The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-10
WATER GETTING SCARCE.
SPEEDY RAIN NEEDED TO KEEP UP
TILE NTPPLT or CROTON.
The Quantity Daily sent 20 the CITY Le-sened
by the Anxious Eupinrer> Some Of tho
Reservoirs and Lakes Nearly tmptied.

The Quantity Daily sent TO the City Les~ened
by the Anxious Eppinrers some OF tho
Reservoirs and Lakes Nearly tmptied.
The hot and dry weather, added to the
ordinary consumption, has nearly exhausted
tho large supply Of Croton water In the reser-
voirs and II was deemed advisable, yesterday,
by the Croton Gqueduct engineers to so reduce
the iow into the city that in case rain should
be much longer delayed, we would not be alto
gether without water. The average daily con-
sumption l. i0iOO0,OO0 gallons, which Ia taken
mainly from tho distributing reservoirs. with
an amount sufficient for this demand In the
reservoirs, the water Is forced up to the fourth
stories of nearly all the dwellings but yester-
day in many sections It did not rise further
than the second. Mr.. O. W. Birdsell, Assistant
Engineer OF the Cro,on Aquedect Commission
ers said, ." gave notice four weeks ago that
the water would run short, for the reason that
we have had no rain to affect the streams since
the 2lst Of June. The demand for water varies.
some days running over and others much
under, l00,O0O0OO gallons; but | am shutting
down on the head OF water-that Is, | am lessen
ing the force. As soon as l do that Of course
the water don't go up to the fourth stories aud
IL am compelled TO shut down more, II won't
go up to the third. As 1t Ia l am saving
25,0O00O0 gallons OF water per day, and as
our supply decreases / will decrease the head.
People won't take heed when asked to eCOnO-
mize, so We must take the matter In our own
hands and ahut down on the pressure. No
douot this Is the worst season We have had
beat and little RAIN the evaporation has been
very great: We only had fourth Of an inch Of
rain In tho CrotOn basin during August ami
none Of that flowed into the stream account
OF the earth being so dry that 1t absorbed II all
People use more water than they need. Take
the tenement houses. During our very warm
days ST summer, when all the water was warm.
| they let It run, imagining tnat II would yet
cooler. and : IL Kent running and running and
thousands OF gal ions were useu needlessly As
yet tho scarcity OF water doesn't Interfere with
the Fire Depaitment getting all they want. lhe
hydfants are attached to the main, and besides
the suction OF their engine would give them
water enough even II the gates were shut down
a little. There is no leed OF being frightened
on that account. Should Il not rain soou the
lakes will not supply sufficient water, though
we should cut the supply down to hfty million
gallons n day.
| At the distributing reservoir In Fifth avenue
| the water Is only sixteen inches deep. The two
receiving reservoirs In Central Park, known as
the old" and the new" seemed TO contain
"lt was down to eleven feet six inches in
1862" said MIR. Marcus +. Ii'zgltbon, supefin-
| tendent Of the reservoirs. yesterday. - ana tnen
we DIDN'T have nearly tho means OF supply we
| have now. lo-day we average twenty four feet
two inches In the new reservoir for the old one
Is not used much at p esent. Those rocks YOU
| bottom. When 1t was constructed tne Comn'is-
sioneTs thought they had enough water, and
| hunted the contractor away teiore he had
chance to blow them out; but -iuce then the
/
lv acres, ana has capacity Of l,l10pO
gallons, while the old only covers thifty-
I've acres, win "a capacity OF 5pDO)J gallons.
| The water has very little taste nov, though Of
course It won't tie pure until We hive rain.
don't think there Is much danger, Tor we are too
near the seas u tor rain; but do thiuk II wrong
that such great city as ours should not nave
| means to get water. no matter how dry the sea-
SON. Hau the drought come earlier 1t would
! have been very bad. We have had orders to
shut down on the gates, but the weight Of the
water regulates tnat Itself. III we have 8 feet
the pressure Will force Il up to the fourth stories
all over the city, while II we only have ii II won't
| go 10 the second. i don't tuink II would
! Judcious t. star. large IRE at present. though
| haven't any interest IA the insurance business.
! We uau siK-nundredths Ot an inch Of rain yea
| terday. md the lakes through putnam County
ore rather low; but then We have hfty.six square
| mics along the water shed. aud "a nights rain
would nx ~ ngh again. People In Ne" York
use too much water. In LondOn. wuere tue
popul .tion Is four million. tnry only use thrty
mi on gallons oi water a day. New York via
"a population Of little over milton, uses more
than one huhdred million gallons. lnert, |
am TOLD. they shut oH t,e water at csrtaiu
time In the forenoon and tnen turn It on az IN
IN the Afternoon. We are all praying for fain,
aud II II cont come soon the citj mus be put
| on short r.tiuus."
rnc Lakes from which tine city are supplied
! with water are Croton. Glenridd, nilead. ana the
| Inu euse Reservoir at Buyu's Clrner. fium
Lakes Mahopac and XIX no water has been
| used since the drought Of loiO Tue water
| privilege OF LAKE NhnOptc Is controlled by the
| En- ire sewing Machins Company, wulcn OBJ
Tined 1t by the p9rtnsse 81 the old Req Mil,
| owning about an eighth OF an are Of land at
the outlet. Ihe water privilege of Kirk Ike.
| west Of l. he MahUpac, Is coutrollsi by Nr.
Hnl Both Of tuese lakes are hountifuIy sup
| ulled with pure, sweet water. and should the
els really s.ner water famine, the eKoibitant
| prices asked Tor them would nave 10 he paid.
lie water Is four feet below the Ilp VI the
dam IN Croton lake, iowert titan II has previously
been Iur seven years. On september, ~ 1869,
| II Was seven teet and seven inches below. mat
was before thu stora4e T. setNOir " as constructed
! ia BoXd Coruer All the water from the storage
| reservoir and the small kes has now been let
N, yet the water la Ciotun lakes keeps lowering.
There - seven feet three inches depth at the
entrance to the aqueduct where there should
| tie ten feet To Keep up tue supply IA the Central
Paris Reservoir. lho keeper SAYS tuat the con-
| SUMPTION is now much moro than the supply.
one cause OF the scarcity ls that the lake Is NIL
Ing with eartn. II docs not hoid more than
| / be water IN the Lake, where It iuns into the
| aqueduct Was originally thirty-hye feet, aud
| now u Is OnIy lOurleen.