New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-23
TILE poLLUrIoN OF TIE CROTON.


The chemists of the Health Board have been
making minute examination of the east branch
of the Croton River, which furnishes about one
third of this citys water supply. Their repoF.
will be made next week, but summary OF
their discoveries, prepared by trustworthy
reporter Of 1.-The Evening Sum-" has been pup
shed IL is highly interesting but extremei!
disagreeable reading The investigators nave
done their work thoroughly, and their account
of the resultS will be graphic and accurate
They found, IN brief, that the east branch
of the Croton River directly and through LIS
feeders, is continuously contaminated, by lhau-
vertence and deliberately, with numerous va
rieties of filth, some of them dangerous ana all
of them disgusting that the extent OF thls poi-
luton is already great and that 1t Is lhcreaS-
ing; that the laws bearing on the suD)ecb are
constantly violated consciously and with per-
feet impunity; that one Of the tributaries Is
actually and oonfessedly public sewer that
the quality of the water as 1t Is delivered III
this city is deterioratng, and that the solution
OF the problem of rectifying these abuses ana
safeguarding the water supply in the future
will be difficult and costly.
The situation thus disclosed is menacmg ana
amentable. No argument is needed to prove
that the protection of the water supply against
contamination is among the first and most pima
ing duties of the municipal authorities. Inc
character of the Croton has hitherto been one
of the chief advantages of New-York as place
of residence. It's superlatve value is not COM
monty appreciated, simply because this genera
ton has had no contrary experience. Inc
blessing has been so constant and so cheap that
its magnitude fails to impress the mind, except
when. as now, its permanence is threatened.
The investigation by the Health Board has not
been undertaken a moment too soon, ana the
information thus obtained will be invaluable
if it can be utilized as basis Tor practlcai
operations in defence of the water supply. We
have no wish to encourage panic, ana there
is no occasion for one. Running water has the
power of self-purifcation, and when the VOL
ume and the distance traversed are great 1t IS
comparatively safe to rely upon the emina-
ton of even large sum of impurities, though
this factor of safety appears to be variable ana
uncertain.
II is possible that the present investigation
will prove, as did that Of few years ago, that
the contamination has not yet passed the Dan
ger limit but the disquieting fact has already
been established that the pollution is increaS-
ing at it's sources Indeed, under the circum-
stances nothing different is possible, for the
population of the Croton watershed is lncfeaS,
ing and it's industries are multiplying ana
neither law nor custom interpOses any ehectVe
defence The people of Brewsters make no
pretencc of denying that Tonetta Creek is their
sewer, but they say that their use of it for that
purpose antedates its use by New-York as
water supply, and hence the remedy lies with
US, not with them. Aside from considerations
of this character, it is doubtful if the enforce
ment of the law against defling the Croton and
its tributaries is practicable, in the absence OF
public sentiment which cannot be expected tc
exist at points remote from this city 80 faI
as we can see, the only security for the future
lies in the purchase by New-YOrk OF the banks
of all the streams large and small, upon which
we depend for our water, wherever they are
or are likely to be occupied for any purpose In
furious to our interests.