New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-07
MATER EOR GREAT CITIES.


Many Of the bcsr-known cities of America have
been having serious trouble with their supplies
~ wafer. Chicago has suffered SO much from
fine pollution Of the lake by tho ri'ys sewage
tho, a lingo undertaking. the digging ~ canal
g., corrv the sewage 10 the Mississippi River. is
now in nrocrcss Philadclphans have had rea-
son 10 COMPLAIN over and over again that Their
.,,o- ,,.s unfit 10 drink unless II had been
houod Hroollvn has been Threatened repeated
IL with an alarming scarcity of water. -. LOUIS
has been compelled 70 max" use OF wafer 80
muddy that II locked like weak cone" ana sin'"''
Ike the DRAWINGS ~ II swamp. Newark Jersey
City and other important COMMUNITIES nov III
from New-York have passed through meah'hoN
n,rlonces because ~ the excessive quantities
~ Ieletcrlous matter which accumulated III me
streams from which they drew their wafer. On"
If the greatest problems before every 'h'kF
settled community II the provision 81 an ample
water supply ~ pure and wholesome qn'H.
IN. city ~ Stamford has b,rn afflicted with
distressing endemic OF typhoid fever when
w,uId never have occurr,-l II stanford had fur
nlsbcl It's people with good water ID" Mas>a
cluse,ts Legislature recently decided that Boston
.,1 tho cities In the vicinity Of Boston must
have within a reasonable time. extensive add
fiona in their water works Boston. Ike N"w
work has boon spending great deal - money
t., roo.,, v,,rs lllihnugh no, nearly 50 much ~
vcvynrk has SPENT In drawing upon new
sources of supply and in constructing large S''r
oc, rosorvolrs. In, the demands ~ It's people
hov. increased SO rapidly that II Is evident
Boston must have before long an Immensely
crcoter ouantity Of water than now reaches The
Log
noss,sl a bin providing for The creation NJ som"
future date OF a metropolitan water distrlc''
which will include not only the city Of Boston.
but also n number of n"lghborlng cites. IL !
,,t.ndol ~ cons,rncis in The valley ~ the
| Nashua River. about forty miles from BOSTON
,,o greatest reservoir ever known. on" much
larger than any ~ the huge reservoirs Wiii'h
haze. hocn hull, 10 store water FOR this mcirUpo-
lis Some Massachusetts legislators estimate
that TO provide an adequate supply for the whole
| nroposal metropolitan water district IN Massa-
chusctts will cost nearly SfO,WC,WU, the expcndi-
| ,ures 10 bc spread over long series OK years.
I, &c probabc that even this estimate IL too low.
and &c this colossal undertaking is carried ou' on
| tho scale which some u the engineers who have
hcen consulted think will be necessary. the total
cos, may possibly be nearer $GOOvOWD than
sao oon ouo II this enterprise is put through. 1t
| will make important and conspicuous ch'ne'S
| IN Eastern Massachusetts.
| tn. ,o,naycrs Of New-York have spent scores
| Of millions " dollars upon The Cro'on wafer sup
| uly Since the new aque'lnct was 'oihp'''u'
| New Workers have not felt any alarm as 10 Il
shor, supply for drinking and for cleansing pur-
| n,scs II Is true that In some parts OF The city
| tho nressure Is unsatisfactory. ana people living
! IN those parts Of the metropolis suhcr neon
| vonicnce Many Insurance experts say, NOR"
| over that the water pressure ought 10 he far
| stronrcr I'm order 10 provide "A sufficient supply
| In coscs OF fire In certain districts Of Manhattan
| Island. But the water question before this com
| mun,ty will he for number of years ques
| ,ion rather Of distribution than Of the quantity
| which can be obtained from the Croton Valley
with both the new and the old aqueducts In use
| with the completion OF the huge dam which the
| Aoueduct Commission IL building. with the con
| s,r,ction OF the Jerome Park Reservoir and other
| croot reservoirs the next century will he well
advanced before the people Of New-York will
be- called upon TO go beyond the Croton Valley
still. the people OF the chief city OF the United
| STATES have become accustomed 10 using water
SO lavishly that In IL few decades the Croton Val
ers. 1t may then be necessary to go TO LAX,
| George or 10 IN, Adlrondncks for sufficient
quantity 10 meet the needs Of the splendid cap
ltal Of the future.
Americans demand enormous quantities OF
wacr The consumption In ihIs city in proper
ton to the population Is so large as to prove tina
a great percentage Of the people here people
Of Clearly habits and use water pruligally
Nevertheless Ncw-York IL far behind ancicn
Rome in Its water supply. The magnincen
aqueducts constructed by the Romans poured
into the stately centre Of that splendid Empire
the copious streams which supplied the hug,
public baths In the various quarters Of the city
Rome was city Of baths and Of fountains. an,
her citizens were never compelled TO be fr,lga
or sparing In the use Of water NcwYork ough
to have IA sufficient water supply to provide pub
lie baths in great numbers. both In the lowe
and upper parts OF the city, and also 10 max,
the city city Of fountains. The metropolis
has been sadly lacking In beautiful and artistic
fountains. Its attractions would be Increase,
wonderfully II IT were n peer with certain
cities In Europe In the variety and beauty Of III
fountains. Until Lake George or Lake Cham