The New York herald., 1876-11-17
THE CRoTON SUPPLY.

To TEE EDrroR HKRALD-
have been carefully investigating the condition and
Of the present supply Of water and have
procured from tho Society Of Engineers paper which
covers the ground thoroughly desire to call the az
tcntion OF the public it's important bearings the
subject The article read before the Society Of
Engineers year ago, by the author, Benjamin s.
Church, an engineer connected with the Croton De-
pariment aud in the light OF present emergencies
evidently meant warning IRON . man
clearly foresseng, but not vested with official au-
thority to avert these present dinicultiea Being
Impressed with mis- views, and inquiry, that the
article in question entitled '.Notes Suggestions
the Cro,on Water Works and Supply for the Future"
OF tour papers selected by the Society Of En-
gDeers to be and discussed At the Worlds Meet
ing OF Engineers Centennial Exhibition last June.
The most prominent hydraulic engineers in The country
.look part the discussion and only indorsed the
opinions based the facts given by Mr. Church, but
raised the question, why tho precautions suggested
had not been adopted by those IN authority. These
discussions have been published and be obtaincd in
pamphlet form the Of the society, No. East
Twenty.eigh.h street.
Mr. Church states that for than q year past
tho city has been consuming nearly all the water
that the conduit could carry that when the reservoirs
once down they be reillcd very slowly, GER
tainly not more than few inches daily. Hence Il
Aqueduct carry enough for the city consump
ton tat past rates and NJ the time refill the
reservoirs sufficiently and bring early rel,ci Until
they refee Is is clearly shown that water win nos
rise IN the upper stories OF houses Here he makes
practical suggestion that the gate houses should be
altered so thai the water from the aqueduc, will dow
into small chamber readily filed 10 iull height and
tnence Immediately into the city distributing
pipes, all the residue aowng into the reservoirs.
which will refill slowly without making the city
suffer from low pressure that comes from
the slow gain the expansive water surface OF our
Park reservoirs. As this Improvement has no. been
made Is 10 evident that many weeks and perhaps
months, viii pass after sufficient before we can
possibly gain relief In upper, and, some Places
lower stories.
Mr. Church gives another practical suggestion
When the aqueduct has 10 be repaired, which now
only be done by shutting OF the water al Croton Dam
there should be established along the different divs-
IONS gates and waste ways, arranged that "
damage the lower part, near New York,
which apt 10 be The case tho whoo aqueduct need
not be cmpted, but merely such section as requires
repairs This would prevent the great lowering OF The
city reservoirs which always when the
aqueduct has to be emptied and reHcd, matter re-
curing several days Tho most torclble part OF The
paper relates the prodgal and wasteul Of
Where other cities thirty gallons per head New
York 100 gallons per head daily. Mr. Church
dwells upon the necessity Of metering the city TO
force the people 10 protect themselves and claims
that no appeals of personal lfnterest
this respect ever yet known to be effective in .
large community His defence OF the meter system
presents it light, that Of saving tho water by
making people pay for fair
imum supply, instead OF the ordinary view regarding
il in It's bearing upon the city revenue. From Mr..
nf m mt
be accomplished which It bchooves evory resident
OF New York city 10 carefully consider. II other
cities in the old ard world have all the water
they need average OF thirty gallons per head,
why should be allowed consume 100 gallons per
headf When we go 10 our country houses neither cis-
terms tanks, wells begin furnish such amount;
yet teel inconvenicnce, showing plainly that it
and perchance disastrous losses " hre Thousands
would look their faucets II forced 10 pay over tho
maximum allowance. sixty gallons or seventy sai;
Mr. Church afnrms that the pipe pressure would be
increased that upper stories everywhere would have
full supply.
Its shown that the wastage the sewers which
popularity believed TO cleanse them. according to
the computation of Mr. Snedd, cDiei engineer OF the
Providence Water Works. equal TO only about quar-
ter Of an inch OF rainfall, which mancstly cannot do
the good tnat the same would accomplish II
forced through In bulk at proper intervals All the city
and storage reservoirs would be kept lul and equal
10 any emergency from long continued drought, and
the aqueduct would be relieved IRON the excessive
strau OF running full TO which II Is now subjected.
have been opposed TO water meters snd know that
any limit the use OF water would be uDpop
uar but after the facts have bsen 30 clearly stasd by
Mr.. Church it would secm that rational CON-
munity would demand rather than discourage the
oi tho meter. While somo can get water
In cellars only. and sometimes not even there,
Others luxurating . full supply throughout
their houses. II follows tnst those who have
taking q share Of what belongs to their neigh bors.
The quantity of delivered through Inc aqucduct
this TALL when the smallest supply furnished aud
tho dread Of iamino threatening US, was thrco
times greater per head than the citizens OF Providence
r. l., required and their supply is never failing and
abundant
II will do lay all the blame Of the present
diton OF water supply upon "the heavens nor
upon the present authorities In the Croton Depart
ment The existing evils have been living for
long period. Ii they continue, however, the people
Will know upon whose shoulders the responsibility
rests. s. X. N.