The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-11-25
An Alarming Recurrence Of Scarcity Of
Water In New York.
INADEQUATE IN QUANTITY
Limited Drainage Of the Croton District The
Main Difficulty
IMPURE IN QUALITY.
NEW York, Nov. 90, 1877.

NEW iohh, NV. 80, 1860
To EDITOR HERALD
Tho question Of supplying the city Of Now YORK
with an adequate amount Of pure and wholesome
water is a great problem, involving vast Interests
SOCIAL. financial ana commcrcial-ihc solution OF
which requires broad and compreh ensve policy, not
temporary makeshits or doubtful experiments, but
clear well defined and permanent measures. that en-
brace not only necessities OF the present but the
probabilities the possibilities OF the distant
future A thorough discussion OF this subject, with
the OF eicitips the important facts that undsrs
The whole question, is particularly important ~ this
time. for the reason that the public mind
has become deeply Impressed with the
palpabs insufncssncy Of the present supply,
both regard its purity and It's adequacy to the
wants OF tho community. The comparatively brief
period has elapsed the Introduction Of the
River water into the city Tor domestic has
been sufficient to demonstrate the utter inadcquacy
Of system OF water supply which at the time OF It's
Inauguration was without q rival In its magnificent
proportions, in It's engineering construction and It's
ontire adequacy 10 the then existing wants The day
OF It's advent was hailed with unbounded
Joy and with a just municipal prize, and
even to-day It would be regarded with an
equal amount OF satisfaction not for the great
fact that the metropolis It's growth develop
has pped tho and representations
oil The most sanguine; has assumed within the life.
time Of generation OF it's inhabitants a position
among the great cities OF the earth which are the
growth and outcome Of many generations OF people.
Tho founders OF New Amsterdam ''ouded better than
they knew. = but tho foundations they Land were
broad and deep, aud the magnificent proportions
which mark century OF progress Will soon be lost In
still extraordinary development, and the cxsr-
OF the ordinary intelligence should dictate
recognition OF tho possibilities that before u.s.
We MI MFG Nv tha In m mig mar nj
Public Works that the massive, costly and imposing
structure at Forty second street and Filth
no longer OF any use. The same report with
reference that entire portion OF the original aque
duct which was constructed within the CITY limits at
an enormous cost and II was removed al an expense
OF several millions ~ OF dollars; removed before the
bonds paid that issued Tor its construction.
We also officially informed that tho whole aquc-
duct limited in It's capacity that the inhabitants
OF the city economic in their use OF water In
order TO the dangers OF connagraton. In adj
diti0n all this ind that the extension OF what 10
known as tho Croton system Of wafer supply on
scale dreamed OF IN its original construction
has utterly tailed 10 meet the demands upon It, ne.
cessitating the robbery OF water from the Highland
lakes by brute force, si the supply is Insufficient
AS the case stands II may safely DO assumed that II
nil the valleys OF Westchester aud Putnam counties
where stream found trucking through them
up the entire population OF those
decimsted by the levers that would result, that
would get here only the washngs Of agricultural
aistrict filled with increasing impurities and
liable the chances which have already reduced
us 10 the verge OF a water famine. But multiply
We may the storage reservoirs dd inGntuns we still
have the same limited OF drainage that consti-
tutes the Croton watershed, and from that the
copious rams that the bounty OF Providence has
blessed with only give . certain
well defined easily calculated number Of gallons;
and II is very sale say that If that were
enough Tor the New York OF to-day, It will not be
sufficient for the Now York OF the next century, SO
that at the very best we cxpendng enormous
Of money temporary expedients. Truly, this Is u
great question. and requires the foresight and
prehension OF the true Statesman we'll as the acu-
OF the engineer for It's proper solution. As the
skful navigator before starting his voyage over
the painless hrst ascertains the exact position
the earlbs surface of the port no about lcave
in order that his subsequent observations may result
IN determining his position a. let US first deter
mine true position which New York occupies
in regard to this great question OF supply. Tor
tue purpose OF a correct determination OF our own
status IN this connection as ZINE advances.
OUR PRESENT SUPPLY.
There arc two leading methods by which large
cities are supplied with arsnoiaiy Oae known
as the gravity system. consists IN ntesccptng the
water OF a stream lake high level and bring
Ing II from thence a conduit to point OF disri-
pution. The other, known the forcing system,
consists in collecting the water IN somo convenient
locality, without regard to It's level aud from thcncc
by The aid OF steam power elevating 1t TO point oil
Distribution. The former method, il hardly
necessary to state, IS the method adopted
MS The basis OF the Croton aqucduct syscin
In both OF these systems storage used
~ collect ana rotan deposits OF wafer as provision
against droughts or as means OF increasing the sup.
IA IMAM
gurstcu in Rome under tue CAESARS 900 years ago,
before the age Of steam, aud at time when the great
mass oil mankind slaves to "A few tyrants, and
human labor as well Ms human Ito was the cheapest
of al commodities. Hence the long lines Of massive
masonry WHICH, Tamiyins from the heart OF Rome,
extended all directions to tho distant mountains
bring water 10 the sumptuous baths IN tho erection
reign. II tue Roman aqueaucts served as
the moacl Toe our own water supply u
was because at that time the use and power
Of iuiy realized. nor
Tor moment supposed that It would not he adequate
Tor all purposes Tor centuries TO come Unfortunately
The gravity supply has an absolute aud im pUssibs
limit the start. me head estabusned In tue
original construction, and higher that TINS cannot
be conveyed except by auxiliary power. From the
moment that the distribution tho water mencss
iorce generated that the direct effect OF neutral
IL, NC the force derived from the mead aud TINS neutra
III ing force Increased Ia direct proportion
increase OF distrUution 10 that the time must come,
the distribution goes ON increasing, that The :orce
derived from head ~ entirely neutrazeu. This
time has in reality arrived for largo por-
ton Of tho city OF New York. The force
Teicrreu 10 'hAt keucIa'eu ny .no Ilcuoh
OF The water 10 tue pipes and which increases
with every foot that III added 10 The distribution.
IL Is very clear therefore,. that purely gravity sup
ply system has the sreat disadvantage VI enforced
limitation; no matter now voiuminous may bc the
OF " the source Of supply, anu mat
ter how mucn u my bo possible TO increase the
amount OF water collected 10 the Croton basin, We
would still restricted our actual supply by the
capacity VI the aqucduc, and also limited IN disiribu-
lion tc the forcu derived from the established head
Another great objection TO TINS method OF water
supply i that requires carefully constructed and
extends Tor . long distance, nj very great cost of
material and labor IL 10 also very clear hat while
the original outlay is liable To reach enormous pro-
portions, auxlnary power must 1nay De "a led into
requIsi to AID the force oil gravity wben the
distribution has destroyed the force derived from the
original elevation The erection OF stone tower and
two expensive pumping engines alongside Of the High
Bridge shows that this costly structure failed a.
the worry 10 give sufficient head Tor dtstribu
tion.
THg ABSOLUTE REQUISITES WATER SCR