The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-02-16
THE WATER SUPPLY.
The Only Means to Secure the
Safety Of the City.
BUILD A NEW AQUEDUCT
Lay More Mains and Tap
Them Oftener.

N"so uIe would nave \ very insumCleht supply OF
water to serve the purposes Of the Fire Department
The want Of plentiful supply Of large mains to fur.
nish water no matter how great a Gre might
cover or how long ragged in the downtown DISTRICT
was commented upon by our citizens in mercantile
me- ana 'hey seemed very much disposed 10 criticise
severely the want OF care aud judgment the part
the municipal authorities
The Croton Water Department Of this city.has been
urging on the Commissioner OF Public Works and thu
latter In MS turn has recommended the Mayor and
Common Council that the Legislature should be asked
for act empowering the Croton Water Department
to construct another aqueduct in addition
to the only one ever built and which IL
in 1t is desired that tho new
aqucduct shall begin at point north Of Croton
Lake and have elevation OF twenty feet above tho
present dam, feeder. This urged the Mayor
and Common Council by General Fiiz John Por-
ter, late Commissioner Of Public Works in
lengthy communication dated January II Of
this year. and the funds of the Croton Depart
ment competent surveys made, beginning nearly
year ago of the entire route and their results were
submitted by Chief Engineer John O. Campbell to tho
proper authorities. The proposed aqueduct and
necessary mains would $40 600 000 and tbs
people or New York would not grudge that or even
larger OF money insure the safety of the city.
When the present aqueduct was constructed, thirty
Ave years ago estimated by the that
tho daily consumption by each inhabitant would be
about thirty gallons per day, and they placed the limit
OF the population on Manhattan Island at ZOO 600 per
sons The capacity OF the aqucduc has far exceeded
the calculations OF It's builders and the population Of
the city is supposed to be about 100000
NEW AQUEDucr DEMANDED.
II was believed that the aqueduct would deliver
go 600 900 gallons daily but in reality delivers over
15, 600 600 gallons daily Twenty years ago the
Croton Aqueduct Board reported to the Mayor
and Common Council that the daily consumption
of water per head was ninety gallons. Besides the
resident population Of New York there are al
least 200, 900 OF floating and nonresident
population, and these people consume immense auan
Of urln nd 9TH
as many manufacturers have moved into the city,
owing to the purity OF the Croton water which makes
II much moro available for many business purposes
1t is not TO be supposed that the sixty
gallons OF an excess per head tho
original calculation is all wasted or useless in its
This seeming waste Of the Croton contributes to
the more perfect sewerage OF tho city and of
vast amounts OF filthy and dangerous matter, and,
therefore, there Is obviously necessity for another
aqueduct The Croton River is abundantly able to sup
ply all the water that might flow through the proposed
additional aqueduct, that river drains a oil
$50 square miles. IL is estimated by Chief Engineer
Campbell that 800 600 900 gallons of
Croon dam daily nearly all of which could be brought
to this city If there were sufficient aqueduct and
storage facilities It is proposed to construct add
tona dam about quarter Of mile above the head OF
Croton Lake and at elevation of thirty feet above
tho present dam. thus forming settling
basin OF about 500 acres in extent and
a capacity OF 1,1s0,OoO,Ooo gallons The
masonry work would be continued far south
as Jerome Park, where receiving reservoir OF
$50 600 900 800 600 900 gallons would be
The iron pipes carrying the water far the Har-
lem River, the new aqueduct would have the capac-
gallons, making, with the present supply now fur
nished by the old aqucduct $50 o0o, 600 gallons of
water daily The citizens OF New York might then defy
the spread oil any hre over an extensive area IN tho
business quarters OF the city. There win another
advantage In the proposed new aqueduct, In that
the plans offered by Chief Engineer Campbell pro-
vide that the new supply aqueduct and dam would
have elevation OF h. ad OF ory-two feet above the
present Park reservoirs, the dwollers on Washing
ton Heights at Carmansvie and other elevated por-
tons OF the city would never DO annoyed by want Of
the pure Croton beverage.
DELAYS ARE DANGEROUS
Ii is nearly month since General Porter in his
report asking that action be taken by the Mayor and
Common Council on the then facts fully stated a
admonitory suggestions, and since then s. 600 600
fire has taken place. and tho first the scarcity
Of water, from the absence OF water mains and fire
hydrants, caused tremendous destruction OF property
that might otherwise have been saved No action
whatever has been taken by the Common Connc1 ana
when reporter OF the HKRALD called yesterday
at the Clerks Office OF the Board Of Aldermen
1t was found impossible to get any Information
what had been done anything done tho matter.
Mayor Wickham was also visited by the reporter, in
order that some facts might be got in regard whether
lac had received tho comm unication Of the Croton
Aqueduct Department # he had sent II TO the Board
of Aldermen in order that II might be acted upon and
that tue Mayor and Aldermen might recommend 10 the
Legislature that act should be passed Immediately
for authority ana an appropriation to construct the
aqueduet IN as short time as possible The
Mayor stated that he did not thoroughly re-
member the communication having been
sent In TO him, but he presumed IL had been,
and Mr Llthrop the Mayors recent clerk, did find
the communication in his journal. But Mayor Wick
ham furnished a copy OF resolutions passed in the
Board Of Aldermen last Thursday. In regard TO
the construction OF mains ia the most thickly
tied business portions OF the city. He said he had not
yet examined the resolutions nor signed them and he
stated that he would have to send them back TO the
Commissioner of Public Works before acting in the
matter.
The resolutions passed by the Board OF Aldermen
very important and read As follows
Resolved That the Commissioner Public Works be au-
hoIed aud directed 70 lay main down Church and Green
wien streets from Fulton street Battery place the
Resolved That he be directed to lay north from Church
through Wooster
street 70 Houston street with large pipes and hydrants
Resolved That hydfants also All the large by
70 this resolution be properly drained by pipes 20 The
eSs pursuant 20 The prOsisons section = chapter AT
TALK WITH cHIKP ENGINEER CAMPBELL.
Chief Engineer Campbell was visited by the reporter,
and as Commissioner Of Public WORKS Allan Campbell
could be found, the Chief Engineers statement
may be deemed sufficient lie said that there 400
miles OF ia the city. Additional mains were
wanted very much, and they could be furnished
too He did not believe In using salt water to
exnguish nres and said that " It Il would
be necessary to have as many more miles OF mains as
LAID down for the Croton water. What rs
wanted is new aqueduct The salt water supply
would have 70 DO pumped all the time His predeces-
sor Mr. Tracy, had repeatedly urged that new aque-
duct should DO built and also tho Of two
large mains beng very much needed. Peopls
did not 70 think that the city growing every
day perpendculary well IA horizontally. buildings
great height we're now the rule instead OF being az
In the old time the exception, and II impossible for
the Fire Department TO get water into the upper
stories Of hundreds Of the high sored cdces that
10 be found In the metropolis Here lies the great
danger 10 our city IN OF high winds and great
contagraton There is a remedy-anew aqucduct and
extensive mans tor the lower part OF the CITY,
This Is now the greatest manufacturing city
Ia the United States, aud its manufactures are
larger even than those OF any county In the Union
Great quantities OF water wasted every day by man.
uracturcrs and IN downtown stores IL ought not TO be
so, but the merchant who has to pay plumbers bill
OF 500 $500 annually She result OF cold weather and
bursted pipes Will naturally let his Croton water run
over night, and you cannot prevent IT, because tho
plumbers bill Is sure TO irighten MIN into this kind OF
would fnor-
chandise so that IL could not be used Supposen SAID
Mr. Campbell by way Of illustration chat streams OF
salt we're poured into hardware store The re-
suit would be the inevitable destruction OF the whole
stock. +" Mr. Campbell also stated that the Commits
soner Of pubic works was really and In fact the Croton
Water Department. aud that he had the matter IN his
hands, reports having been sent TO him. The water
had falen nine feet In the reservoirs since cold
weather had sent In. In fine, Chief Engineer Camp-
bell recOmmcnda that a annndnci ho 1891 ....ala