New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-29
WHAT BROOKLYN TALKS OF.
TIE WATER FAMINE AND OTHER TOPICS
)F CURRENT INTEREST.

The one overshadowing topic during the week has
been OF course tho break in the waterworks ana Ve
experience OF the city in consequence IL has oeeh
memorable experience II ought TO be n prohtabie
one The facts are too well known to need rehearsal
here. Never papers more eagerly read than our
Ing the three days OF the week. especially on MOI
day. Tho uncertainty as TO whether those of BROOKLYN
would be published at all that day added to the eager
ness with which they were procured at the ehHes'
moment and the news regarding the water supply
perused By some the experience Of last week mas
been compared with that during the famous bizzaiu
but there are fewer points OF resemblance than OIL
difference Indeed there is proper grcind iof co"'
parison at al. What the peope went thlousn a.
result OF the break In the conduit and the "
the small OF water on hand Is WITHOUT pfoce''
and everybody most devouty wishes that II NAV never
happen again.
Inckly IRE break wns not so bad as was al hiet
teared and the city was without water for not more
than forty hours AS matter OF fact, IL was Wholly
without water at no time. This is true OF the greater
part OF the city. In few houses that nave heau Vi
there was no water at all even up TO noon on IueSos'
ana the people were entirely dependent upon rain
water that had caught during the heavy downpour
IN Monday In some houses water was obtainabe Tor
time only in the cellar: in Others there was steady
fow In the basement d no necessity Tor puttnS out
The range fires occurred The order oil uie Guy
authorities against washing Monday was not strictN
obeyed as numerous filed clotheslines on Tuesday
seemingly rs TO height and pressure lid different cx-
per,enoes in the matter OF the flow Of water is rather
difficult to understand. II the accident had been 50
serious as to require the shutting on OF the water Tor
two or three DAYS the situation OF the city would have
been lamcntabe If the weather had been colder the
inconvenience would have been increased wherever there
was dependence on steam heat II the mishap had
occurred day two later there would have been rev
Thanksgiving dinners OF the ordinary type eaten on
Thursday. Bad as it was, IL might easily have been
far worse.
It was all over practically on Tuesday. and since
then there has been good deal OF deserved attention
given to the question of responsibility An investiga-
ton has been ordered by the Commissioner OF CITY
Works and 1t Is not difcnlt 10 surmise what concu-
sons will be arrived at. The people however had
had no serious difficulty in making up their minds.
OF course the responsibility must be shared by the
contractors and the City Works Department. The
cause OF the accident perfectly plain the roof OF the
aoueduct was overloaded. 1t could not bear the
weight Of the pile Of sand heaped upon IT. and col
lapsed. Now, how it that 1t came to be over
loaded order to understand the matter one should
visit the scene Of the accident No one who hsd done
so could make the statement that The conduit lies
deep in the earth The fact is that when the eXcava-
tion was made for the conduit the earth was not
thrown back after the work completed. The con-
duff was only covered with little earth and now lies
beneath the bottom Of wide trench not unlike rail-
road cutting. When the work OF laying new pipe
the easiest and cheapest way to work In the big
trench for otherwise they would had dig down
thirty or forty feet instead Of onehalf oneourth
as much. OF course they did not wish to carry al
the sand which they dug out TO the top OF the nigh
banks. What could be simpler than 10 heap 1t on
top Of the conduit and still have room enough In the
cutting for derrick and other machinery? This the
Department OF Public Works permitted with results
that are we'll known More than that the point
where the accident occurred was FREDERICKSBURG
and according to the contract the work had to ne
done by tunneing, unless permission to make an
open cut was granted by the department Presumably
such permission given. The direct responsibility
of the City Works Commissioner is therefore plain
It is idle 10 say that the conduit was not we'll
constructed. 1t has been in use thrtyhve years ana
Is to all appearance in good condition as ever one
OF the contractors has been represented as saying t
did adhere TO the bricks where the break
occurred il ought is impossible that he couo nave
made such statement il he had taken tile pains 10
examine the broken brckwork. When looked al the
chunks OF brick and mortar that were BENG thro"h
upon the embankment on Wednesday the mortar was
found TO be as hard as rock and the bricks were so
Embedded in il that the two together formed SOLID
masses The blame cannot be placed on bad WORK III
te building of the conduit. II was never oil course
intended to bear such weight as was put on H.
Whoever is responsible for pilng the sand there Is
responsible for the mshap which caused so much IN
convenience and alarm. Commissioner John p. Adams
must not be allowed 10 evade the consequences OF his
neglect and that Of his subordinates through any
report Of engineers the effect that the break was in
the nature Of things unavoidable.
Mayor Chapn is on the down grade and is travelling
at a rand rate The trail of the Mclaughlin infu-
ence is over all he does. When he became Mayor he
was man Of keen of honor, Of high instincts
and noble ambitions. What is he nowl so lar mas
he gone in the direction of decentralization that he
out will he n
tends during December TO hold both the Office OF
Mayor and that of Congressman 1t is disgracefnl
thing and the people his district and Of Brooklyn will
be certain TO estimate ii at its proper valuation III
is petty imitation of Governor HILL and it shows the
Mayors lack Of political wisdom in most striking
way If he had his wits about him it would seem as
II he could not fail to profit by the criticisms which
have been leveed at the double oceholder Of Albany.
Than too he did not need to 90 outside Of Brooklyn
to see the results of doing this very thing. one
O'Reily thought few years ago that he was Dig
enough man to be both Alderman and Congressman at
the same time and did it, Where is oRellly now :
Echo answers Where? Does Mayor Caapn wish TO
share his fate In all probability that Is what Is IN
store for him. How the beautiful vision OF the Gov
ernmship and the Presidency has faded away before
his eyes
Few il any, Of the public meetings of the Brooklyn
Institute for the will equal in interest that to
be held tomorrow evening in celebration OF the
eightieh anniversary Of the birth of Wendell Phillips
Philips born November 60 1s11-that IS,
eighty years ago to-day. The reason for holding the
celebration tomorrow is obvious. There are two parts
on the programme-an Grafton by George william
Curtis than whom is better qualified 10 speak
of Phillips and poem by the Rev. John White Chad
wick. Mr.. Chadwick has devoted good deal OF
time to the preparation of his poem and those familiar
with his poetical writings cannot doubt that it will
be worthy Of his subjects subject great enough TO
inspire any TO strong and splendid expression.
OF course Association Hall will be crowded this
occasion.
There is question that the railroad companies
which have united in making application for the use
of Che trolley arc genuine earnest The four which