The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-12-19
new HAVEN IS FORTUNATE
IN HI TING SO LARGE A WATER
SUPPLY.

The Imminent Water Famine in Hart.
ford, Meriden and Bridgeport-New
Haven's Needs Not Yet Curtailed bu,
an Abundant Rain Is Greatly Needed
The New and Powerful water'whceI
at Lake whitney.
The drought which has long prevailed
In Connecticut was little relieved by
the recent rains and unless heavy fall
comes coon there is very apt to be a
water famine in several parts of the
state.
The water supply in Meriden, Hart
ford and Bridgeport is very low and
received practically no benefit by Sun
days shower and serious state Of af-
fairs has arisen in all those cities, espe-
cially Hartford.
In Hartford serious calamity can
hardly be averted unless the elements
change. The supply there has been for
weeks very low and the ultimate resort
will be the Connecticut river unless
abundant rain falls. In the first place
the city pumps are not powerful enough
to supply the city with water from that
river and then the water is impure, as
the river catches all the sewage of
Springfield and other cities and towns
al So 10, -. al 80
Hartford.
In Meriden and Bridgeport, as in
Hartford, the uses Of the water has
been restricted to a considerable extent
for weeks.
In an interview yesterday with Presi-
dent Eli Whitney of the New Haven
Water company, he referred somewhat
to the critical condition Of Hartford,
Meriden and Bridgeport as regards
water supply and said that the condl-
ton Of affairs in those cities was more
serious than a great many people here
realize. President Whitney was asked
regarding the water supply of New Ha-
ven. He said that New Haven was par
ticularly fortunate in having such
lakes from which to draw and If it was
iiOl LII tillS ioSty &NCW i1oFCi WOdiA
also have been threatened with a water
panic.
Mr.. Whitney said that the supply was
getting quite low here, however, but as
yet there has been no restriction on the
supply. He said that If the lakes should
freeze and II there should be no heavy
rain in the near future before the freez-
ing occurs New Haveners would have
to be restricted in their use of the
water.
The putting in of the new wheel of
the New Haven Water company at
Lake Whitney is nearly completed and
the new wheel is expected to do great
service when the water becomes high
enough so pumping by 1t Will become
possible The new wheel will do twice
as much service In pumping as the two
old wheels did. The old wheels had
done service for thirty years and had |
about outlived their usefulness. At
present, of course, the water Is pumped
INTO the big reservoirs by steam power.
As to the condition of affairs in Bridge
port one Of the Bridgeport papers Of
says: The past week has not
resulted in any improvement In the |
water situation. The Hydraulic COM
oany is more concerned than ever be-
,ause of the repeated disappointments. |
Rain has been promised again and |
tgain, and each time the clouds that |
nave gathered have either dispersed |
giving forth any moisture, or |
Use there has been fall amounting to |
fractional part of an inch.
The big Easton reservoir is falling |
It the rate of 2 IL feet week. or
nearly five inches daily, yet the press
ire there has been reduced and the Hy-
raulic company Is drawing less than 1t
lid a few weeks ago. There are about
rs 100000 gallons in this basin. The
lgures look large. but it is easy to fig
re how comparatively small the
mount is, when one considers that the
ity is using 10000, 900 gallons daily. II
Ii the water were drawn from there it
you'd be exhausted in two weeks.