New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-22
FRIDAY, :
MAY x. 1896.
ANGRY WORDS AT A FEAST.
ALDERMAN FRANCISCO TRIES TO HAVE
FUN WITH ENGINEER DE vARoNA.
THE OCCASION WAS THE ANNUAL JUNKEr OF
THE ALDERMEN AND THE INCIDENTAL IN
sPEcrIoN OF THE wATERwoRKs
QUESTIONS ASKED WHICH
CAUSED A SMALL RIOT.

Long Island yesterday. and could not have FOUND
a more disagreeable day for their yearly junket II
II had been made to order. 1t may be as we'll TO
explain to those people who are not entirely fam-
lar with this Adermanic proceeding that 1t means
considerable Of a picnic some unnecessary ex-
penditure Of the peoples money and not great
deal Of useful inspection However the inspection
is legalzed by Title Is. Section % OF the Char
ter. which compels an annual inspection OF the
water supply by the City Fathers. and therefore
they proceed to their business with perfectly clear
consciences. collectively and individually The
prime movers in the affair are the members OF the
Water and Drainage Committee. of which Adam
LEIGH is chairman and Aldermen Francisco. Mes
singer Oltrogge, Myers and Connolly, his coadju-
tors But the annual inspection is such an impor.
tant affair that the presence Of the entire Council
Is necessary to see that engineers do not waste
the money Of the people. Consequently there were
many Aldermen in the ATTY who performed their
duty nobly. They were President Joseph r. Clark
and Aldermen Rugges. Singleton Curtis. Will
iams. Guilfoyle, Maurer and Taylor. There were
also present OF the city officials City Works Com
missioner Willis. Engineer of Water Supply Do
Varona, Chief Engineer Milne. City Clerk Benja-
man. and several clerks and assistant clerks OF
the city building. who went along as supernumer-
aries to keep the details in order.
linen there were OtilefS VIII dStcu III TIC SopoS-
ity OF camp followers so to speak. and consumers
of supplies. Mayor Wurster was to have gone. but
a Sunday school affair IN the Eastern District
prevented 1t was quite a merry gathering as to
the Aldermanic portion, and IL the day had been
pleasant there Is no telling what would have hap
pened before shutdown. Az II was, Alderman
Francisco who began early. and stopped NOBODY
knows just when, managed before the afternoon
was over to have some words with Engineer De
Varona at hotel In Hampstead where the dinner
was eaten Wise counsel prevailed, and the OBJ
streperous Alderman was sat down upon, but not
entirely Quieted.
The train which took the crowd TO Massapequa.
where the contractors, Edwards. Monohan & Mill
ler have erected the main drivewell station. LETT
the station at o'clock The day was cold and
drizzly, and about as cherries as any one could
imagine But II 1t was cherries outside 1t was
quite cheerful within the cars. After about an
hours run the Aldermen and their friends piled
out, and under the leadership Of Mr.. De Varona
inspected the temporary plant and the pond at the
station. Mr.. De Varona explained the system OF
drivewes and also stated to the Aldermen that
at this point which Is the eastern limit OF the
watershed supply the city owns about hve nun
dred acres OF ground.
The Tribune has already given in detail a de-
scription Of the Massapequa station. 1t Is SUI
icient TO say now that the works are Still IN the
hands Of the contractors. and will not be accepted
by the city until they prove their capacity to de-
liver daily 25,000.O00 gallons Of water. At In
tervals on the watershed from point consid-
erably east Of the city limit are numerous sup
ply ponds These the party gazed at With
curiosity. and some OF them showed an intelli-
gent interest in what had been done 30 far By
the engineers. At Massapequa two or three q
the Aldermen remained at the station. evidently
thinking more Of personal comfort. considering
the nclemency OF the weather, than they did
OF an actual inspection OF the plant, but others
Of the party climbed over iron pipe and waded
through wet underbrush About al hour was
spent at Massapequa, after which the party
took carriages and proceeded to the pumping
station at Merrick where, as usual, Mr.. Do
varona was spokesman. From Merrick visit
was paid to the Milburn pumping station one OF
the finest of It's kind in the country. On the
way several of the supply ponds were hastily In
spected Mburn Is the last large pumping sta
ton between Massapequa and the Ridgewood
Reservoir 1t Is between Milburn and Ridge
wood that the large 4S-inch pipe conduit for the
additional millions OF gallons needed daily by
the city and which TO be pumped into the
Ridgewood reservoir will be laid when the con-
tract is made this summer. The Milburn station,
as the Aldermen saw. is model pumping plant
1t is large and airy. is conducted with the great.
est economy and care. and Is a credit to the
present and past administrations. The building
was erected, 1t may be remembered. by Mike
Dady who never falls to impress upon his
friends that he is responsible for the elegance Of
this particular station.
MIR. DE vARONAs STATEMENT
Engineer De Varona had great deal to say
about the technical part OF the water supply. and
what he said is embodied practically in the fol-
lowing statement:
Our old watershed covers an area, approximately.
OF sixty-six square miles, from which. in the ex-
Sspenay dry .an Of d s the o Ga as
over 10000 gallons square mile. equivalent 70
1888 inches OF rainfall or ~ per cent OF the total
rainfall OF that year. which was 1888 inches. The
watershed from Rockville Centre TO Massapequa
covers an area OF little ever one hundred square
be the day S S.nnns sss
additional conduit and enlargement of the pumping
assumed 6 gallons, watch may b d. DIVIDED
Ions; to be obtained from further Development
100000 gallons. Of which amount 100000 gallons
Miller
/, will be noticed that the figures assumed for the
IS esas t on s S 81 the sos
whereas in this Il is about two-hfths, or. to
put II In another FORM with sxty-six square miles
In the old watershed. the minimum daily Yield OBJ
tanned for the summer Of 1884, the dryest one
known in seventy years. 100000 gallons ana
for the new watershed, with an area OF 100 square
miles. over 50 per cent more. the assumed ulti-
mate supply is only 37.5 per cent greater ASSUME
Ing this development. the total aggregate supply
from the existing watershed would be I4.0O00
gallons Our present average daily consumption 70
about 50 100000 gallons.
INSUFFICIENT STORAGE CAPACITY.
Our present conduit has a capacity of about
70 OOoo 900 gallons and the auxiliary forty-eisht-inch
pipe is good for 90 100000 gallons more. making .
total OF 100000 gallons 1t is apparent then that
whenever our daily consumption exceeds that
amount. we have to draw from our Ridgewood
reservoir the capacity OF which is only sufficient
for four days Bearing in mind that on some days
has ALI