The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-17
BROOKLYN'S WATER SUPPLY
SERIOUSLY CONTR iCTED BIZ THE
BREAKING OF A PUMPING ENGINE.

| II VIII Take Nearly n Month TO Repair the
EnRise-In the Mean Time the Reserve OF
1eO,o0O,o00 Gallons IL Going at the Rate
OF About 1000 q. 900 Gallons "a Dny.
Brooklyn is again seriously threatened with
| q scarcity Of water. owing to the disabling OF
engine No. 3. which had pumping capacity
| OF 15.0000O0 gallons a day. in one OF the
| Ridgewood stations. In one station there arc
three beam engines and one horizontal en-
| gine. and In the other two Worthington on
gines. and. the total contracted pumping
capacity OF these Blk engines. from which
Brooklyn depends for its ontire water supply.
| Is 30 100000 gallons n day. There is another
small engine in one OF the stations with a
capacity OF 100000 gallons daily. which can
be used In temporary emergencies. As the
| average daily consumption is now between
70.OO0.o00 and SO.U0o.0oO gallons it will lie
seen that tho breaking down OF one OF the big
engines will reduce the average daily supply
below the actual average consumption.
The disabling OF engine No. 3 was caused by
tho breaking Of tho main shaft. which is -
| inches in diameter. The break occurred on
Wednesday night. when the engineers were
running the engine slowly. otherwise 1t would
nave been completely wrecked. month Mt
least will DO required TO repair II. This is
what Engineer Van Brunt Bergen says in his
report on the accident:
Tho daily consumption OF water in the city
Is about 700OOOO0 gallons. which. with cold
weather. will probably run up to sU.OUO.OOu
The remaining. engines. with the Temporary
engines erected last year. running full Capac-
ity twenty,four hours each, nay. can pump
about 6;n .o.0oOOQO gallons. kidgewood liespr;
therefore tie difficult to furnish u full supply
OF op water to the city Till The repairs IRE made.
], and .. which have been reported 50 many
times. perhaps impossible"
elhle Tor the danger to which the city Is at
present exnosed. inasnluch rs tho Mayor. City
Works Commissioner Adams. and Chief En-.
attention Of the Board to tho necessity Of en- en-.
i w6Gh The pumping iasiies at the Ridge;
Of the old, engines treaking down at any NJ,
moment. As far back as May II. Chief En-
neer Van BureP called sreca attention to
Works Adams. and the latter laid It before he
Mr.. Van buren, said: ~ - - "''''
u% sSsu Ea pt ct nS e
100000 COG gallons daily. in order to put US in
s safe pGGsstion. 1t will require one year to
duplicate plant be erected at the new engine
house and that the work be pushed ahead as
\ and sgS n a
they may work economically and safely. The
new new engines must ,n be e0meed before We
| urge immediate action in this matter which
| Is Of extreme imnorta uc-. The estimated cost
cotincreasing our pumping In accordance with
these recommendations. is $4,000"
The 5eport was PROMPTLY submitted by
thar the Board authorize the immediate con
struction Of the needed improvements. 1t
was Ee!erred b., the Board t" tho Committee
on Water and Drainage, and has ever since
been slumhering there. Several reasons
some not complimentary TO the Aldermen.
have been suggested for the official indflrr-
ence. The most plausible Is that some Of the
most influential members Of the Board wer. in
active hostility to City Works Commissioner
Adams. and were determined to delay the re-
CURED improvements. unless they were
allowed to have something to say in reference
to thu giving out o! the contracts. II is n fact
that some Of the Aldermen. finding that Mr..
Adams had resolved to run the City Works
Department without their assistance. tried TO
defeat his reappointmcnt by Mayor Body.
and. failing in that. have since lost no oppor-
tunity to show their opposition to him.
While engine No. 3. which was constructed
In 1859 at cost Of $2OO.UUO. is being repaired.
the city will he compelled to draw on the
reservoir. which now contains about OOUO.-
900 gallons. The actual reserve. however is
only 10 900 900 gallons. as 30.OrO.OUO will be
virtually lost. owing to the inability to pump
below a certain depth. In the event OF ex-
treme cold weather or big fire. and the con-
sequent increase in the consumption of water.
1t Is estimated that the reserve supply would
gallons daily.