The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-08-10
OUR DRINKING WATER.

CURIOUS CHANGE IN THE COLOR OF TIN
cRoToN-A MErAMoRpHosIs AT The REsER-
voIR-Is FISH OR VEGETABLE MATTER THE
CAUSE.
A year ago the HERALD published series OF articles
the quality quantity and peculiarties OF the Croton
water supply Of New York city IL will be remeu-
bered that a theory then advanced in these
columns by a distinguished professor that the taste and
quality OF the Croton water about which complaint
then rife liable 10 be affected by the quantity OF fish
the reservoir the Central Park The Professor
alluded To the numerous gulls and other birds
that haunted tho reservoir. and made easy and
acceptable meal OF the dead fish that noaed the sur
face OF the water. Toward the fall of the year he
that the guls lowered in force above the lake.
and in following his conclusions the altered
flavor Of the Croton wafer he uierre that from tho
great number OF fish present many Of the younger
were likely to escape INTO the pipes leading from the
reservoir town. and perishing there influence the
whoesoneness OF the water in an evil degree. This II
not suitable Tor dinner table offered at least some
food Tor reflection The new reservoir contains nsh
beyond question, and they said to be composed Of
catfish Ia highly lous fish in hot weather. bass
perch and eelk
HOW THE cRoroN WATER LOOKS
The Croton water as It appeared TO the eye offs HER.
AID reporter yesterday the reservoirs Of the Central
Park had AN unhealthy and appearance It
was greensh yellow, like the water OF horse pond or
ameadow swamp, and 1t was subject of surprise and
observation TO every body who saw IT, as 1t has nearly
always been as clear trout stream. There was
matter visible on the surface beneath but 1t seemed
If the vast body OF water had been mprcgnaod with
subtle dye, resembling tho color of boiled cabbage
All along the western bank of the the
small, ripping breakers collected black scum that APP
peared composed of fine particles of smoke as II
from ho chi m nj or
black stun had all drilted to the ice side as though the
wind had skinned IL of the surface Of the
lake An Irish laborer passing at tho tmc remarked
to the reporter, al nvcr the pond so dirty and
yallah 1 is now. dunno what's The rason, but
the more look it the turn aginst dhrinkin'
Croton wather"
'Are there any fish In ~"
ooh, yes; lots o. fish. r'oher mornn saw Thorn
leppn aroun like mad, an counted 1--WE dead right
there the side
As the man spoke half dozen OF perch dartsd
past close the shore with what appeared DO pike
in pursuit That the fish must be extremely small
when they enter the is CERTAIN the
through which the water CONES are woven very Close
tho mesbes hardly admitting the passage Of anything
larger than the point of lead pencil The copper wire
screens The south gate, where the enters tho
Croton mains TO course devious way throughout the
city, forty feet deep and of great strength Tho
several behind the other for the better FL
tcrng of the water are so placed that IL appears npos
sible for anything more tangible than anmalcule 10
pass through. MIR. Simpson,
ONE OF TIE wArcHMEN
duty II is TO that nothing happens to the
ervoir aud that nobody throws anything into II, said
might be considerable fish in tho reservoir, but
he did think they any great size. He spoke
OF catfish beng among the nBny tribe that are familiar
to the waters OF the reservoir He laid they snelled
rather strong when deceased, and, lko musk, little
oil them went iohg way me writer rememoeis
some ears ago how few dead catfish gave horrible
stencil to the atmosphere OF certain Western river Tor
several miles M and down stream. simpson, On the
whole, viewed the ugly color OF the Croton as he re-
OF the ite rain storm. but Mr. FitzgDbon thought
differently.
Chow do you account, Mr.. Fltzglbbon" asked tho
OF the Superintendent OF the Reservoir ''for
the unnatural color OF the Croton water ~
"A can only account tor IT," replied Mr. Fzgbbon
con Professor Chambers theory that II rs caused by
plant OF some kind. but can't recall the name no
gives i,-some high toned name, and you cant see it
rightly except with microscope, and then II appears
TO kind OF thing that yod can't lay your hands
have taken out cup jul OF that water Just as you
see 1t now, ard though had grcenish appearance
and seemed to top. yet when poured
IL quickly over the palm OF my hand not a single sign
renamed that there was any matter in II.
"iave you ever tested the screens over at tho gate
housef''
they we're rase, year. There had been the
complaint in the summer a. there is now about tho
being aduIcralcd with some sort Of vegetable
matter. The screens were laid out and cleaned, and
could find moro 10 wipe of the than what might
be SO much dust on m.rble-topped table"
"Are the fish IN tho lake numerousH'
"No aud the reason know that last fall, when
there good deal OF talk about the fish, got leave
street. and with hts seine and his and all tho
helm could give him. no the pond one day.
aud the result only dozen or small nsh-perch
ana the like
"Don't the seagulls come up hcre and feed of tho
nsh?'
.ln the fall the seagulls come here but we drive
them away by firing oil guns loaded with plank car
tridges"
'.well, tried that at one time. and some humane
people driving by IN their carriages went down to tho
Arsenal aud complained OF our cruelty TO the poor
whenever n gull flock OF gu.s appear and that
scares them away. As for dead fish In the water, We
use two boats that go around the lake and pick up
ing about We have the average depth OF water
for this season Of the year. twenty nine feet
ten days supply for the city AS said before, tho
curious color OF the water must be attributed this
fine We ctabc plant that makes scum the upper
lakes The Ia not II IL had been dscoored by
mud. but in any we at this point wholly irrc.
sponsibc'
Tho reporter saw no fishing fowl there yesterday
nor did he any dead Dish; but the fact that both
have been frequently seen is undcnabc. and pnques
tonably the presence OF score more carcascs o
catfish such warm weather as the present would be
quite alter the normal taste OF even vast
bodt Of the new reservoir contains.
EXPERTS SAY
Experts assign the cause of the extraordinary
change the color oil the Croton The Tact that there
sufficient supply OF wafer at the source The
water at Croton Lake should always overflow the
TO insure it's purity In particularly hot summer like
this volume OF water SINKS below the level of the
hbrous matter oil the edge of the lake dries up from
the excessive neat and decays Wh'n n rain storm
arises this c3ycd vegetable matter Is washed
city supply. because though the wafer Is almost
high by tho addition OF tho rain the top Of the dam
still 1t is not sufficiently high overflow and create
current. Hence. they say the water becomes DIS
colorcd and III favored.
CONTROLLERS OFFICE.