New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-03-12
CITY DRENCHED BY RAIN.
IMMEDIATE DANGER OF WATER
FAMINE REMOVED.
RUNNING TO WASTE OVER THE CRoToN
DAM-MORE OF FALL IS NEEDED

RUNNING TO WASTE OVER THE CRoToN
DAM-MoRE OF A FALL IS NEEDED
The rain that drenched the city on sunday
night and yesterday morning extended over tile
region from which the city draws its supplies
of water, and aIlayed, for the present at leds'
the fear of a famine. George w. Blrdsall' the
chief engineer of the Department of Water Sup
ply. was smiling and hopeful yesterday AFTER
noon and he said to Tribune reporter;
The situation has been greatly changed by
the rain of last night. 1 have reports that snow
that 245 inches of rain fell in the kenSlco re-
gion two inches in the Croton district and 2bo
inches on Long Island, while here IN Manhdt-
tan, where the rain was useful only IN WASH
ing the streets. there was fall OF 10 lncheS-
All the streams in the watersheds have been
raised. In the Croton Valley the ground was
frozen and all the water into the streams
the ground not being able to soak any of it up
The result is that the streams are high and
muddy I suppose the next howl we shall hear
about the water is that it is dirty. The water
in the Croton Lake has been raised six feet by
the freshets. and at / o'clock this afternoon the
water was running to waste over the Croton
Dam.
Are you going to let water escape that way"
was asked.
we are going to save all we cam" Mr..
Brdsall replied. and are shutting off from
the Croton Lake to-day all the reservoirs in
Westminster County and Putnam County from
which have been drawing stored wa ter during
the long drOuth Those reservoirs will catch
and hold the water from a drainage area of one
hundred square miles. We may need all next
summer if don't get more rain.
DO you expect more rain soon?"
81 hope for it, We still short Of what we
shall need for next summer and fall The av-
erage rainfall in the CrotOn watershed in Janu-
airy, February and March is sixteen inches So
far this year we have had only 81 inches.
Unless have a great deal more rainfall this
month to fill up all the reservoirs there will be
danger Of scarcity of water again next fall"
Has the rain done away with the water
famine in The Bronx
1t has aIayed the worst fears. but il will he
two three weeks before the people in The
Bronx will have plenty of water. The Bronx
gets its water from the Kensico region, which
has drainage basin of tWenty-three square
miles. The kensicO Lake has been raised
about five feet to-day. 1t down several feet
below it's highest level before the rain came
The streams may tll up the lake before more
rain comes but the conduit from the KensicO
Lake to the Williamsbridge reservoir will carry
only fifteen million gallons day, and the water
In the reservoir was thirty-four feet lower than
II ought to he TO give sufficient pressure to
make the water run in the houses high
ground in The Bronx Until the water in the
ficent height the people Of The Bronx will not
get the full, benefit of the rain of last night
That may take two three weeks
According to the Weather Bureau the fall of
water in Manhattan up to \ a. m. yesterday
80 inches.