New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-12
TIE USE OF WATER METRES.
A NEW ORDER IN REFERENCE TO THE woRTHT

A NEw ORDER IN REFERENCE TO THE woRTHING-
TON METRE-THE NAVARRO SUIT.
The Commissioner Of Public Works has issued
circular. under the city charter, calling upon the
propretors Of all stores, workshops, hotels, manu-
factories public edIfces. wbarycs, ferry-houses,
stables and other places where water IL furnished
for business consumption, to place Worthinston
water metres on their supply pipes. and to pay ior
the water consumed by measurement. If tins IS
not attended the metres will he placed IN position
bv the Department of Public Works at the owners
expense.
G.. w. Brdsall. chief engineer of the Croton AQue-
turt -71d yesterday that it found that this ac-
ton was necessary to prevent the supply Of wafer
running short The supply through the aqueduct
was up to its full capacity 95,OO0O00 gallons per
dav. but owing to the natural growth Of the CITY
and the extraordinary demands OF the elevated
railroads which used half million gallons dalf,
the large increase in the number OF buildings II
progress aud q general revival IN work al the iac-
tories IL was insufficient unless some step was taken
to prevent waste. This was best secured by max
ing consumers pay IN proportion 70 their cOnsunp-
ton by actual measurement. lie sald th8t
the WorthiugtOn metre had been regularly
adopted by the Commission, composed according 10
law of the Mayor, Controller and Chlel-EnginecI'
a. a meeting called for that purpose OCTOBER -"
1876 and that It had been in use ever since, De-
tween 500 and 600 now being used. In November,
1871 the same Commission had been requested TO
only satisfied the Commission of its wisdom IN Sc
letting tho Worthington. TIE Curtis metre stood
the test al the yard satisfactorily, but Wren put
into actual use il was found liable TO become stopped
and remain So The Department in testing AL ihc
different metres submitted to it for trial by different
makers since then, bad not found anv that was SUI
perior to the WorthinetOn, which had been IN use IN
this city for twenty years. Seven elghths OF those
in use were for One-iuch pipes and they were sold
at $50 with a discount of 80 per cent. Smaller
ones, for thTce-fourths-inch pipe, cost S3I. ana a
larger size for twO-iuCh pipe, go, with the same
discount.
As to the 10000 Navarro metres supplied to the
CITY by the inventor under the Tweed rule, MI.
BiTdsall said that they were still piled up In the
pipe ward where all metres were .eStGd, They were
a good metre taking up less room than the Worth
ingtOn, but not likely to prove so scTYlceable III
actual use. Tweed had made contract with Ma
vaTro for him TO furnish the city with 10 600 metres.
undcr which he began delivering them. hen
Iwecd's downfall came. and Navarro insisted on
delivering the whole 10000 and on the city's re-
fusiug to pay for them he sued il for 100000 the
contract price being $40 This suit was brought IN
March, 1874, and after five years II Is still pending.
II was referred to John X. Porter, before whom 10
was argued on July TO- but all the printed briefs
have not vet been submitted The city takes the
ground that the whole contract was fraudulent
one TO which Navarro, Tweed, and Alexander FTeer.
then 2 Commissioner of Charities and Correction.
were parties that II not an approved metre, as
required by law that the test had been made with
a haf-inch metre, and that those delivered were Of
the same size, except that the Ontce had been
changed 10 fit a Onc-nch pipe Ii was also stated
in evidence that while the metres were 10 be
supplied at $40 each they could be manufactured
for S22 and would have returned handsome
profit at $50.