New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-26
THE THREATENED WATER EAMINE
GREATER ECONOMY URGED UPON ALL.

GREATER ECONOMY URGED UPON ALL.
WARNINGS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
woRKs-ARRGNGESIENTs IN CASE OF FIRE
n was stated Yesterday at the Department OF
Public Works that the recent rainfall was so sllght
"a to make no appreciate gain IN the water supply
in the Croton BASIN The officials of the department
are formulating plan to prevent waste as iar rs
possible. Only in the last extremity VIII the sup
ply daily furnished to the manufactures he cut OIL
for the reason that 1t will throw many poor per-
sons ont of employment. The pressure VIII De III
minished as far as can be done with safety at
the outlet of the Central PARK res
ervoir. Care will be taken to retain sufficient head
of water to insure a good supply in case of fire.
Stores and the dwellings of the wealthy will be apt
to feel the decreased supply first. Commissioner
Thompson trusts that all classes of the community
will submit cheerfully for the time being to what
ever inconvenience may be occasoncd by the meas
nres which are deemed necessary to be taken to exc
ont the supply until a copious rainfall removes all
necessity for extreme precaution.
The Mayor deems the occasion so critical thnt ne
has determined TO keep his family at Great Neck
L. l., for the present
Arrangements were completed by the Fire Commits
sioUars Yesterday 10 bring into effective the five
tughoatS which had been placed n the disposal oi
of the Fire Department 10y their owners, who are
prominent merchants in this city. They are 10 bC
being moOrod on the Long Island side opposite the
foot of East Twellth-St. where gong station has
been established. Here the alarm will be sent by
means of telegraphc and telephone connexions
which were arranged yesterday from the FIRE De-
partmcnt headquarters in New-lork IN those IN
Brooklyn, over the Brooklyn bridge. CommnniGa-
ilons have also been made with the tusboat +. W.
Deyoe, moored further down the stream on
the Ncw-York side
BY this means the alarm sent ont from
a Ncw-lork station will summon ting No. l.
which III turn VIII give the alarm 10 ln'
| other boats on It's way down the river.
This will enable the boats to render immediate a'-
sStancc case of fire. The code OF signals 10 be
used In summoniug the iire-tugS Is 10. ., and =.
with the number OF the station IN Ncw-lo1h from
which the alarm is S"ut. IL l. thought that the IRE
tug, be used effectively in the case of fires 0c-
curing several block, from the river front, and III
tins manner ia Re may be great SAVING IN lhr ,-g
If water. The boIta are manned bV crews ana
fitted with fire apparatus ~ the expense OF the
owncrs. VINO have urgently requested that Their
names be not made public.
In regard to the use p water az fires occurring in
the central part of the city. restrictions have
been placed upon the Department. and la was stated
by of the commissioners that tins would not he
done unless the situation became NOR" urgent.
The water famine he said. is only anticipated
vet. and we may have heavy ralnial!S during me
next two weeks. lie also sad that ne thought me
suggestion of filling the Forty-srcond-st. reservoir
an excellent ole, and that il ought 10 be Immediate
IL attended L., II was no doubt the delay ia get
ting the extra supply Of water from the Central
Park reservoir that caused the great losses at the
recent fire IN lOurth-avr.
been anNIouSly discussed 10y the Board Of Firc Tn
dcTwrifrrs aud II meeting last week the matter
WA referred to the Water supply COMMITTEE.
Henry A. Oakley, member Of this committee. ~ IS
said, has recciycda confidential letter from prom.
inrnt official connected with the Department Of
Public Works stating that the supply of water
will be- exhausted IN ten days al the most. j. l..
Douglass secretary of the Merchants Figc lnsur-
ance COMPANY a member of the Board, who has
made q study of the water supply question, told
reporter Of TIM ImBUNE yesterday that hc had Just
visited Mayor Grace for ihe purpose of urging the
necessity of filing the Forty scCOnd-st. reservoir.
The Mayor. he said, had promised 10 bring the mat
ter a once 10 the attention ni the Department of
Public Works. Ia answer to inquiries. Mr.. Doug
lass further said
The question now presents itself o. one of absO-
lutte economy IN the ne and waste OF water. and
unless individual as well corporate action shall
aid in stopping the unnecessary use OF water the
city vii soon De- without any supply, or ~ least
merely nominal one, from the CToton districts.
l-pou a recent examination of the CTOton water
shed by George II. Benjamin, he reports that the
supply Is # anything, more limited than we are Icd
to ID, .ye from the reports Of the Department OF
Public Works. and urges upon the people the utmost
yigi In the care and preservation of the water
now In comm ud. The recent ram mas brch pro-
ductiVc of 10 good the ground being ~ such con-
ditiOu n 10 Tsquirr very heavy rainfall To sal
ura n. aud from the present appearance
Of the weather here - no immediate nope 81 lhls.
What we uuW need n a suspension Of All mrchanl-
cal. shipping. aud other uses whore other means
may be substituted. or the requirement dispensed
with for the time being. To supply the shipping
thu water works ~ Jersey CITY and 5ele'luc. the
la tier being only ten miles from the city, ood r
us,d Pumping engines of great capacity take
their supply from the as,ac River. which VIII con-
tInuc TO give an abundant supply for all The cues
within radius Of fifty miles OF Ncw-l ork'
In order 10 diminish the waste o our present I'm,
tied water supply from the Crotou and guard
against future dTbuths. Mr.. Douglas, Thought the
only safety ia changing the pre- sent ARE system,
by substituting Tor steam hnr-engi1rS mans ana
MIGRANTS, where the pressure could be cNcrtcd by
stationary pufdpiuE engines.