New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-17
THE RAIN DID LITTLE GOOD.
RESERVOIRS SURELY BEING DRAINED.
NEw.YoRK ERs BY-BUsINESs BEGINS


People in this city turned on the taps in their
hous,s yesterday morning with doubt. hoping to
see the now precious Croton water flow. but with
minds already made up to meet any disappoint-
ment In many instances the little silver stream
which ran gladdened their hearts. yet many
were reduced to the necessity Of carrying watc-
from the basement to the higher floors. In spite
Of the rain which cheered the heart of the average
citizen. Commissioner Gilroy and ef-Engincer
Birdsal of the Department of Public Works. were
still gloomy over the outlook and Mr. Birdsall said
that unless it rained much harder than it did
yesterday it would do no earthly good. nor would
1t increase the water supply in any material
degree
What do you think Of the suggestion TO have
General DryenfOrth explode ton Of dynamite
over Croton Lake, as gentle hint for the rain to
fall" asked a Tribune reporter of Mr.. Birdsall.
"I don't know, I don't know" he said en-
phatically, as though he did not really know
just what he thought. and all attempts to get him
to declare himself in favor of against such
plan were unavaing; he would not commit him
self.
TAKING sTEP5 TO PREVENT WASTE.
Commissioner Gilroy called meeting of all the
water inspectors yesterday morning. and gave them
strict orders to prevent any waste To facilitate
the work, the city was divided into districts and
one inspector was assigned to each district, and
for any waste in his district lie will be held re-
sponsible and will be discharged if he does not
do his duty.
The annual report of the Department of Public
Works for 1890 showed that there were then
22,O72 water meters in use in the city, Of which
1880 in barrooms hotels, 3S7; brcwcrics,
bottling establishments, etc, 4Oj; charitable in
stitutions, etc, 1871 Offices 2,122 manufacturing
establishments, 1924; gasworks, "a; railroads,
$50; stables, 2,094; apartment houses, 24l;
docks" 1917 district of Riverdale inclusive, 81.
Chief Engineer Birdsal said to Tribune
porter recently that water meters were being put
in at the rate Of over 1000 year. This would
bring the grand total of meters now in use up to
about 1000. The average amount of water
| registered by these meters every day when there
was plenty of water was 2s,508, 90 gallons, and
Of this amount 12747,000 gallons were used by
barrooms Commissioner Gilroy said yesterday
that only about so 900, 900 gallons were now being
used altogether or less than that used in private
houses alone.
Any citizen found wasting water will he fined
s. for the first offence, and for the second his
water supply will be turned off until all danger
of a famine is past. Police Superintendent Muir
ray said yesterday that he had not received in
proper use of water through hose. AS his order
on Saturday instructed the police captains to send
reports of any such arrests, the absence of any
indicated that no such arrests had been made.
MANUFACTURERS DISTURBED.
People throughout the city began to realize
Yesterday what a water-f famine means Especially
among the many owners of industrial establish
| ments which depend altogether on the Croton
water for carrying on their work were the anxious
faces and the reporter was greeted by inquiries
as to the probabilities for rain in every place which
he visited.
The brewers Of the city are naturally most ap-
| prehensiye of a water-famine. There is, perhaps,
no other industry which requires such great
amount of water, and water of the purest kind
so that no makeshifts in the shape of impure
water from artesan wells will do. Jacob Rupert
ir was seen Yesterday at the brewery No. ,630,
Thrd-ave.. He said that if the water supply
to be shortened, or cut of entirely, the IN
| convenience to them would not prevent brewing
beer They could stop for some time. as they had
| 400 900 kegs on hand, which would help them
| out and as most other brewers had also heavy
stocks in reserve, there would not necessarily he
any trouble to the public if the brewing OF beer
were to be stopped for short while. But the
great trouble and inconvenience would he In the
| cleaning and washing OF the vats and kegs, For
long, continually, and they can use nothing but
the purest and ceanest. Here is where the great
consumption of water takes place in the brew
ing industries. Much more water il used for this
purpose than for the brewing Of beer.
An idea Of the immense amount of water re-
ouired daily by the breweres In this city may be
gained from Mr. Rupperts statement Yesterday
lie said that they used about $4,000 gallons for
brewing alone This is only one brewery. There
! are siXty-four more in the city. and while they
do not all use as much. many of them do not
run far short of that quantity. Then there comes
the greater quantity Used by each brewery in
cleaning watts and kegs. All this water comes
straight from the Croton supply. The Ruppcrts
and George Ringler each have an artesan W"
but the water is salty, and can be used only for
washing wagons, etc One great source of waste.
| however, has been done away with by til, Rup-
perts and the Ehrets. The water which is kept
continually running over the condenscrs OF the
ice-machincs to cool them is now no longer drawn
from the reservoirs. The two firms have equipped
a pumping station at the East River. which now
supplies the water used for that purpose.
The artificial ice manufacturers of this city
who turn out from 400 to loo tons of artificial
ice daily, are also great users of water. This
| output represents several hundred thousand gal
| Ions of water taken from the CrOtOn supply.
ELEVATED TRAINS AFFECTED.
Colonel Hahn, of the Manhattan Elevated Rail
road. is another man who is anxious about the
scarcity of water. The elevated railroad system
of this city depends almost entirely on the Croton
water supply. There is one artesan well at
One hundred -and-forty ffth-st. which supplies some
| water to the Sixth-ave. line. but it yields only
| sixty gallons a minute. In this well water was
struck at a depth Of 200 feet, and contrary 10
some of the other artesian wells In this city, 1t
| furnishes perfectly pure and sweet water, which
is not only harmless to boilers, but is also good
| 10 drink. - >,
| Next to the Manhattan Railway, the New-York
| Steam Company of No. l73 Broadway Is one OF
the greatest consumers of Croton water for steam
purposes in this city, Their water taxes amount
! to $3.50 year. At the present tax rate, 10
| cents for hundred gallons, this means con
sumption of millions of gallons year-over $4,000
| gallons a day. Neither they nor the elevated
railroad company have yet suffered from the
scarcity of water. They cannot use anything but
| fresh water for their purposes. They have no
| artesan wells nor any other source but the
| Croton reservoirs to draw on, and salt water
would ruin their boilers and pipes; II they had
Of ,xnll III a