The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-11-25
60 the Crotoa District Furnish N
Reliable and Adequate supply OF
water for New York City -

A communication which we publish this
morning on the subject of the city water
supply proposes the above question and
purports to answer it. So far as local IN
terests are concerned this is one OF the
most important subjects for discussion that
can be raised. Indeed, in point OF interest
to the great population OF the metropolis
it dwarfs NIL others into comparative inslg-
nificance, because it embraces questions OF
the expenditure or saving of great sum OF
money, the protection OF property from
fires, the sanitary welfare of the COM
munity and the everyday comforts and
conveniences of each household. In
discussing the water supply of New
York we must at the very outset Danish
all elements of criticism not founded on
facts, and decline to accept all statements
in support of the present system OF supply,
or Of any other one proposed, that are
not equally we'll supported. We must give
credit to old ideas and plans of operation
because they are good and sound In princl-
pie, but not because they are merely old
and associated with success which has
been great in the past, but which present,
and certainly future, exigencies must ell
trely reverse. AS the results that must fol-
low settlement of the question will affect
the welfare of New York perhaps for the
next century sentiment must give way to COM
mon sense, and the individual opinions OF
even the most eminent authorities, no mat
ter how honestly entertained, must be subor-
dinated to sound princip pies that nre fortified
and rendered unassaiable by the logic of
science and experience. We would add here
that the HERALD articles on the subject OF
the water supply of Now York have no ref
crcnca 10 the failure OF the Croton system,
except SO far as they furnish arguments de-
duced from the fact OF the failure against
the continuance Of an entire reliance on the
Croton district as the only source of supply.
Neither do we hold the present officials re-
sponsible for the failure, because it has
arisen from causes beyond their control,
aggravated by the neglect OF their predeces-
sors in Office. But we insist that while the
organizers OF defective system have passed
away the system itself shall not be per-
mitted to remain in force, and that broad
and bold scheme OF water supply be sub
mitted to the people for their acceptance.
1t is unnecessary to repeat our arguments
regarding the wisdom of securing re-
liable water supply for New York. Every
citizen understands what the consequences
must be if failure attends the effort to fur
nish this city with IN abundance of water
While u supply may be for all purposes
abundant but does not possess the char
acter of reliability, it does not fulfil the ab-
solute requirements of the case and creates
condition wherein uncertainty becomes
only another name for danger. Much i'm
portance is attached by tho Commissioner
Of Public Works in his recently issued re-
port to the assertion that oil the POSSIBLE
ties of supply from the Croton district have
not been exhausted, and that by a ju-
dicious expenditure OF considerable
sum Of money that source can
be developed SO rs to meet all the
demands of the present and of q period ex-
tending considerably into the future. This
may be the case under exceptionally favora-
BILE circumstances, but it cannot be under
mon experience. And as we have no right
to base present plans for the future welfare
Of this city on what would occur if bright
possibilities were realized we must come
down to the bedrock of commonplace fact
and reasonable probability for the founda-
ton Of any new system OF water supply
for New York. As to the capacity OF
the Croton district for furnishing
sufficient quantity of water we do
not see that even an approximately
correct estimate can be formed of it by
means Of the system of tests and observa-
tons that have been applied and made by
the department. Assuming that these have
been conducted during series years with
more or less accuracy they fail in establish
ing anything more than the Inconsistency Of
the rainfall on which the supply depends.
There has been no attempt to deal with the
question on strict meteorological basis,
and deductions which are claimed to he re-
liable are arrived at cmpirically and are
consequently without scientific value Yet
it is gravely proposed to surrender the
future Of New York to system Of water
supply determined from unreliable data.
| Let US examine briefly what are the water
resources Of the Croton district. 1t has an
area Of three hundred and thirty-eight
square miles broken by abrupt undulations,
and il intersected by several streams or
lines Of drainage. These latter are fed by
numerous tributaries, which lead the sur
face and spring waters from the adjacent
lowlands to the chief streams. The lakes
and ponds that dot the area IRE natural
reservoirs whence these minor rivulets get
their water; but, although they represent
certain considerable bodies OF water, their
drainage is small and represents actually
the amount Of water added to their volume
from all sources, less that lost by evapora-
ton. Hence it is possible to drain these