The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-09
OUR UNPALATABLE CROTON
rHEoDOR TASTE or THE WATER
TBhT WE ARE DRINKING.

Na.seo or t,reen scum that lmpreanates
,be fe4, 100000 Gallons supplied Daily.
For two weeks past the whole oity has
been forced TO drink bad water, water offensive
An both taste and smell. The complaint has
been widespread, and the results are not to he
hastily computed. whether the water Ia really
dctrmentai to health or rot has not yet been
decided b, the auth horites, but there can be no
doubt that sweet tasting and smelling water is
very likely to be more wholesome than such
water a. We have. Perhaps the greatest evil
arising from the unpalatable water OF the past
fortnight IL the pretext II has been mads for
auenching thirst with beverages OF the bar
rooms, all OF which are Infinitely inferior to
water - means OF auenching thirst.
40 ascertain whether this bad water was IN the
house Of good and bad, high and low. rich and
roor alike, Sun reporter visited many houses
In the city yesterday. and testeo the water.
First he went to the Murray Hill reservoir Ihe
Immense on closure, will its o pacity OF IOVoOVW
gallons OF water, seemed almost empty. The
water, whose surface was far below the edge OF
the reservoir, had grsenish tinae, which the
keeper Of the structure said was nearly the
way IL always looked when the sun shone on
IT," when a passing broeze entered the en-
closure and rlppied the surface, there was per-
oeptitle q faint odor of wood, OF straw, or OF
both oombned-an odor hard to define not
unpleasant, but an unmistakabe odor.
"she's low this morning." the keeper said (;
=" che always Is on a Tuesday, because Mondays
are our heavy days, and more water is used
then than on other days. The reservoir amt
moro than bali full, now hasn't got more than
B,OO0, 900 gallons In her. Well, yes, I've noticed
the smell and the taste. but IT'S so most always
In the summer. and guess there ain't nothing
unhealthy aboutit. This reservoir Ia used .
ha IN ana II, Can tFal
Park is the receiving reservoir and sends the
water down town we get the surplus, and dis
tribute that. Yes, there's slwaSs a current
through the reservoir; there's water running
Al I'll Firth avenue is a nns brown stone
house. on tue crest OF Murray Hill. A portly,
wiped her heated face with her apron. The
family were Hll out Uf town, slie said. but the
hardly al for use. II sm cit so, and a. Tor drink
ting Il. her face EXPRESSED what she Thought.
butperusps tue eeutlemun y ~ai1 Y: 20 U; !,
for himself. The genletunn woul Ahl sns ied
the way through the wide basement hall. past n
billiard room, TO the kitchen. The water wss
ss Il smelt 10 the reservoir, and tasting just II
tastss all over the city. ut Is awful sd IN ny
sase In the hall. 1T smeled so couldn'I
Two blocks below. on the west side Of the
avenue, the cook voluDle IN condemnation
pf tho waler. None OF the family we're at home.
but few days before when tbev were the water
drink Il. aud had to quench her thirst with iced
tea instead. III you'll stop up to the buffers
fSs ~.ter tn", Ss sued E through ugh tie S silver pioss
In tho we'll appointed buffers pantry was bad,
bad TO smell. woise ~ taste. Iced tea was cer-
Mrs- A. /. Slewart's plsasant-faced butler an
swetsd the bell at the elegant mansion In Fifth
avenue. He wasn't aware that an,taiLx WAS
the matter With the water. lie led tue way t'
where stream was pouring from silvel pipe
into marble basin; the water Was bad. " they
ought to get oil their water from Lake Mabopac, .
he said. "lbers tue water Ia clear and pure :
water comes mostly from springs. Theie IL no
inlet. II was mistake, think, when they did
away with the old civ pumps there's nothing
The bartender OF the Hotel Brunswick said, as
he added the last anisnins tour hes TO mo- It
dash OF olsret IN l.. sir. Yod see tho water
ain't good. We can't get good " ter. All
IT.. IT. smells pad and tastes o-d. Try this
glass" and he nled glass from the stream tn al
oontinuslly flowed ironi pipe bshind 'he bar
II don't know nothin' about be WATER" said
short orop-,eadrd, crimson-faced man who
ptood behind the counter Of Houston street
bauoom. i've heard some OF the boys say
that Il was little on color, but l dunno. II
try 1t yourself. Here" He handed a glass OF
water from behlud the beer-staiued cpuntcr
Of the Brunswick bir; np Detter, no worse.
A heshy yong man, with pimpiy lace and
very smoothly tsasLsd hair, presl.ed over 20 20
had noticed some hlae queer a out tn'
water. 1T tasted kinlei oilgey.' and II Looked
carefully again, pronounced II "blgry' dnC
handed the glass to the reporter. Il nas 9,d.
head Of one of the twenty families tna, occupy
Broome street teuemert. "Ns II stnihk 81 pet
aud taste so pat. dat don't could dhrnk sota,
more. Vat you think T. AXE III Dead hSnes 2
The water. as II flowed from tAe br- ~ faucets In
che hall sinks OF The seuonent. WAS ike that IN
Che Murray Hill nidusiOn-. l. was D,d.
my customers conpaiD VI the I'D wator.' -
said Nassau street b.iDtr. Iney Say II slneil'
bad even when put ON tnsiri .ce- IN l,tAer; an d
when they are shamponeG. and lean over Tue
basin, the smell IS very dlssTse.ble.'
he cause OF the BAD water said Mr.. Joht
& Campbell, the Cuisf Engineer OF the Depart
ment of Public Works, Yesterday 40 he At u
his once It, the CiIy Hall. "is this fwo weeks
ago SUNDAY at, the sunday tnat We had sucn a
heavy rain here, when two three inches Of
rain fell you Tememurr, tneTe was slight rain
OF wood straw ma loose .rass into tne little
streams that fOw into tAe Croton river CrotOu
lake was low and tue rain was not heavy enough
70 raise tho lake 50 ,hat tits rubbish could he
carried over the GLm. Cousequ, ntly We are
getting tbe benefit Of II now, or rather have
been getting It. lhe worst Is over / dem
think there Is Anything unhealthy about mi.
water. IL only tainted by the diy
On Saturday, "a soon AL FUND tult the W ter
was getting Inferior. teitgr ,LneI 10 nv assis-
The water from Lakes Giie.d. Nix, and Glen.
eida. These are Likes " pure, ce.r spring
water. coulu also use tue water from Lake
that never use 1t until later 10 The sessop. un,
less absolutely necessary. ne rne't Of urn
Ing on he ter n ,iu the lakes 3 alfeady AZ.
parent. was al High Bridge thls mornlng, a I'd
the water lhere wss perfectly good, no unplc as
antness o. snucr taste or smell. lac -eTvoii
In Central Park IA our great secsly ~ reservoir
~ holds ten 50 su' ply u NH.eI ior tue wuul.
city. und Of course # II WIS fun ot ton l. tkt
water : Totld require zen lays 'ot tho " lei
from tho lake to dis II. Sucn evil, as thi,
Of whioh We are tAk ns c'nuot bs femeiicd m
day, wnsn the soure Is ~ Ia tue country
forty Ave miles from mere. We .Tl duiis every
thing Ia our power acre 10 heep the water good
Whenever theTc Is desd end we loS it out
A dead end" Is wterc a iips Terminates lu
cap. OF COilrte the water standing there geL
stale. there 10 ulw"ys nfs rs drdnt near deal
end. md hb opening IL The water from the deal
end In forced az Blown ut. " here there ~ .
continuous network ~ pIpes there isa cOniinu
Gus cLTrent AID tho blowing out ~ not noc"-
AarY. Yuu may res. assured that New Yoik vii
have LuTe. sA eel water vi uin very fow days
iroi Charles +. nan lef, President Of tht
Board Oi Ileh h, sid in regard TO the clOudi
neHs hni uishpGreaute oder Ot he trutOn Watsl
drunk by Nvw loTEeis: Almost the nt
unpio srut .neitiuu ~ Crotun Nat0r Iecur.
ponodicaIiY u ~ ,tAOiy "a never D~en 50 dis
hsisehllr before uGw. IL - Cuo to the pfesf nee
OF = It oeliafs lsti- ~ ffe- water lgm. cal, d
gene lcally .nusto Ell ~ the uus lent &c
green scum u D. i.iorD. Cppic plaut, lie ilu
porceptiblr Ls ildLl 60 ly uIfl leT the u icTOaCOpe
~ eocrttes al t--eutiai oi that has q
diapleasing OdOf. The =. essence 0f tho pl ,nt In
the tfOtOn Reservoir does not luulcate the i'm.