supply having SO diminished that the
works delivered than half OF what actually
quircd. The consequence enforced resort 10 the
old works, the water Of which had already become
tainted with sewage as to be absolutely unht for
THE cRoToS wArERsAED.
In the case the drainage OF tho Croton Pre-
Doremus gave the estimated daily supply rom
rain alonc 800 ooo 900 gallons, and the city
receive but ll5 900 gallons daily through the pres
aqueduc he argues that the difference between these
two represents the daily waste the Croton
dam, anQ that aqucduct from that point would
tha tvh hrtnU Nil hat
the city Unfortunately for tho ofwaser
who are now receiving only the lower doors and
very sparngly at that, tho actual of things at
the Croton dam does not bear these figures. The
water there instead Of running over Is low that il
does not halt supply the limited capacity OF the pres
ent aqueduct, and steam pumps arc now bong called
into requlsition TO pump the water. which is below
the supply inlet into tho aqucduct and thus give tho
city the beDeht OF the water stored at low level
DEFECTIVE SYSTEM or SUPPLY.
The of the evil lies far deeper than Is generally
Supposed and all the aqueducss that could be built At
an expense even of four times the tha.
II has proposed TO expend In that way would not
remedy this evil II tho present obsolete and mpracti
cable system is to bc continued. The whole Croton
aqueduc system OF supply and distribution radically
wrong from beginning 10 end, and the make
up minds to this fact tho better shall be OF
and the sooner the proper remedy Will be applied The
difficulty began with the adption OF tho gravity system
In lhe inception Of the works II 10 like expecting that
the coat hich is made for Inc boy will at the man
gravity plan OF wafer supply adopted fixes nbso
lutsiy she head a. which the water Is de-
livercd. This cannot possibly bc Increased,
~ the works all constructed with reference
to this elevation In the of the Croon works
there anticipation that the present demand
would before the iapso or centuries In the
while every foot OF increased distribution nsures
proportlonate reduction OF the distributing force,
which beyond change by the establish Of
original head. Nothing but auxiliary steam power
steam engines which be used At the Croton dam
Even this 10 only makeshift at TINS one point. Tho
reservoirs IN tho city remaining a. thoy are can only
give just much head OF water and this 10 being
stanty diminished by the increase In the number or
distribution pipes. But this is not all tho difficulty
Tho drainage OF tho Croton Valley s absolutely
limited IN iss extent for the supply Of the city OF
New York IN times OF drought, and the experience
only 10 be repeated here over and over again when
there shall occur a dImnution In the rainfall SO
that $40 0oo, 600 expended on new aqueduct would
be just SO 600 900 thrown away, there would be
times no water 10 run through it.
THE PAssAIc RIVER
In the meanwhile thore is TO be found supply Of the
purest in the world sufficient Tor 10U0O 600 of
people centuries, which be brought TO city
at half the sum proposed and at less than
is tho OF the Passac River which has drain
age area OF 1900 square miles aud volume
eaual to the Hudson oil all the available rivers
State lines should DO no impediment In the way Of
securing this supply Tor the great metropolis, which
now lies much on one sde Of the Hudson as
IL does on the other With the Of auxiliary power
the could be made to give water supply for
all time that would rival that OF any city OF the
or the modern world.
AN IMPORTANT QUEsTIos.
This Is grave question, that should he discussed
with carncslncss with clear understanding OF
what are be the future wants Of the metropolis
not OF tho city of New York alone, but OF all the
millions congregate in the coming years
this great focus commerce and industry. No sntcd
supply, measured out by motors and gallons will
suffice.
coxYLAGRArIoys AND EPIDKNICs
Tho confagrations that in times past have swept
this devoted CITY will come again. whom the power
TO subdue them snail be dormant The cpdemcs that
have dcsolacd the homes OF citizens knocking
always the door, and will enter the moment tho
sanitary barriers removed by diminishing tho
water supply. Let u.s. then, take care TO fully under
stand this whole matter before IL is too late. Tenn
porary expedcnts, which lull us i,to security,
public foliies. Nay, more they are public crimes!-
for they inevitably bring with them public calamtcs
Digging down the outlets 10 horse ponds In Putnam
county very poor way Of suppyings great city with
its needed quantity OF water.
COMMISSIONER cAMPBELL's REPORT.
Tho following is an extract from tho quarterly
report OF the Commissioner Of Public Works for tho