The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-11-25

ing It's own separate district OF distribution. Two OF
them depend on the River Thames, two on the Ira.
and the others upon springs In the Kent Chalk
The Thames, which was Al one tine beautiful
stream IT'S banks rineed with the lordy mansions OF
It's wealthy landed proprictors, has become by tho
great increase OF population and the large Develop
ment oil the manufacturing interests a vast open
sewer and its polluted waters are no longer IL tor DO
nestle uso Notwithstanding this fact. apparent to
the most casual observer aud repeatedly
by the pestilentia effects produced by the noxious
vapors arising from H., these rich and powerful COM
panics have the means aud influence 10 induce per-
pt some scientific reputc TO assert that running
water purihes itself us flow that evon large
OF sewage poured into II does not necessarily
render u unwholesone; and this sage opinion has
boon echoed in this country SO that even an inteli-
Induced 20 experiment upon itself by drinking the
sewage OF Troy II IL proper TO state that thesc opin-
IONS are based upon tho results oil chemical analysis
Tor reason that chemical tests do not snuw
excess organic matter Is averrcd that impurities
exist and that Notwithstanding tue presence on every
hand OF Illuminating Influences these are all coun
terActed by natural process supposed TO be
On the other nani II 10 asserted that non GEM
ical the germs Of lille mat
present impure water, aud that zation instead
ofdestroying the minute forms oil animal e really aids
their development, and that but lew degrees rlsc
la the temperature OF tho water infested with these
germs u Sufficient TO develop such an amount OF
organic lie only the water but the air will
be infected, aud that in fact from this source many
Of the worst forms OF maarous diseases have their
CONNIE uccment This may be the case with water that
neither by taste nor smell gives evidence Of Impurities
that The Croton River supply IL largely under Tue m
fuenco OF has been abundantly shown.
Not only by examination Of It's various sources,
and the route Of It's delivery, but IN the condi-
ton oil the principal collection reservoir and above all
in the almost general state In which u distributed
10 the c,tzens Of New York, rank with odors and
offensive taste and sight large measure OF this
contamination due TO the fact that the drainage
area OF tue Croton River has during the last few years
undergone gradual but almost entire change in the
occupation and use made oil the soil since the COM
pleen Of The present systcm and tho first insroduc-
Zen oil The Croton water into The city, very large
portion OF that drainage area has been stripped Of
the forests that then covered the h'lIsdes,
thus materially lesscning the amount 0f water de-
pended upon. Largo tracts oil country have bcea
abandoned Tor agricultural purposes aud divided up
into small lots for building uses. An enormous IN
crease population has been tho result and conSe
Quent contamination OF the soil aud the water by
those elements oil human refuse which are The most
prolific source Of disease and DEATH In addition to
this those sections which have retained their sgrcuI
ura character have undergone essential changes IN
regard to the particular use OF tine SOIL Many thou
sands oil that once cultivated for the pro-
OF cereals, having had their fertility exhausted,
have been abandoned or turned into pasture lands
whose deficient supply oil vegetation has been made
up by feeding the herds OF cattle in the open
field, thus scattering broadcast = large amount
iron The cattle addcd and at evcry rain storm
large amount oil all this refuse Is washed into The
to be conducted directly to the houses aud tables OF
our citizens in the guso OF pure anu Wholesome
water For all this there has been expended upward
$50 600 O00 So much with regard 70 he purify OF
the Croton water supply What arc tho facts with
regard TO the ADEQUACY? The drainage area of the
Groom River and all tributaries Is something over
three hundred square miles. Under favorable circum
stances this may be depended upon Tor a water
supply averaging about one hundred anu ssven'yhvs
consumed has reached as high as l20 100000
gallons daily, thus leaving, at the present
circumstances VI temperature and raniai but very
small margin Tor contingencies. In the Case Of
di yught is prolonged y water famine would BE- newt
ube this time were II not ior the storage res
ervors that have been constructed IN Putnam couay
These also have been ured up, anu the natural lakes
have been rssortet 10, having been drained 10 the
very dregs to avoid the calamity OF water famine
H. then, that oil supply has been shown TO be
SO adequate at present tine, be regarded
utterly Inadequate for the future How and where
TO gel ample supply OF pure water s therefore, the
question OF the hour Tor the citizens OF New York.
As the source Of all the water which dcscends
upon tns earth IL the condensation OF atmospheric
vapor, In other words the rainfall and the rain
TAIL ts descent absorbs tho larger part OF the i'm
purites through which II passes thus deprecatng TO
the vicinity OF large populations II follows that the
purest source OF supply 10 that nearest the clouds;
that 10 say, the highest available mountain deposiis
or lakes and streams that are found in mountain
gorges VI course the geological characteriscs oil the
rocks largely into the governing considerations,
the different rocks winch Constitute the crust Of the
earth being composed oil many different minerals,
winch differ from each other III their sodity
and The readiness with which they uro aisute-
gated by alternate heat and cold. lne consequences
that water in many districts OF country takes
up in solution the mineral constituents OF tue son TO
degree TO render II on tDiB account UNIT Tor
domestic consumption. Several forms Of disease
directly traceaUlc to this cause are found 10 exist IN
LOCALITIES wafer Wutcu DobsoS through
stone region or is obtained principally from deposit
tories In limestone formations has beer proved 10 De
particularly injurious. Insrcorc II Is that localities
where tho harvest rocks exist which are not readily
dsoved by water the places where the best sup
ply can obtained So far the geological formation
10 there for taxing exception
10 the region drained by The Croton River, siuce
this has it's source among tho granite hills OF
the older crystalline rocks. A more serious difficulty
10 found the limited OF drainage aud the
sity which for extending the artificial works
Tor storage reservoirs and lines Of connection Ut cost
not commensurate with the results obtained, more
particularly us all tbs accumulated expense must In
the end, prove to be inadequate TO the increasing
wants OF The community. And this brings US to tho
practical issue before US, Where shall We obtain an
Increased supply
The sources have been named AS available for
increased supply VI water Tor THIS city within the
linus Of ths State, are, In addition to further OK
tension OF storage the Crotou system, the Bronx
and the HUDSON. There has also plan
Tor subtcrrauean drain Westchester counLy which
would intercept the springs that might be found IN
the crevlccs oil the rocks that there prevails There
have also been named The Housatonic River, In the
State OF ConuectIcut and the Passaic River, In the
stale OF New Jersey. As regards the Bronx River II
source O supply. especially Tor The annexed tcrri-
tory. by cons,ructing collecting reservoirs and pump
rag Sue water W steam power 10 suitable height Ior
distribution. Ihe PRIME objection 10 the VI Inis
Is the Tact That II is the drainage stream OF
long and narrow valley, occupied IN it's entire extent
Ny large ana fast increasing population, including
many villages OF no nconsiderabie size, and that II
has econe. especially IN its lower part mere open
sewer rendoiing It's water totally unit for any do
make OF the water OF the Bronx Tor increasing the
supply oil tho city OF New York should be condemned
at the outset
The HUDSON River Las been suggested as an auxili-
airy supply by taking the water at some point sufi-
Gently lar removed from the saline influences OF the
tides and raisug II 10 elevation that WILL pc SUM-
Gent TO connect IL with some oil the tributaries OF the
Croon and thus increasing the volume OF that stream
the expense OF pumping water winch Is aitcrward
be subject to evaporation in a long open channel
renders this idea mancsy absurd, while II ~ IL 10
conveyed IN closed conduit the great length and
N "A a. ais n
bic objection. Nor Can the wafer oil the hudson, win
ITS banks lined by largo cities and continuous VIII
lagos, BIZ regarded as sufficiently beyond tho reach
OF contamination 10 make II desirable auxiliary
to the Cfoton service The use OF the waters OF Lake
George has been referred to possible plan. The
proposition beng to Ouild conduit IRON that point
the city OF New York Sufficiently large to supply all
Ihe cities and villages along the route with the
Vi that magnificent mountain lake. This Is undouOt-
eddy grand scheme, and Dut little greater, SO far
distance u c0ncerned than the scheme supply the
city oil London from the mountains Of Wales-125
miles distant from the metropolis. But this
not De seriously considered tho present or next
generation. II would necessarily be State sec.