The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-12
WATER SUPPLY OF CITIES.
still Another Element of Greatness
in Which New York is In the Lead.

IN Whlch New DIRK is In the Lead.
From the New York Sun.
The consumption of water in London, a
seaport, averages 100000 gallons a day.
The consumption of water in Paris, the
shipping interests Of which are insight
ficant, is 100000 gallons a day. The
water supply of New York, second in
population but first in this particular ele-
ment of approved municipal progress, is
now 290,000O0O a day, and when the water
system of the enlarged city is more de-
veloped it will exceed 300 900, Co., The aver
age daily water supply of Baltimore is
100000 gallons; Boston, 60,O00OOO; st.
Louis, 100000; San Francisco q, 900 900.
and New Orleans, 100000
II is popularity supposed that the de-
mand for water regulates the supply, but
recent figures indicate rather the reverse of
this. In Chicago, of well-known inferi-
GRITTY among large American cities In the
extent and quality of its water supply,
40 gallons Of water a day for each in
habitant is what municipal authorities
have estimated should be sufficient. yet
1t requires 175 gallons for each individual
a day, and to check this the Water De-
partment of the Windy City is about to
introduce meters, having Just given an or
BY way of comparison it is noted that
the daily water consumption of the smoky
city of Pittsburg is $50 gallons for each
person, while In European cities the con-
sumption per capita is only from % to 30
gallons, % gallons being the average in
Hamburg, Dublin, and Liverpool and 40
gallons in Berlin, Manchester, and Edin-
burge.
There is relatively much less waste of
water in European than in American
cities. So long as the supply of water in
a city is abundant, in excess of the legiti-
mate demand for it and, therefore. not
subject 10 a deterrent tax, il is usually
to some extent, wasted; that is, it Is per
mitted TO overflow and is used for orna-
mental purposes in fountains, street
MIGRANTS and exhibitions. Then usually
there is change made by the establish
ment of meters and graded tax such
as the one from which New York city in
year gets for its treasury IS. 900, Co.,
There are now in New York more than
$1,000 water meters and since the intro
duction of Croton water into New York
in 1872 the gross receipts from water taxes
have been more than 800, 100000 How
much water would be used but for the
existing regulations, and the taxes i'm
posed in support of them is not easily
stated, but it might approximate the daily
consumption of wafer in ancient Rome.
the aqueducts of which were famous. and
which used, it is said, $50 100000 gallons
a day.
The requirements of water for business
purposes in a large city are varied and
extensive. Water is needed for ships. for
ocean and coastwise steamers steamboats,,
for boilers, for building operations. for
baths, for street sprnkling in summer
time, for parks, and for the exnnguish-
ment of fires The New York Fire De-
partment used last year 50,OOOOoo gallons
of water, of which $1,000 600 gallons was
CrotOn water The enlargement of the
city and the consolidation of Brooklyn
with it will bring up the total amount
consumed this year for fire purposes to
probably 100000 or nearly 10000 gallons
a day. Enormous quantities of water are
used for boilers in New York-for boilers
for machinery, for railroad locomotives,
for elevators, in gas works. in breweres,
in mineral water factories, in dye works,
and in stables. The last ITEM of demand
however, has been much reduced in re-
cent years by the partial Abandonment of
animal traction on the street cars, by the
popularity of bicycles as a means of tran
sit, and by the general discardng of horse
trOughs in the streets. A great city uses
water in proportion to the amount sup
piled, and New York city uses water more
literally than any other of the great cities
of the world because it has plenty and is
increasing its facilities for getting more
all the time. II is said TO be a historical
fact Qhough il is not everywhere acqulesc-
ed in that no city without a large water
supply ever grew very large, and no city
with an abundant water supply ever fail
ed 10 attain commercial distinction
Munich is a city In which recently the i'm
provement of the water supply has dimin-
ished the death rate greatly.
-S-e-S
What is the difference between your
teas?"
Clerk-In those of the first nnalit,, Soma |