New-York tribune., 1901-03-09
THREATEN TO SUE CITY.
WATER SUPPLY SITUATION BECOMING
SERIOUS IN BROOKLYN AND
THE BRONX.

The water supply situation in Brooklyn is assuu-
,ng a serious aspect. Chief Engineer Van Buren,
sais Yesterday THAI he did not know which way 10
,urn 10 relieve IL, and that 1t would not be i'm
nroved till the authorities appropriated enough
,onev 10 admit OF asking for bids 10 supply water
ge declared the private companies did not have
orv more water than they needed for themselves
and could not help 10 any great extent The only
nav out Of the difficulty he could see was for pri-
ste partes 10 sink wells from which an extra sup
,lv might be drawn.
Regarding Brooklyn. Chief Engineer Birdsan said
yesterday that they were getting a supply OF 5000
sOO or oO 00a gallons OF water daily and were try
,,g 10 use 20 001eOO gallons The supply had
,anen greatly in the various reservoirs and the
,rlv one rear its normal condition was the reser-
,,oir Al Mount Prospect. which now holds between
aoo 600 and 1000 600 gallons. That amount kept
s- fire purposes only. From the storage reservoirs
:. Pideewood water was being lost the rate OF
more than an inch a day. At present there were
nnlv three and half inches of water in the Ridge
oos reservoirs. The chances were that somebody
uas eoing 10 be without water before long.
The citizens OF the hill section OF Brooklyn. whose
boundaries are De Kalb and Atlantic aves Adelphi-
:. and Grand-ave., have suffered greatly during
she last week. In only few instances could water
hs attained above the first story, and the supply
,s eroWinr worse daily. In fats and large apart
-rent houses gas engines and hand pumps have 10
Ne used Many tenants are moving away 10 other
neighborhoods
Az the Pouch Mansion, in Clinton-ave II is neces-
ssry TO depend altogether on the gas engine. which
q kept going all day long to furnish the needed
supply Of water.
Nanv complaints have been received by the
leonard Waugh Company. real estate. OF No. sos
Fpton-st The company finds difficulty in renting
rnper asts and tenants protesting against
lsen necessary 10 install gas engines. and many
rTiyate houses have had 20 be provided with hand
PI"R5 RPumbtr or citzens have threatened to refuse
10 pay water taxes in The circumstances and to
sue the city. Charles Wilhelnss: property owner,
~ Eastern Parkway and Cuca-ave-, called on
he could nor get any water az an az ms nous, s
His neighbcrs were IN the same plight, ana ne
asserted that il case OF sickness or IN the event
Of fire be would hoa me e1E p Esii -
similar complaint was made by Wesley :. Block q
resident OF the same neighborhood. He also sai9
he would not nay any water taxes. and threatened
A. NE large fats at Clinton ana Greene aves. 81
was said yesterday that Il had been impossible TO
set any water on the second st0rg Ior srssy
there pressure, and no water al All coulo
The water supply Department yesterday received
hundreds Of letters from all parts or .Breoklyn,
tbe second hoor. and in many cases not az all
MANY Of the complaints came from the Elghth,
Ninth. Twenty-second and Twenty-fourth wards
and The Fas,ern District.
Chief Engineer Brdsan OF the Department OF
thai unless We have rain within ffty days the
croton Aqueouc VII be ary, Ihe ,,,, mIhaisofiose
The Commissioner OF Water Supply and Chief
Engineer have practically decided 10 close en-
tirelv the supply from the Bushwick reservoir.
This would mean that a number OF breweries and
factories IN that part Of the borough would have
&c be closed Commissioner Dalton said YESTERDAY
that unless rain falls within week the reservoir
would have be closed.
Chief Engineer Birdsan said yesterday that
Thursday bids would be opened for the $50 600
pumping station in The Bronx.
Controller Coler said yesterday that the whole
fault in the situation lay with the Municipal
Assembly in delaying measures pertaining 10 water
supply He added; Il am going 70 introduce q
measure 81 Albany 70 amend the charter that
the Board Of Estimate and Apportionment will get
back its old power This would do away with the
trouble