New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-23
BROOKLYN SHORT OF WATER
FACTORIES ORDERED NOT TO USE IT.
THE BREAK IN THE BIG CONDUIT STILL rAA
FROM BEING REPAafD-oSE BODY

FROM BEING REPAIRED-oSE BODY
RECOVERED.
The city OF Brooklyn was nearer water famine
last night than ever before. The break In the
great conduit which occurred on Saturday after
noon, totally sevcring the Rdgcwood reservoirs
from the sources of supply on Long Island, was
not repared and only one Of the dead
bodies had been recovered from the wreck
IL will not be washing day in Brooklyn today 90
ce~ ing TO the Department OF City Works, neither
will the factories run, II the police prevent
it. until the conduit is so far repaired that there
is no danger Of q shortage in the water supply.
Last evening, the following letter was written by
Commissioner Adams
pepartment Of city Works.
BROOKLYN, ". ", Nov. -. 1891. 7
To Henry I. Hayden, Police Commissioner
hayo the honor TO request you " send out nmeosteV
a general alarm, notifying:
FirstAn factories that the use Of water az the civS
Mains either for boiler other purposes. muss -
discontinued until further notice from the Commissioners
Of CITY Works.
second-Yofy all househoders that the use OF water
must be confined to strictly domestic uses and with nss
economy. II must be used for washing purpsse
tomorrow.
It Is expected by the chief engineer that the brses
viii be ronaired and pumping resumed tonight. but ths
margin s 40 slch: that strict enforcement Of the oSs
order Is absolutely essential 10 safety
JOHN T.. ADAMS. Commissioner OF cfty "orAs.
Comics of this letter were sent 10 all the pohce
precincts, and the patrolmen were sent OUT y"
factories and houses giving the notice required.
Tho nrcssure was reduced all over the city by
turninq off the DeKalb-ave. main. There are three
nrincipal mains in Brooklyn. A large forty-eight
inch main runs from the Ridgewood reservoir
through Atlantic-ave. to IIenry-st 1t is tho
rr;ncinal means OF distribution a thirty-sN-inch
main rms through the Eastern District, and third
thirty siyinch main is in Dehato-aVe' hho"iei
fortyeicht-inch main is in course OF constructor ~
Willonghby-ave. The turning on oil 'le DehaiI
ave- main does not deprive any portion OIL ''e oi'y
81 water for there is a network OF cross mains as
over the city 1t. however, reduces the geherai
nroyeurc about two and half pounds TO tire square
inch. and in some sections OF the ci'y eaNo' '"9
INNER stories of houses without wafer
In addition TO the letter sent out to househodcrs
and manufacturers last evening" woru "a' 'e"0 "
co,,ornor's Island. which gets its water by pipe
from BROOKLYN under Buttermilk channel asSins
tho authorities to be as sparng as possible Oh tno
-. ,aod there Other means were taken TO
,ord tho city aQainst thirst The TwentySixh
Ward is supplied by the Long Island wafer
curnv Com6any q private concern, WIN
;.s own reservoirs and wells. The company mas
surrlus capacity of 100000 gallons daily ihAs
is hut drop in the bucket OF the oo'ooo'ooo
dov needed by Brooklyn, but arrangements were
made between the company and the city auunori-
,ias q. drav, unon that. This can be done through
tho connection over which there was SO mucn uis'
nute during the suit brought ny william hesies
70 restrain the city from buying out the company.
The gate was put in connecting the two sSs.e"as
os e WAS said. at the request Of Chief Engineer
Nevins, of the Fire DEPARTMENT. Others saia 70
was put in secretly for the purpose Oh e''ing 'ns
company steal city water
| Besides these sources of supply. the city has 10
| Andrews driven wells about Rdgewood pump
ing station These supply about 3,50o,00O gallons
daily.
| Yesterday afternoon there about 55,O0o,OOO
Gallons left in the reservoirs. This Is the ordinary
supply for day. The middle reservoir Az
Ridgewood contained almost all OF this. Ihere
was some in the Mount Prospect reservoir; but
that all came from Ridgewood, being forced up 10
the bill by pumps at Underhill-ave, for the pur-
pose of supplying the high ground near Prospect
Park.
The water in the Ridgewood reservoir stood
about eight feet from the top The capacity Oh
the centre reservoir is sO,OO0,OO0 gallons. 10
WAS full on Saturday. The north reservoir, Of
equal capacity, empty, as II Is being cleaneds
and the reservoir, 10 hold as much as the
other two, has never been used. :,
All night Saturday night and all day yesterday
the work OF cleaning up the wreck went on undcf
tic direction of William II. Gon, General Super
intendeht of Sewers. During the night lao men
were at work. With daylight the torce was in-
creased to 200. In the morning Commissloher
Adams sent out call for unemployed men 70
come to the scene and they could nave W9rh:
They dug until p. N. before any OF the poots
were found Then Che shoyellers came upon =
man standing upright in the sand with his shovei
in his hands lie was evidently the man who had
suddenly dropped from sight, two hours after the
accident while he was at wOrs agging out th0se
who had been buried The sand was dry away
to his waist, and rope vas placed around d IRn I'm
fore this could be DONE more sand caved Ia.
After digging for some time again, the BODY
was taken out Death had come from suffocation.
The body was taken to Farrelrs undertaking
rooms at Atlantic-ave. and Bradfordst., where
it was identified that of Paul Goundino thirty
wife and family in Italy. His brother Dominica
identified him. He is the man whose name was
unknown yesterday. The other three missing are
known to be those whose names were puoiishea
yesterday.
At $50 D. M an attempt was made to find QUO
just where the break was. Ihe oaU;t saoyt
and some other way, was necessary:
City Engineer Brigham, with two laborers wene
to the city gate at Spring Lake, about two miies
bank fell, and there tried To 70 through the con.
dpit in a small skiif. In getting into the boat
one workman fell into the water, winch was about out
three and half feet deep. This frightened the
other, and he clambered out of the conduit letting
the boat float away. The natural current OF three
miles an hour shut on, Dut tnere was ho'vr
enough to take the boat beyond reach and spoil
the experiment Mr.. Brigham pulled the hrst
laborer out Of the water with rope, ana soon
the men who were watching fer him at the waste
wiers with lanterns were surprised TO see MIN
coming across the fields.
Chief Engineer Van Buren yesterday made 40
thorough an investigation rs possible of the arcL
dent, but last evening said that 1t was impossible
TO tell the cause of the trouble until the wreoK
was unearthed. Digging was slow work. Tor. az
though men were plenty. only few at timS
could get down into the trench beside the OLD
conduit, where the new conduit Was being lald.
F. l.. Crawford the son OF j. L. Cran-
ford. the contractor, felt sure that the workmcn
were below the old conduit. Measurements were
taken to locate it, and shortly before p m, ,ne .op
away around it was kept up during the evening
with the aid of calcium lights Late last night
tha cnndnt WIS reached and the cave-in located.