New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-20
DON'T WASTE WATER YET.
STRICT ECONOMY STILL NECESSARY.

A GRATIFYING GAIN IN SOME OF THE REsER-
YOIRS.
Commissioner Gilroy and Chief Engineer Birdsall
had nothing new to report as to the situation
in relation TO the water supply yesterday. An
absolute water famine they still place at least
fortnight away. In the meantime their entlre
reliance is upon a good, old-fashioned downpour
of rain Reports of the storeds water show that
it is steadily disappearing The main central
Park reservoir had rcceded in twenty-fcur hours
frc n 30 feet 1-2 inch to 30 feet ii l-2 inches
the old Park reservoir had fallen inches, and
the Forty. second-st. reservoir was IL inches
lower At Croton Dam the water was feet :
inches below high-water mark
Orders to inspectors of the Department OF
Public Works required them to redouble Their
vigilance to prevent waste and to enjoin upon
all useIs OF water the stHctest care and economy
until the danger is wholly passed.
Reports from the Boyd's Corners reservoir re-
ceived at the Public Works Department showed
gratifying gain of 10 inches in twenty-four
hours, the water being 49.0s feet deep. Al the
Middle Branch reservoir it was 4s.O2 feet, re-
assuring gain in twenty-four hours of feet
inches
The Weather Bureau reports were yesterday
unless unforeseen circumstances arose, none should
be looked for tomorrow. 1t was still generally
clear throughout the country, except in the lake
regions, where little rain was falling. but it
amounted to hardly anything. There was also
little rain in the extreme Northwest, but it was so
far away that no predictions could be made con-
cernng it.
The wind here had shifted to the southwest,
showing that the cold wave had passed off to
some extent. The temperature at midnight was
50 degrees. and though it promised to fall to
the freezing point during the night. the indications
for to-day were for warmer weather. with rising
temperature:
The Lafayette Place baths at No. 8 Lafayette
Place, have had to shut off one plunge for which
they were in the habit of using Croton water,
| but their other two plunges and the needle and
| shower baths are supplied with water from their
own artesan wells, and they do not therefore suf-
| fer any real Inconvenience from the scarcity OF
water. The region where these baths are, seems
| adapted for artesian wells. They have three
| which supply about eighty gallons of water a
minute between them, and the water is beautifully
clear though Or. Ryan says that it probably would
not be good for drinking purposes, and asc that il
has some lime and other substances in it, which
would and do have bad effect on plumbing and
in boilers on account of the sediment in the water
Other firms in that section of the city have
sunk artesian wells with the same good result,
among them being the New-York and st. Denis
hotels. The Whiting Manufacturing Company
also sunk wells at their old place at the corner of
Broadway and Fourthst, for washing their silver
and the manager cOntended that he could use
it in the boilers hout harming Them As
an instance of the great difference in
various parts of the city, it may be
noted that while these wells gave pure water at
a depth Of only 200 feet, after piercing u top
layer of sand and then about two feet Of quick
sand, after which they struck water-bearlng
gravel beds the Fifth Avenue Hotel, failed to
get satisfactory results from well which was
sunk to a depth of between 200 and 1000 feet,
at an expense of many thousands Of dollars. The
Madison Square Garden managers also thought at
one time of opening big Turkish and Rus sian baths
in the basement under the present Garden. Dr.
Ryan was interested in the scheme, and asked an
architect about sinking artesian wells there. lt
was thought that no water could be struck. There
is "a subterranean stream OF water which runs
under Madison Square from the northwest To
the southeast, but it just misses the Madison
Square Garden building on one side and the
hotels on the other.
The Hoffman House baths still open yestcr-
day, and it was said there last night that they
had received no notice TO stop using CroOn water,
although it was acknowledged that they depended
on il almost altogether.