New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-29
EFFORTS TOSAVETHE WATER

cop or WATER MANIFESTATIONS OF
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THE POLICE AND i'i
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
The supply of water furnished daily to the me
tronos has been reduced by the measures 'akon "
the officers of the Department OF iuDno VIZ" ,
abont one-third Gradually the niue WASTES 'i'
49,, roacbed and stopped. Wherever it IS aseer-
tanned that there is waste, the houSeIo'"1i "
fotprer rs the case may I've, il warned. III the waste
still continues. the water Is pion'P"' 'N"'
getber from the premises
stablernen have heretofore used good deal OF
water for washing carriages. Most of these places
are metered In few instances the owners nave
continued the use of water These persons nave
bsen informed that unless they are more sparing III
the use of CrotOn their supply Will he cut gu
altogether The employees of the department VI
Public Works who clean out sewer basins ana traps
at the Inters elton Of streets called yesterday on t
Commissioner and asked permission W isG u,0nSn
Iyatsr To I'M the traps after cleaning ana mus pre-
vent the sewer gas from ascending 10 Vne Suo0''
Permission WAS granIeu =. AZ -, toe ;esuad n
The commissioner of Public Works mas lssueu d
crcnlar directed more particularly TO honseholdeIs,
eniojniup the utmost caution on their p@'C III oIIo
LII VI 49, ,racantions that may DO taken by the
Department of Public Works 10 hiil'' 'l' ho" u
water. -, To-, o1so bser issned to
plumbers:
In consequence of the rapid decrease Of the reserve
supply of water in the storage reservoirs ana Iakes ~
an rTotou basin under the necessity OF renuclhg
still further the supply and consumption OF wte ~ @
city and Obliged to take extraordinary auf m
to attain that OBJECT any ny, srTne mines
vonr part With these measures and with service PPes
an he soonnt Of water delivered any building may
be increased will be- followed by Immediate ana peInl"
nent revocation Of your license
Chief Engineer Newton said Yesterday that smut
ting down the gates at the Central PARK kGshfV0T
TO within three inches OF the bottom haG ene'leu
saving of about 10000, 900 gallons. These gates
in, he
snnnly TO the manufactures. Were II not Ior the
danger to be apprelleGded iii case OF hre the supply
,vonid he very much lessened. reduction III uIe
SUNNY of one-half would empty One-hali the pipes
in fhe CITY and in OF IRE IL wouId take
zoo long time to fill these. A few com
1Iaints have been received from honsenOu1
ers but in most cases people now 9hueiatanu
the need of economy III the use OF me Grol9h'
Several complaints have been received AT Tue De-
nartInent of Public Works about persons who nave
wasted water and of cases where the consumption
is apparently too graf some @no coet y 4 ths Ny
York Hospital. This is at the rate OF several nun
dred gallons for each inmate.
No mandatory has yet been compelled to close
because of the short water supply. Precautions
have ready been taken by considerable number
however, to procure partial supply elsewhere IN
case the Department o. Public WORKS is cOnpeIeu
10 take more extreme measures.
President German, of the Fire Department, said
that he did not fear any great c0nnagratioh IN the
CITY through lack of water Daily tests of the pres
sure In the water mains are being made by the De
partment but the Commissioners said that he did not
might excite the public mind without doing any
good He admitted that the pressure was not as
strong it ought to be- but asserted that arrange
ments were being made by which extra pressure
could be obtained at short notice. An average es-
innate of about five pounds TO the square
inch including high and low ground,
he minated was about the correct
figures The proper pressure should he 40 pounds
to the sauaTe inch but that only happens when the
reservoirs are full and has not occurred IN ten
Years The average pressure for the last few years
has been about 20 pounds To the square inch.
The following letter received at the FIRE
Department yesterday from the Department OF Pub
lie Works:
Nrw.YoRK. oct 90, 1881.
]. J. GoRMAN, President Fire Department. No l57
In consequence of the necessity Of further closing
down the outlet gates Of the distributing reservoir,
NJ the utmost Importance that the telegraph line be
tween your headquarters and the gaehouse Dc III perfect
order and beg TO suggest that you have e1atu ana
any defect which may occur. Additional men nave peeh
stationed at the gatehouse TO open the gates as quickly
as possible on receipt of the signal from your Depart
HupERf o. THoMPsoS, Commissioner Of Public Works
The following answer was sent BY the Fire De-
partment:
NEx.YoRK FIRE DEPARTMENT,
Oct. %, 1881. )
ry,rprpr O. THOMPSON Commissioner Of Public Works
SIR: have the honor to acknowledge the receipt OF
vcnr communication of the Goth this morning, and to
sv i'm repIy thereto that OF the telegraph line con-
Sting he gate house in Central Park with these
Uead0narters has always heretofore been made daly
water win be made hourly. In addition TO the comnu,
noaton by signal the telegraph once is also
with gate house by telephone ana a. durlnef pre-
caution the commanding officers OF the three Gopahles
nearest 70 the gate house nave pgen nrr is sent to
send member OF the Department to the gate hGnse 70
see in person that the signed has been received O lhe
person LII '"''s' joins j. GoRMAS, President.
President German said that there was always
enough water in the mains for use at any ire. lie
80 600, 900 gallons of water in a year, and That
there were always from S,OOOOOQ to lO,0ooOco
g1Ilons every day in the mains through the city,
which were more than OnefOrth of the yearly con-
sumption by the Department.
At meeting of the Police Board yesterday, the
action of President French. IN lnstructlng Supeflh-
tendent Walling TO issue general order I'D relation
TO policemen informing tenants OF the scarcity OF
water was approved. In compliance with the St-
perntendents orders policemen were ordered to
visit all the houses on their posts yesterday, TO
tell the heads of families of the extreme scar
city OF water and arinG 70 ca aS noss shJ
While the policemen found that most people were
aware of the critical condition OF the water supply.
yet many learned through them Tor the hrst tllne
The extreme necessity of guarding against waste.
This was particularly noticed III the eastern part Of
the civ where many Germans and other resident
foreigners live. The policemen also exercised
greater vigilance in watching Tor violations OF the
order against street sprlnkilngs
A great deal of water is used by the masons and
builders in the large buildings which are going up
in every part of the city. Yet even here the great
est care is taken to guard against any waste. w.
Ill. ArnOtt, the head mason VII the large 6eVen-st0Ty
building which is being erected III broadway oppO-
site the st. Nicholas Hotel, said TO TRIBUNE re-
porter Yesterday: Since the reports OF the scarcity
of water have been confirmed have given orders
that none of the bricks used should be wet and the
only water We now is for mixing the
lime, and this is saved as much as posi-
BILE. We formerly were Obliged TO keep two taps
running continuously and were using about 100
barrels day. AT present we only use about
torty-iiye barrels There is no necessity OF sprnk-
ing the bricks at this of the year, they
sufficiently dampened by The moist air. If the
Inasons throughout the city could understand this
he win III
supply should fail the business would be at a stand
still and il would be for the interest of every one
engaged in the trade t. DO as saving as possible"
AT the Potter Building in Broadway, at Aston
Place it was said that unusual precautions were
taken to avoid a waste IN the water. single bose
was used i'm filling the tubs from which water was
taken I'm nails 10 sprinkle the bricks instead of