New-York tribune., 1884-11-03
THE LAKEIN PROSPECT PARK.
COL. CULVER REPLIES TO CRITICISMS.

THE WATER IN THE LAKE 40 oOoD 40 Nv
CITY REsERvoiRs-wHAr THE oREKNIsH SUD
STANCE MAY De-
The TRIBUNE recently published an article IN 70
gard TO the lake In Prospect Park in which John I.
Culver the chic engineer and superintendent. stared
that the green substance which appears on the surface
Of the water in summer Is Of purely vegetable origin
aud not injurious to health in any way. day or
later the following criticism Of Colonel Culyer was
received
fothe Ed,for Of rAs Tr'ouns.
SIR: The account cf the interview Of your reporter
With the chief engineer and superintendent OF Prospect
Park proves, If proof was needed tho lneinolency 90 -
the management Of that Park. under whose direction
1t ia steadily deerorating The so-called green scum
that disfgures the ssgnant waters OF the PARK apu
which the superintendent callsA vegetable ungu-neo
being specimens of non-' egetable fung there ALSO;
Is no scnm aud no fungus but consists OF ScoI .mna
mnorr which. Notwithstanding ITS insignhcant s,ho,
IL rather highly organized plant "A roiave o. % .o
beautiful Gala and the grand caaa.an bs found
pushing up through the green fronds and tnresaI :,
roots will he found depending from the under sue "
each plaut each being distinct individual ss ,ne
biggest oak in the Park. 1" Lcmns" has no odor'
fshy otherwise. except what may acquire from lls
surroundings Like all living vegetables these absorb
the products of putrefacton they cause no naar's
but their presence IL evidence Of the Ill structure ana
worse maintenance of the ponds as they only nonrh
In stagnant waters. After the "lemns has all dis-
appeared the bad odor remains and the writer hs' Deo
sickened by the smells ar-ing from the pond near
Flatbush ave while passing along that avenue outs''0
the Park. ,,,s
The un nvholesomeness of the PARK ha. had serious
influence in preventing the growth OF the city over tne
slopes west Of the Park-nauraly the most oeauulu'
part of Brooklyn Most of the streets III that neign
borhood have been laid out for years yet no one SUI
gle irs- GLASS building has been erected wthin Two
last ten years while lower down the sope the Guy 4"
fast filing up with tine residences b. u. "ooD'
flafbush, /. l., October 20. 1884.
This letter was shown TO Superintendent Culyer oy
the reporter who had previously called on him Ai'er
reading 1t that official SAID;
When YOU asked me about the condition OF INC
water in the Park lake I stated that the pecnh"
appearance of portions of during the past season
due to vegetation iu the water; that no htrnl -,
to health had ever been known To result iron ~ Hi
this vegetation was generated aud developed III sh1i
low waters where temperature above 10. rosut'Ns
from tie dire ray. of tho sun IN warm w'"'noI'
nreyaiIed; and that this vegetation Is common 10
bodies of water Fnown to be comparatively pure,
whose supply il mainly surface wafer such as many VI
the storage-re>ervOir supplies Tor potable PURPOSES
throughout the country, and particularly L" 1"ules oi
water where the inflow il not perennial. ana "hr'e
| the outflow is comparatively Notwithstanding
by means stagnant ponds IN tho ordinary aceP11"
ton of the term For want of greater depih ana
constant frequent nhoT OF fresh water al such a
low temperature as suihcently To shec' inc wac,
which il !, supply. this and kindred wafer vegetation
| makes its appearance and occasions more Or lcs'
aoY.tv on the part of those interested. The waters
| of many reservoirs have been 81 affected duflhE
previous that IN Massachusetts, Tor instance
nyast cations have been instituted by he state D'aid
| of Health
Lake the main source oi supply ior new TOTS D:!'
together with the bodies Of water in the eastern portion
of Wes;chester County, was covered WIN iis N.ee'a
ton and purtl ns ~ the main reservoir al eu
| tra Park. The water supply Tor the city ol IucA
mainly surface watcrind for many other places sueh
As Newark flrnishcs water that n better thah inc
! water in the lrosucct Park lakes to-day.
As to the nature of this vegetation, inadvertently
referred to a fungus, meaning to imply that me
,pcc es of vegetation the lake Of low order us
structue hardly justiiyns the bumPtious coHplrlSoh
| II your orrezpondrnt of the " lem"a referred I"
there a Q q number varieties some ui whch-cow-
| monty known IA duck welfare familiar to many al
those who have made our native streams resort i1r
observation The plant found in the waters oil the ARK
NAV De " lclnua minor or some otncf ic-s u.-tu''t
nrTluiy,d variety There Is nothing about IT. structure
! d.ccruihc the naked eye; while under the micro
soon, Woad di,clo.e structure undoubtedly of value
A. 10 its nature tho bosni-t Ii must, Oi necessity
have origin from sustaining princip1c; thGt
unquc-tionabiy is to be found in tho vegetable aud
pellap- animal sub tuuces which lind their way into
all bodies of water. aud m W and similar cases. OWING
the OccH forces Of the sun operating upon water ol
no greater depth than the Park lake develop tins and
kindred vegetation III the summer. our cotro0ponu,
ent i.es strong and harsh terms which are not nsuhe
in any respect or beyond the presence oi this yego-
tation which is surely dsagreelblc 10 tho oe tne'o
cannot be degree of organic substance thh hhu-
il, way INTO the lake to constitute any menace 10
health or seriously Affect the character oi tie water
lho ground of the Park. and IA tact an the so"tn
side of Long Island. Is vast bed oil gravel ana
sand generally covered with bat few iee' oi nght
loan aud soil On account OF this peculiar formation
large pro2ort;ca-neary 90 per ccnt-o the rainfall
is absorbed and passes down to what Is deSlsha'eu
Al the 10 rIIlug or permanent Mh'I eti"."i"
This stratum has "a descent u the ocean vary ing rom
-e, en- 10 two feet 10 me From tins established i"e
it will be seen how readily responsive 70 thorough
drainage. where artificial provision l. maze lOt
intcroopting the rainfall. the Park surfaces are The
water falling upon the roads and walks Is intercepted
N st bIsns by which the sediment l. Largely ar
rested and then passes into the Lake The roads are
| cleaned every day 30 that but "a small portion oI
offensive matter possibly hnd its way INTO The laAe
and the worst but furnish partial sustenance 10
| TIM, water vegetation.
II know more than one water supply Tor large com
uunitics where IL il inpraccahle to make snch pro
visions as are made for guarding the water supply Of
the lake. Large OF turf are made To contribute
their surface water 10 the lake. With this may Oe
carried into the lake eds grass. leaves and particles
of surface soil which may contribute toward prosuclnS
this egetatIon. No other deleterous matterIi th's
may be considered-of any importance whatever
duds is way into tho lake; We have no running
streams In the Park and We have no permanently es
tabshed outlet for there s no occasion Tor It. stated
that hs vegetation Itself by the processes natural 10
water palts. acted a, an element Of purihcaton.
attracting and absorbing impure gases.
| :" he two other bodies of water In the Park-one
known the Pigeon Ground Pools. and the ct err the
Deer Paddock Lake-are thirty feet deep IN some
! place.. They are natural ponds, being supplied from
springs in the bottom OF them and not from the wen
which furnishes water to the main lake They cannot
possibly be made subjects OF criticism In the manner
! referred by your correspondent The offensive
odOrs which he detected whe passing along Flaibu h
ave probably from the stablc@ and pigsenes
the hills to the eastward. have often eIpenenced
-okening smell hen the wind came from that diIsc
| tion. hey certainly could not have come from the
| pond ~ the deer paddock.
The really serious portion Of his communication IA
| that in which hc displays remarkable gnofnnce- re-
lerrIug the nwhoesome influences of the Park a.
preventing tie growth OF the city nearly thrceglhr
ters of , mile away the western slope socaedl,
| naturally, he says, the most beautiful part oi
| Brooklyn He must indeed be modern Rip Van
Wnkic for for several years past the operations oil
the entcrpr,ring builder have here been more active
than IN most any other part of the city scores and
| cores OF frst-ela,s houses have been erected and
| others in process of erection and the
| whole neighborhood s and will continue To-
be one Of the most eligible aud beIthiui
| for residence within tho limits Of our city.
The geological formation OF this il similar 10 that
elsewhere alluded IT, and Is admirably calculated
to the objections to insufficient drainage