The New York herald., 1876-11-04
Chief Engineer Campbell on the
Water Crisis.
THE LOWEST SUPPLY YET.
Where Various Sources Of Waste Have
Been Checked.
MISTAKE or THE DEPARTMENT.

HERALD reporter, when talking of the water supply
"Tno drought has been unprecedented. The whole
country up there Putnam county, burned up In
the summer and the rainfall away below the
average. We los; inch OF water or about 0O0. 900
gallons, on the reservoir yesterday
REroKrEn-Complainis have been made that, owing
10 the 6tul supply OF Cro,ou, houses where water.
backs ana hot water boilers used in danger
from explosions. What is the remedy in such
cases,
Mr. CAArBsLL-l canN see why mere should be any
apprehcnsion from these hot water boilers II the
simple precautio is adopted OF turning the cock
tho top OF the boiler and giving the steam chance
20 escape
RKroRrEa-It Is charged that the department regu-
iacs the supply OF water in such capricious way as
to leave householdcrs in doubt whether they arc to
have a feast a famine. is that sos
Mr.. CAMrBELI.-That cannot DO tho case We aro
controlled by the supply. We have taken precautions
in directions to check waste and have gone
far Ms to request the mmssioners OF Police TO ard
far possible in imprcssing tho proprietors OF
liquor and beer saloons TO avoid much as they
extravaganza in this direction. There is great mu
water is kept running all tho day long for
tho purpose OF Washing glasses, whether
lhcrc is half dozen hundred to This
one fruitful source OF waste. Then, you know, In
public and private stables therc also great waste
We have stopped tho Of hose in cleaning streets
and sidewalks and also the practice OF using tho Gro
lon hydrants down the river fronts for securing the
iecks Of vessels Our aim is to keep at least
WEEKS SUPPLY
ahead Some people, OF course must be inconven-
nced but the great majority OF the citizens OF New
York have TO complain Of tho supply wo al.
ford them. We have interest in keeping the water
from anybody. Our object is to cconomzc where to
do otherwise might bring on far worse state OF aa
People come hero to complain almost every day, but
whom explain the situation TO them they seem to go
satisfied.
RnroRrRR-Is there no way OF notifying house.
holders when their supply OF water about being shut
on or rice rersdy
Mr. CAMrpELr-That is something we canno. calcu.
late ourselves 10 certainty. We receiving be-
tween %, 600 900 and 10 900, 900 gallons daily. Tho
consumption IS equal 10 tho supply. but you see how
2, ,0O0, 900 gallons. We work and cut down the
supplies IN fourteen OF the lakes in Putnam and West
chester counties TO increase the quantity
voirs and give the city all we could safely take
Tux THING Is DONE
REPORTER : How was that done?
Mr. CAMrBELI-Wcil, take Lake Mahopac for in
stance We took 0ve feet and half of that; or, In
other words cut down the outlet that depth and
drained of much OF body OF water into the Croton
RIVER other lakes drained OF In proportion
10 their contents and We still have supply in reserve
REPoETER-- Would the Introduction Of meters help
TO insure full and steady supply?
Mr. CAMrsELL-I don't approve OF meters for measur-
ing water In the first place Il IS difficult, where tho
supply happens at any time TO Auctuatc, to measure
The consumption OF water Then again. no man wants
10 have his wn'er measured out 10 HIM ikc soldiers
Raiion lie would much rather pay double his present
water tax and Just much az ho needs without
being subjected 10 the visits OF meter inspectors Tho
wstcr belongs 10 Tho people, and they can do as they
please about regulating the quantity they want.
REPoRrER-There is much complaint from people
living upper floors OF houses OF being unable 10 get
any water
appreciate all the more the practice OF economy In
usirg IT, When they have TO bring water up from tao
stories they won't be so much disposed 70 waste
IT. The fact is we do no better than doing
under the circumstances. The Is unusual aud
the supply is the same. lf the department had not
been so dilaory years new storage
voir light be completed now. We shall probably have
rnx INCONVENIENCE INCREASING.
The HERALD reporter, after leaving Mr.. Campbell,
made trip up and found the instances ot want
OF water among houschoidcrs far more numerous
truth that the water has about touched tho lowest
notch. and should 10 happen to ail lower there must
be widespread discomfort IN the city
DEPARrMENT.
To show how much ai isut the designers Of the
cro'on Aqucduc we're. they estimated that thrty-sx
United states standard gallons Tor each inhabtsnt
would be all that would be required and that the
suy, within the limits OF the island, would ultimately
contain, but not exceed 1000, 600 inhabitants. Our
population is now only about l00, ,0u0 and yet the
supply, though added TO since thns tme is still
inaccqu ito 10 the wants OF the citizcns IL was un.
iortunc the cny Fathers Of generation ago were so
short sighted in regard The future OF New York city
aud that they had not the preseicnce TO note the mag.
nitudc which this metropolis OF continent would
finally attain At the rate OF increase in the popua
tlon and the rate Of consumption OF water time must
arrive. judging by present experience when the
shed IN the counties OF Putnam and Westchcstcr
longer be depended upon 10 rnsh city with sui-
supply Ten years ugo the present drought would
have passed uunotccd. At that timo there were
complaints OF tho lack OF water but even then thcro
were shrcwd engineers who recommended provision
beng future wants In 1877 tho necessity for
this provision PLAIN to anybody who gave tho least
attention to the subject but the depart mcnt kept dlly
dallyng with the subject and Two years clansed,
the fall OF 1872 the tall OF 1874 before the work Of
building storage reservoir was begun. Had this
reservoir started in 1872, when necessity
FIRST scrously impressed the department, It might
have been finished year ago and the Inconvenience
avoecd from which the citizens Of Now YORK are now
suffering The reservoir covering 400 acres and
with dam seventy feet high, Will hold ZOO oo0, 900
gallons, or about forty days supply.
INADEQUATE SOURCE SUPPLY.
There engineers who freely express the opinion
that the present watershed is nadeg to the iuturc
chester. and that IT was niscalc ulaion TO make y
the source for feeding New York. They say the
springs IN Putnam county, which are represented as
supplying tho lnkes, deiuson that the soil
rocky for springs, and that II they existed to the
Dor and extent represented The country round about
would show some signs OF fertility in place OF being
bhe sterile and prohtcss soil u Is.
REMEDIAL PLANS PROPOSED
Hudson above tho fow OF the sea has a few enthus
astic pportcrs has the magn scheme OF
building An aqueduct all the way down from the
fresh and plentiful as the air around Tho Hudson
River idea IS The more practicable OF tho iwo and 10
be called fresh south OF Troy. a distance from New
York OF $50 miles Tho salt can be plainly detected
Il rs tar MP Hudson and then. like desert springs II
is brackish Tor many miles higher FACTORIES and
town aud village drainage poiute /, above Troy that
y would almost be necessary to so 70 s very source 10
6nd II pure and wholesome. The Adirondack scheme
Is certainly far fetched but TO city whose will
eclipse that OF London or Paris It will not appear
the years 20 come. For the present we must DO
sent with Croton and make the best or IL.
WHAT gyGISEfR TnAcr rnorcur
II was the opinion OF the late Chief kngncer Tracy
that there ploniy OF natural sites In tho valley oi
th1 Croton constructing storage reservoirs the
lines OF the streams whore they would certainly DO
Gicd during Tint would have capacity
of more than the required amount HIS suggestion
was to construct aqucduct 10 carry twice the
quantity vf the present one He kept gauge Of the
flow OF water the Cam from tho year ls62 10 1872
and estimated that quantity as large on thc average,
34o oCO gallons to waste daily over the Dam.
This should IMPLY tho necessity OF constructnra higher
dam than the present enc To give an idca OF how
lo,y wafer Lns nllnn the consumption October