The New York herald., 1878-10-21
CROTON SCARCE UP TOWN.

DRIFT oBsTRUcTING THE oATEs-RNGINEER
cAMPBELL's EXCLAMATION OF THE TROUBLE
ABOVE MURRAY HILL.
The inhabitants OF Murray Hill. Yorkv,lIs, Maahat-
tanvills, CarmansvilIe aud Harlem have latoy been
complaining, win just cause OF the inadequacy the
service OF Croton water in their distrctz The
hydrants on the upper floors have for some
days been almost entirely dry. reporter
OF the HERALD yesterday endsavorsd TO as
certain its aud snly partly
successful. There we're rumors that Of the
principal gates OF the aqusduot had been shut. that
the screen at the High Bridge had been broken and
that the DRIFT which should have been checked tnere
was floating down and cloggiag up the pipes In the
upper part OF the CITY, None Of these strictly
curaie, and only indicated the true cause Of
oi the trouble The dissatisfaction OF the consumers
we'll founded all the same, aud In reality Il IL
only old grievance remanitesting itself on irosh
aggravaton. The reporter visited nrst the gate
house on Ninety second street, near Ninth avenue
All the water which IS supplied to tho reservoirs in
Central Parg passes through this thcn
divides into two streama Two men wcre
found hero busiiy engaged In removing small
distractions from the screen, the most part
Of winch wero autumn leaves and iwigs. heap OF
tnom lay IN ono corner Of tho platform. under which
FLASHED and eurged and roared the powerful torrent
which quenchcs the thirst Of three fourths Of the
cily's population. The mon were working in the
very midst o the dangerous LOOKING eddies. showing
bushes down across the inner surface Of
the screen. One Of them came up to whore the re-
porter stood. and as he answered questions leaned
upon the IRON railing aud spat at brief intervals
into the food below. He said that tho man who has
charge OF the screen Is Kessier and as he is wake
In health" was assisting him. They had been re-
moving autumn leaves from the screeu Tor tho past
Two days with hardly any iptermission. Ordina-
y ry II waS cleaned only three times In twenty
ionr hours Tue workman thought the difference
was ABOUT ono and half feel, but IL looked much
mere. Ac also asserted lnat the extraordinary guam
ihc cato on tho north sds Of Harlem River.
At HIGH BRIDGE.
A. High Bridge there were Two mon cleaning the
screen at the gate anu II was intact and sound. One
OF these brother OF the gatekeeper He chew Cd
tobacco incessanty and frequently squirtsd tho
discussing. The DRIFT was very tnck. and dead
foliage nlIca up the wires almost fast they could
backed up behind The gsto Two feet h,gnor than on
the lower SIDE In Tho evening tho difference had
4 rue Keeper Of tho High Bridge reservoir said that
the people OF Washington Heights were complaining
Martin. o. Washington lane. soia hin sha, he could
not get y drop from his hydrants Il seemed lmpos-
sblo 10 md reason Tor tns. tor on thai day 81
tho tanks IN the tower, IRON wnlcu the highest
points arc supplied, showed depih OF twenty three
iess, and ou tho next morAins the reservoir
closed since last April. The reporter inspected
tho water rs IL passing into the reservoir
and saw no indications OF DRIFT IN H. Yet all goes
through the Ninety second street gate, and It is
mystery where The leaves como IRON which found
50 abundantiy there rho:a IL no opening In the
pipes ana reservoir between Manhattanville aua
Tue Central Park. The record OF the depth oil the
M.n saass w mns s =. s.s 's9ss:
sA. M.N.........17 M 100. feet sA. II. Is . ies,. wv
IL % ieet IL NJ. .l5 ieet 31s inches
5P 20 iecI 5P ~. 10 feet y inches.
sixteen ieot tbs limit Of tho capacity OF Tue rcscr
voir. aud al eish. 4. NJ. ~ wa. oye,aow,ng. Las.
evening, NJ six O'clock the depth IN ,ne tower SANK
was eighteen feet and six inches
TIE STREET HYDRANra
Engineer J. e CampDpl SAID last night that the
only uilculty IN the way Of giving tho guy all the
recently granted 70 Inc polics Of opening
| the street hydrants for the purpose OF cieans.
| ing the guitera II haa been passed by tho
| Common Council while feariui OF the yellow
down about ieoI The effect OF This decrease aud
| OF the opening OF SO many large rents at dilorent
hours iossen the pressure and the flow. This,
however, did not effect the hignest districts, which
| were supplied dueclly from tnc Higp Bridge Mr..
Campbell attributed the lack Of water IN tho houses
above Murray hin and south OF Washington Heights
| 10 tae smallness OF The maius crossing Manhattan
| valley, IhvY are cntirey Inadequate. New build
inas are constantly going up Ia tDs district, and
| the consumption has greatly increased since the
ing 10 tho iull extent OF their capacity He hopes
that after the election the Common Council viii
thorzc Tho erection vi III engine houso pnd Two pump
ing engines give additionui pressure I'm upper Now
York. 1ho site selected 10 between Ninty
aud Ninety .eightn siroets, 100 ieet west Vi Ninth
avenue. Tho v.ncr day IL strong delegation OF west
side czcns called ON the Comptroller aud urged the
speouy execution OF these proJects They would be
and there was really NO cause for apprchending q
general iamiao.