The evening world., 1890-06-04
FIRE MIGRANTS a.: EMPTY
The Scarcity of Water Becomes
More Alarming Daily.
Four Feet less Water in the Reser-
voir Than a Year Ago.

There we're twonty-three feet FIVE and o
half inches Of water in the Central Park
reservoir this morning. One year ago to-
day there we're twenty-seven feet ten inches.
Monday the water In the reservoir receded
two inches, yesterday one and a half inches.
and tomorrow and each succeeding day, so
long as the weather remains OK hot and
close as IL has for tho past five DAYS, the de.
crease in tho water supply will be even
greater.
Commissioner Of Public Works, Gilroy,
talks cheerfully of the situation, hut he can
not talk out OF sight the fact that the roscr-
voir which furnishes tho only water supply
Of the city below Fifty-ninth street today
contains four feet four and one-hslf inches
less in depth OF water than it did one year
ACC. go
Nor will his assurance that there will
probably be no water famine dirpel the
knowledge OF n great proportion OF tho resi-
dents OF the city that they cannot get a sup
ply Of wator without the greatest difficulty
the knowledge that in come scctlona water
cannot be drawn even i'll the collars OF
buildings, and that there arc fro hydrnnts.
too, where water refuses to now without
suction.
This latter fact was developed through the
complaints of 5treet-sprinkling contrac-
tors, who. found yesterday that they could
not fill their carts at tho hydrants where
they were wont to get their supply. and had
to repair TO lower sectors OF tho CITY, long
distances from their sprinkling routes, be-
fore they could find n hydtnnt from which
water would flow.
Commissioner Gilroy explains the. great
reduction of the water supply on Monday on
the gcore of the unusual demand on IT,.
1t, was the first laboring day OF the
week. said he. IAN of the manufactures,
which consume enormous quantities OF
wafer. were sot in operation: tho thousands
OF business places, wRrerooms. stores.
Offices, 6c., which had been closed over
Sunday, were again open and innumcrable
pumps were sucking away at the mains:
1T was also wash-day. There was nm
immediate demand for water all over the
city. and there is little wonder that aome OF
the higher %sections OF tho city suffered q
lack Of supply.
~ understand that this IL lied in n
great measure to-day. and that there ~ n
failure of supply only from local catscs."
One OF the local causes WHICH occasion n
failure Of tho water supply in the lower part
OF the city Is the constant operation OF tho
steam and gas engine pumps which are. used
to turnirh tho supply to tho large buildings
and manufactures.
Their operation keeps the supply Of wnter
in the main at 70 low an ebb TINT the smaller
buildings aud those not furnished with
the greater part OF the day.
Some OF the tenement house districts on
the East ri q, notably in Elizabeth and
Mott streets, where the cellars even are
above Ma water mains, have no water what
ever.
Some downtown BARRIERS are d~cyising
TO- shave their customers without
latlier II the famine shall continue. while the
proprietors have discovered that
water Is slmoHt as essential a liquid, for uao
III their business ,aa those in which they usu.
ally deal since they find such difficulty in
getting il,