New-York tribune., 1897-12-12
FOR THE BIG CITY.
TUE oyrnsTIoN OF SECURING A SUPPLY
FROM THE ADIRONDACKs

FHOM 1GE <hbAfNO-NA~<AO~~~'
A BILL on THE SUBJECT TO BE INTRODUCED 1i
SENATOR BRUSH AT THE COMING SESSION
OF THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
VIEWS OF THE PROJECT.
One Of the important questions to be brought Do,
fore tho Legislature at its session. this winter WI"
be that of water supply for the Greater New fOrA
TN. necessity OF water in large quantities as an
element IN the wellbeing and safety or the I'M
nsnse community clustered around New-forK Da'
in Recognized by everybody and almost eVeryooo' %
convinced that 10 secure II Il Will be neediui 10 30
far afeld and mako preparations on great sceie
The exceptions a few idealists. OF whoin oo,o
nal Waring is type who believe IT possible 10 ta'o
the water flowing through the sewers ano Cleanse
II 20 thoroughly as to make II NJ ior a'i pu
over and over again indefinitely. Scientihcaiiy !.
has bean demonstrated that this can be dohe' pu'
ths great majority of people at the present oaS
prefer to trust TO natures method OF puIhS"ns Wv
comb,na ation of oxygen and hydrogen known AS
water and than willing 10 let some iu'u's
generation put to practical test the pan auop' ~
by Colonel waring In doing quickly ana on si,a" .
scale what the processes OF nature 90 with oeno-
Grafton a large one.
The question OF a large supply OF water not oniy
for all parts Of the greater city here but for other
cities of the State. is not new one lot the nee M
lature II was presented last winter In piii Oh
fered by Senator George W. Brush. when oid not
get beyond the precincts Of the room OF the coin-
mittes to which 1t was referred senator oIus"
first idea was to create a commission. composed OF
.hrsA residents of Greater New-York. appointed
bv ths Governor together with the State Engineer
and the secretary Of the State Board OF Health'
which should make thorough inquiry INTO the
possible sources Of supply. the wants OF the c''e
and the feasibility of constructing reservoirs anu
conduits. AT the expense Of the State to meet the
general need. ~ -
This plan was modified after the bill was intro
duced the idea Of special commission being aoan-
doped for what were deemed good reasons ana the
work being intrusted TO the State Engineer Inc
bill proposed to authorize an expenditure OF SoV"
xor the necessary inquiries and estimates. but as
has been said 1t did not emerge from conini''ee
ANOTHER BILL THIS WINTER
7. Ia the intention Of DR.. Brush to introduce
similar bill at the coming session. and he IS now
getting II into shape. When asked about 1t last
week by q representative Of The Tribune senator
Brush said:
.I regard the question Of an adequate supply OF
pure and wholesome water as one OF vital inpoi-
sance to all the people OF the Greater Ne" ioiA A
territory I introduced bill on the subject last
winter and intend to introduce another this WIN
ter. All that we can do at present IN my luus-
rosnt is to investigate the subject. ascertain the
hest sources of a large water supply for the city,
and perhaps make some estimates as TO tne Cost u
hrin ginR the water 10 Where II is HoOueN'
"As far as Brooklyn Is concerned. suppose tnaI
xatsr enough can be obtained by going further Out
ON Long Island 10 last for fifteen years iohse''
taking into account the probable increase OIL popu
lation on the east side OF the river III 'hAt .iie'
The population of Brooklyn doubled IN 'he iII'een
years following 1885, and now 1t Is ABOUT i'VvV. S-
II bridges and tunnels are built over ana uNue-
,bs East River as they should be, 1t is not uhrea
sonable 70 suppose that the population OF blooAiSn
and the Borough OF Queens Will douole III lhe heN'
1,teen wears. Stin, think 1t safe TO assume 'ha'
we ca n get water enough from Long lsiaho u sup
ply the people for that length OF uhe'
"Rut II is obvious that the use OF water 'Ah
,oro The surface over constantly increasing part
=, the watershed Is attended with more or less
danger and on account OF the increase u w.
lation. the same IS true OF surface "a'oi .''' 49,
near the metropolis. In the Aolronoaeh $50 49,,
however there Is a vest water supply aDs
under the control Of the State, and am conV'hceu
,nat Z, Ga time 70 take measures that Will enaoie
Intellisent action TO be decided on by tnee LesiS
lature within a reasonable time. The STATE En-
gineer has already given conslderapie a.,e"'"
the Adirondack water supply. ana the OH "n'on
am having prepared will authorize MIN 10 p'ooeeu
with surveys and to make estimates as 10 .he
cos, NJ lmpounding the large quantity OF water
available In that region and OF supplying IL 10 the
cities in the eastern part Of the state iios "i,o
Albany for example-especialy Albany -aie -. 40
need of q better water supply, ana water IDN
also be furnished to other cities ao"e INV
River ,, A.. ao
"For the cities 20 cooperate in building the nee
.ssarv works would be awkward. and perhaps
impractcabe It feasSe fST Tor ihe the cites
70 bond itself for this hi & PnrpSSIe ns gradually each
nsving According to the amount OF water USE, So
TO do this woqla require an a,nendment should be
adopted by the Legislature this winter ~ he eono nsope
passed again next winter and s@es go over iii S
could not be passed again tin 1892 1892 ana 'he Hee''
ature could not 20 aSe1a law us is passed it will take
soe time 10 make the contracts and years Is woIau on
eapsss oiETs dnS tha It took ten to DO the
work after it decided on, woIitSa wiS hs Sn,shsd
and by that time II before we snaii De ,an IN
actual need OF the water IN tne mean ca iaTse scale
DE Ses ~ make water from Of the present
sources of supply At 10 use for drinking purp'Se'
WHAT Mr.. wI!Ds THINKS.
howard payson wilds. Deputy Commissioner OF
Public Works IN this city, was asked ior MS Vio"e
ON the question of securing water for the ehaiseu
CITY from the Adirondack region or some other Fe-
noota source In reply 10 the question he SAID:
.erron, what know about the water supply OF
Nau-York II does not seem TO me that the time
has come when 1t is necessary even 10 discuss tnat
subject refer, of course only to the supply Oh
the present city OF NewYork. for have no direct
knowledge regarding that OF Brooklyn, aIthough
= have been Informed that enough water can be
ob,ainea from Long Island TO meet the needs OF
~. ,sonle on the easterly side OF the East River
Ter many So far as SnS
LII u1 ha snf, lent for long time. with the IN
creased storage facilities which are being pro pro
yded under the sbe last Three ycaTs The storage
pacity OF the Croton system has Increased from
,,ia sss than IS c0 O50O0 of gallons TO about 40
M ~, CIo 'rhe consumption OF water Is enormous
sn Ills city being about 22S,oooooo gallons daily on
,aa -, syerage but in spite Of that We are abe 70
Store up about one hundred and seventy Gays
supply ...,, .r,s ,b,t large percentage
a, the water consumed Is wasted. This waste ls
1reyentsble and If II were rot permitted the Croon
.Yre,arshed would supply the inhabitants OF these
swo beroughs much longer. AS 10 the use OF water
meters | can only say that me time may come
,Se,, Il will be necessary 10 Introduce them on
,srsa scale Already the revenue OF the CITY Iron
~aG1sr sold by meter Is larger than that cohecteo
In the regular way.
w .rrp SUPPLIES OF THE GREATER CITY.