The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-19
GRATUITOUS FISH.
How They Find Their Way Through
Uptown Water Pipes.
BLOWING OFF THE DEAD ENDS
The Agitation Among YorkviIIe and Har-
lem Water Raters.

Uptown residents very much exercised just now
about fish In tho water pipes Why there should be
lsh the water pipes does not appear. but the TACT
remains the same. Every once In a while an eel or
founder wonder Of The deep, fops out OF tho
pipes and creates conservation in the breast OF the
YorkviIle or Harlem matron. So common has the
obstructive Ash become that Is almost In the
localities alIudcdto. Gentlemen have their tea an coz
foo strained and worry frequently the frugal family has
supper OF whg, they didn't want Tor breakfast In
order 10 get az the bottom lacts HERALD reporter
was despatched into tho afflicted region. and ~na he
nstsd will DO found below There great deal OF
trouble IN coilatng evidence each citizen maniiesng
fear that II he said anything he would be taken OUT
Immediately ana hanged Of the attaches OF the
Water Department who happen 10 live In the plsca-
torial district suffering IRON the timidiy.
by dint OF canvassing something was asccrtaincd.
THy RIVER WITH IRON BANKS.
Under the city Of New York there lows river
with iron banks II consists OF network OF water
pipes that In their aggregate measure 4iO miles No
flowers bloom along the edges OF this river. Its
career Is rayess and unpoetc. Il does not ieel the
Influence OF the tidal that makes the heart
OF the swell and nils the throat OF
the steamers that 10 the These
pipes that make up the river supply daily
IS, O00, 600 gallons OF water. Each day this
on through It's dark ana confined channel. The
source OF this stream the far away Croton Lake,
with blue skies bending over II. The mouth, or
mouths, rather, are the faucets of New York Tho
river exceeds In length some OF the famous geograph
teal strsama II runs through brick aqueduc.s
through huge pipes. through narrow channels,
through every conceivable passage II has sailing
craft, waysido scenery, rocks. REEFS There
ports, or ovsrhanging branches. or light
houses. But it v mighty river, all tho same, and
ono that evldontly contains fish.
TIKI COMPLAINTS.
Harlem and Yorkvilie are The sections most troubled
by dsh The pipes There occasional complaints
through the lower end OF the island but such
For aboct month In tho carly spring. and
for about the same time In the fall the presence OF
Tue 1sh IL most notable A gentleman In the Water
Department. who has had much experience, believes
that the ash The pipes occasonod by the spring
ana fail repairs and cleaning operations. A. sucn
times the reservoirs are completely overha ulcd,
the water 10 cut or at certain points, anu
tho entire OF underground river changed.
Naturally the 1sh arc startlcd-those tnat have
strained through the wire sevos at the heads OF the
mans. anu those That have been spawned born
tho circular captivity Of the IRON pipes. Currents not
down Tho cnart of the nsl begin 10 assert
themselves These currents are 0ccnsioned ny tho
use Of hydrants everywhere. Tho suction captures
tho poor tsn or melancholy eel and the nrst
thing tho good housewife or hot-headed husband
knows thcre IS u monstrosity wriggling out OF tho
| pipe and spiasning into bucket or pail There
these Instances Yorkviilc I'd Harlem owing
| 10 the lact that the land takes DIP
| than elsewhere. A great many dead ends Of pipes
cougregate In tho locality. fne use OF The wafer Is
confined there almost exclusively to private tamilcs
| MAKING Il q Quetcr aud safer resort tor the nsn
Down town, where the big hotels arc, they apt
| be discovered NJ any moment
| PLuMBERa
| That there is u constantly recurring annoyance
| about the nsh In the wator pipes there be
DOUBT A visit among tho uptown plumber. settisd
funf MIA hnn0 ltQf s.f
nave called upon INN repairs and investigation.
] Tho whole tning IL most iudlcrous. Imagine three
newly se.lisd ~ u YorKviiIe cottage. She
| draws tho water Tor the maiutinal colee, or.
lion, plumber, tools, general CONSERVATION, and
then an eel which they have tor breakfast Some OF
nsn or tho party who wishes bin, aisiodged Pre-
| quonily The pipo has TO DO cut away ana general
damage - done that requires considerable money to
right. The trouble usually occurs the tap WIN Gu
connects the service pipe leading into the houses with
tho street main fhis tap Is lve-eghths OF an
iuch IN circumference. and nsn that may
have boon swimming around IN safety for years
IN tho big pipes, pipes may come within tho
| The end 10 disastrous " the nsn some ono 10 turn
| ing q faucet somewhere A certain tendency Is
Immediately created. There prop uisivo sue
tionAi power generated. Inc uuwary Ash would Ike
TO turn TAIL, but he can't. In moment head
In the tap, which Is more tnan tho water is. Then
The punoer Is sent ior Many cases were cited
| where nsh were so firmly wedged IN that they
hal 10 Be cut oct piecemcai.
|
the section above Fitty-nirtn street. running To the
upper end oil The island, aud raauing from liver 10
nver has had more experience with tho fsh than has
! any Part vi bis duties 10 " that The
dead ends OF mains az frequently blown or IL 10
| then when the nsh ana co.'s turn OUT IN force. Tho
blowing on OF tDe mains Is doue keep the pipes
| from stagnant water The IRE nydruns are opened at
becomes c,sar' The po,n.s selected arc as".v n,
tho ends vi mains % the river fronts and certain
low points. Tue water rushes out with great force,
| and DO tho nsh II there are any iu the ppos Tue
HERALD reporter saw Ave or SIX dead ends blown on,
and could have bagsea nico lot OF cells II no had
| wanted 70. One Gel camc out With the ve-
loc,,y OF bullet from q gun, and was
sbot into the middle OF tho street. Perch snd
| Catfish como next In numbers TO tho ccls. On
TUESDAY last an eel. weighing nvo and hall pounds,
found ut l24th street, and two aud three pound
oss are by no means a curiosity This expositlop
turned anu the water made fountain IN street.
In this spraying bouquet Of water nero cells anu
| wriggnng creatures vi Iiic Sometimes there 10 a
halt, occasioncd py tho eel Il DOESN'T last long
Back of the halt 10 the grea, heart that soads
| its blood through the iron veins Force accu-
nuiates, and there comes ,ime when the
nsn must 60 Al that nmo the nsn goes Tho
stories among the inhabitants Of tho uptown sections
Of the wonderful number OF nsn IN the pipes ko
all nsh stories from lme mmcnorlaL 10 listen 10
Of the accounts OF these gcLtle housewives 600
would Imagine that whales, sharks devil nsh
were continually crcing under our city. This an
tour with superintendent U'Connor ae%cns sai
that there arc ash IN tic pipes 10 sulcient extent
| 10 Justify some OF the STORIES
| street sprinkler Interviewed by the HERALD
| reporter. he stated that hc had frequently found
dead nsh In hts sprinkler, which, be Alleged, was =
| cause OF great annoyance To him. lie very in-
dignant, but wanted u distinctly understood that
not MS FAULT. Il apply the hose NY cart no
said. "and that ends ~ II the Dish got they got
| by themselves and am certainly not responsisc. l
| only wanted water IA my cart Know wncro TO 70
Tor lsh."
rHK FIRM DEPARTMENT.
The Fire Department has also experienced somo
trouble from the same cause tnshD call was made
| ON Mr. NJ y. FnzsibUon, supern,endant oi RESERVOIRS
VA tho ghth divsion. which includes ali the rosor.
volrs In the ei TO ascertain what Lreeaotions we're
taken By tho Water Department 10 prevent this
trouble He was found VA tue neat little stone nouse
| which 10 his dwelling aud olice, standing
| powered among tho trees In the park ~
point about Eghty-sixth street and seventh
lilo Kinuiy accompani tho reporter to many points
OF Interest and stocked him with enough scts
| a magazine article. What tho ropOrtcr wanted 10
ind out Vas about nsh aud wnat 10 DO found gu,
| ON that head WIS sooa told. Tho DEPARTMENT use
every possible prccauton TO prevent nsn entering the
pipcs but with ali thcir care u ~ Impossible to pro-
won't the presence oil ian IN tho ppes Fish part
aud parcel OF water as mucn as birds arc OF
| tho air, aud the mighty iron canno,
DO expected be iroc from them. Al all the DO, a