New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-27

suonlv Of water from remote points. Mr.. Nc
Kelway thought that the whole question was
essentially financial one Al ~ ~ v'ei, own
rich and fairy out Of debt. Ii nlSnt wen own
and run its own water plant. Il the ciiy was
greatly in debt the difference between me N"Se
cost OF creating n plant or OF "u. ,re ,,Sjca
large existing plant ar J the COST OF t'e -,
paid for water each year to private par.'ea .yu i
well be borne in mind He believed Il em.isH
a matter affected by circumstances indtt'l
az T,nte or of public policy and not mater
of hard and fast rules. As to Wha' hI T,S,.
shol.lI do in the circumstances. MT. MrNt tN,
said he had entire confidence ~ 's ~. ien.,
,,,,;nistrotjon ON that subject, ar. AT Ioas''
crt;r, confidence in the effect on that auI ;i-
traton of The Eagles c"inihen'S 'o"' '''"7
this question in the pubic interest,"
QUESTION OF COT.
Alfred r. White, while Comnissioner OF ''.y
Works. suggested that Mayor ""rS'e' S''o''i
aupoiut a commission. consisting % -
.i,iyons editors Of newspapers ana ehsl"ec'S'
,o'i, 49,. o,,.sf,an whether r. rot the d;y
ehoul5 continue to draw WAGER for the c''' "''
,n,oueh tire leasing of water rights on i-2hs
tsl,rJ ~ should purchase such water i'S'"
ei;her on Long Island or elsewiie ,o,. nv .
Mayor Wugster whch a'Ne" h had taken
Tribune reporter whether or not ne n1u ~, no,
n,,. etnrs f,r the appointment or sEcn coi'I
mission. said that he had rot. and could h1' gay
whether cr not h w3u!i az, W. n.d i' sErrt time
aeo' he said which cost the cry, u, NM,
about $4,000 That commission r 'spia,t which
h.ra
=" MA he oh; ,irrI b. the leasing 81 water Tsn'S
+, furnish a supply for this city for quarter u
4 century to come o., 8, ,oii.,..1 =,
vn,ld he more advis tbe to buy the water suppy
for the city outrigh; .han TO secure II % lv"''"s
of water privileges. in repy ne saiu' :, ., ,or
eft is purely a MISTER Of business. IL - '"..
ho sbnvn thai the City can buy water chcapri
than the cost Of pumping IT. thsh IL mou,u u
profitable t. buy II. for under such az az w.,
The seller would have, 10 deliver ihe water 10 'ne
ci,, II is q nurclv business matter. the same as
~ a man in one line Of business requires certain
material In conducting that business. II ne couiu
buy il from man who has the pant 10, manu- ,
featuring il AT a less cost than IL woulu De ~
manufacture it himself he would not be much ol
a business man If he did not aVaii hi"sei' Vi '"7
Opportunity to buy the material
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP ADVISED
George W. Birdsall. chief engineer OF inc
Croton Aaueduct was seen yesterday AFTERNOON
q, his office in the building OF the Public Works
Department of NewYork City. in Chahoers-S'
He was asked to say something about the ques-
tons brought forward. and replied that he be-
lievod in the municipal ownership oil water
works which, il had ben proved IN most large
cities, resulted more satisfactorily man Ou! Ii's
water from private corporations "Hlcn Vs ,,.
borrow money chcaply as cities anu Ht"'cs
can and which do not offer the same sareeuard
against accident To means OF supply when Is OF
fered by municipal ownership oil water p'aI'a.
san Francisco is the only one OF the largest
cities in this country. he said. whose water sup
ply is drawn from private sources lie sald th'
he thought that Brooklyn should look lor an IN
creased supply from Long Island. which. in his
opinion offered the best and cheapest source
lie said that the Long Island district - M,
ural reservoir OF water, because lts son Is sdhu;
MIR Birdsall firmly believed that Brooklyn c"u'd
continue TO get her water supply from Long
Island sources. but that she should pay for H.
He said the city might put down VOLS III
small area and drain the section, thereby IN
conveniencing people in the immediate neigh
borhood. whose supply would be lessened. II ne
had to deal with the Brooklyn supply ne ~ouia
undoubtedly go to Long Island. and that II II
became necessary to buy a whole watershed IL
night be bought. lie said. however. that Brook
lvn should 10 II that all waste Is stopped. 10y
the Introduction Of water meters. etc. as the
question Of waste LIS really one OF the most I'm
portant connected with the subject BROOKLYN
he said. has got to curtail the use OF Wal.r III
The future and stop wasting u. IN" questions
Of water and sewers" aid NJ Blrdsall, are
two that Of most Importance 10 me modI'h
Of the community. In fact. they are vital
As T. the supplying of san Francisco WIN
water by private corporations. Mr.. BirdsaU said
that that city Is always at loggerheads with the
companies London has been trying 10 get rid or
private supply. but. Of course the cnanse th'Te
involves enormous financial conslGeraii1nS
Undoubtedly the sources near New-York are
inadequate to supply the rnetr'politan district
said NJ Brdsall II regard the Glens Falls plan
as perhaps the most feasible and safe = those
YOU have spoken Of. one thousand million, or
even l. 200 900 0OO gallons could be supplied there.
but the river wonld have II he damned. ana
Lake George might have TO be brought into us.
AZ to the Port Jervis scheme. perhaps enough
water to supply the metropolitan district might
be procured from that source. hut shouldn't
care to build the reservoir for H. Then the
question OF the navigation ~ the Delaware lower
down might be a nerious one because OF the d.
mnshmcnt Of supply. At present the Delaware
IS navigable almost 70 Trenton Moreover Phil
adclphia and nearby towns naturally look 10 the
Upper Delaware for increased water supply.
Philadelphia at present draws her water supply
from the Schuylkill and the Delaware rivers.
about one-half Of it from each lnvesiigations
ID. b. lad, Init TO Gno fhA
amount Of water that could be brought from the
Water Gap also. AS to the Ramapo and Housa-
tonic schemes, don't think that they are good,
because Of the question OF the amount Of supply.
and for other reasons.
WATER NOT FREE.
"People have got to get rid Of the idea that
water is as free as air. In speaking u the
sty OF supplying Greater NewYorlS in years TO
come can say that II were twenty-five years
old and starting in to handle this problem. |
should be worried about the years 10 come. But
New-York will have sufficient suppl" FOR the
near future, hope. Brooklyn might proftably
have followed NETWORKS example in spending
large sums Of money on operations to provide an
adequate supply. | think that. for n while at
least each Of the cities In the metropolitan dis
trict might well attend To its own water supply.
My impression Is that New-York won't have TO
bother with going away Off for water for ten
twelve years. II necessary. water could be car
ried across the rivers in pipes laid on the river
bed. a gas company now carries two thirty-slx-
inch pipes from side Of the river to the other.
Tunnelling Of course, would be expensive, and
the Por, Jervs scheme Is a big But then al
most anything can be done In Che engineering
way If We only have money enough to do 1t. one
thing is certain. you can't get sufficient water To
this city without pumping It. | remember when
we were working on the aqueduct that man
from Chicago came f. see me. and in mis- large
breezy way said Why don't you - to the lakes
for supply? Well. perhaps that Is not impossl-
bic All these questions have to be carefully dealt
he he of
supply object to the diminishing OF water. The
question Of waste. as have told you. Is a most
serious one In - per cent Of the houses In New
York City the plumbing Is exposed and people
keep their water running to prevent II from
freezing In the winter. Therefore. more water Is
used. or wasted In winter than In summer We