New-York tribune., 1897-08-22
OLD PUMPS OF NEW-YORK.
ONLY THREE OF THE REMINDERS or
VILLAGE DAYS LEFT STANDING.

litSnIcnt. cSpeClallN welcome on SultlN hi'i"
ings and afternoons to man and beast only
three remain Only three out of the hundred
and more-the exact tally never kept-and
these have somewhat fallen from their high and
historic estate for by order Of the Board Of
Health. the wells beneath them have been filed
up and the streams that flow now come from
the Croton water mains. There is. as a matter
OF statistics, not single one Of the old wells
that once furnished such pure and delicious
liquid in to-day. But the three old pumps
still left bring back the past for they are of the
precise type and kind that existed in lSio, when
the Croton Adueduct first began to supply the
ctys needs.
PASSING OF THE PUMPS.
The year 1854 marked the going Of the pumps
Of Ncw-York Prior to that time only the pumps
that had rottcd through age and were not re-
paired taken down In 1SSl and lSS' the
Health Board began to investigate the condi-
ton of a great number of the old wells. and con-
dcmncd q more With the ming IN OF
these wells the pumps above them. now use
less were taken away. Those that were left re-
maincd until 1899 the year Of the cholera scare,
when the dangers from impure water became so
real that the Health Commissioners took speedy
action. DIR. Ernst j. Lederle. the chemist Of the
Board sent on a tour OF the city, ana ne
analyzed the water of each existing well. Frac-
cally all were found to be impure and general
order went forth. The conditions Of a great
metropolis were discovered to have been too
much for these wells. that had come into being
when the town merely collection OF vii
lagos The surface water running along the
cutters to the sewers. had filtered in through the
cracks and the loose earth between the stones,
and in every case this well water had been pol
luted.
WITH HIM.
There is no New-Yorker to-day who give
q complete history of all the wells that once dot
ted the streets. Material for this-and it would
have been interesting page Of civic records
might have been had a few years ago, but the
opportunity has gone by forever. only last
year there died, without public notice PADDY
the Pump" "Paddy"-"Paddy" Burns-was an
old IriShman who for a quarter of a century had
been employed by the Department Of Public
Works to repair the pumps Of the town. When
ever complaint came in. Paddy the Pump
would be sent off the job. He had couple of
laborers under his orders to do the hard manual
work. They were Invariably thick headed fellows
-"Paddy' wanted no others-but the "Pump'
himself was an exceedingly intelligent though an
uneducatcd man.
He knew every pump Of the city and every
spot where pump had ever been He
walking mine OF pump lore But-and this
his great peculiarity-he would never tell. What
was necessary for his superiors to know could be
drawn out of him. though the process would be
ATTENDED with much difficulty. but a general
discourse. or even any stray remarks, the
pumps Of New-York he could never be induced
to give. He would shut up like clam when
such an attemp' would be made.
PADDY THE PUMPS" FAITH
The reason Of his secretiyeness was finally
discovered He believed to the day Of his death
that the Croton system would finally prove "A
failure or at least need an extensive overhaul
Ing Then the heyday Of the pumps would come
back Being the only man who knew all about
them he would then become a prominent oiii-
cial and his Place he forever secure Even
when the Board of Health edicts came out and
pumps passed away in the city government his
faith never weakened that some day their turn
would come more.
The three old pumps standing to-day are all
far downtown. one is at Greenwich and Dey
sts.. and might well be called the farmers
pump for the reason that the farm wagons
that bring produce into Washington Market all
use it. on a hot summers day long line of
wagons is always to be seen in front of this
picturesque structure, and many six pals
are frequently in requisition Every teamster
in New-York it is said knows Of this pump
and makes use of il whenever he happens to
be in its vicinity. The present framework is
only thirty years Old but the pump site is a
famous one and dates far back Like the other
two old pumps it has a wooden box directly
underneath which, fitted with a stOpcock and
valve is supplied from the water main and kept
constantly full
Directly opposite each other and standing on