New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-24
TIGER INVITES TYPHOID.
WATERSHED REFUSED.
Why Would Not .Hayor Take GIFT
of Land for City2

The character OF the business adTrll!lstrd-
ton which Tammany is giving the city IS wen
shown by an instance which has just come TO
light in connection with the water supply OF the
city. There was offered to the TanlT any ao-
ministration an opportunity TO Increase the
water supply of the city by more than 4'VV'.-
100000 gallons at a cost OF less than $15OOD.
and in connection herewith to receive as H'.e
gift land valued at upward of $4,000 This
land, when the city comes in the future TO tals
in this source of water supply, as competent en-
gineers say that it will undoubtedly be obliged
to do will have to be bought. But Tamman5-.
with its business" foresight. through Mayor
Mcclellan said that it did not care to consider
the offer
The water supply referred 20 is Peach Lake
which lies about a mile and half southeast of
Brewster. half in Dutchess and half in West
chester County. 1t lies in a basin 11O feet
higher than the Sodom reservoir. near which
it is, and is fed almost entirely by springs there
being only small stream emptying into It,
In addition to this, at the time of the sprins
freshets. it catches the water from abundant
watershed. The water has been pronounced as
pure as any in the Croton watershed.
The lake has area of about five hundred
acres, and IS forty feet deep and subsidiary to
it there is tract Of low land which could be
flooded by dam across a narrow gully. This
would bring an area of 300 acres more under
water. A ffteen-foot dam. properly placed,
would impound sufficient water to supply the
entire consumption of the city for fourteen days.
IMPoUNDED 1,5O0,OO0OOO GALLONS
Edward P Hatch, jr owns a large tract Of
land In the neighborhood of Peach Lake, includ-
Ing the most Of the low land which would be
flooded by the dam. He has built six-foot
dam across the little stream which drains the
lake and in the summer of 1903. when the
reservoirs were going dry and the city was
momentarily expecting a water famine, he i'm
pounded behind his little dam upward of 1,ooo-
100000 gallons of water, sufficient to supply the
city for five days. And the water behind his
dam at the rate of more than an inch
day, while that in the city's reservoirs was con-
stantly falling A fifteen-foot dam at the same
point would impound supply for the city for
two weeks. In the face of this Tammany re-
fused to take Peach Lake, with a gift of prop
erty valued at $4,000.
Sodom reservoir and dam cost about $1,000
600 and impound something over 7.OOO,OOoOOo
gallons of water. The land around Peach Lake
could be bought now for $4,000. according to
Mr. Hatch, and the dam could be built for $50
600 But Mr.. Hatch owns about $4,000 Of the
land and he offered it to the city as gift. If 1t
would secure the rest of the rights to Peach
Mayor Mcclellan the city declined the offer. He
wrote to Mr. Hatch. saying that the city did not
care to consider the offer. Meanwhile millions
Of dollars are being spent in acquiring land IN
other places for the water supply, and this Is
the only land in the netghborhood Of the Sodom
reservoir that has not been bought
Mr.. Hatch's sole purpose in offering this SoO'-
900 property to the city absolutely free was 10
ascertain exactly what the city intended to do.
so that he could go ahead and improve the rest
of his property as a homestead for his Doys'
When the full history of this transaction comes
to be written the ''nigger in the woodpie on
the Tammany side doubtless will be revealed
That there is a ''nigger in the woodpile' may be
stated unequvocally.
WILL BECOME MENACE.
But. in addition to the fact that this oppor-
tunitv to acquire free valuable tract of land
and an important addition tC the citys water
supply was sacrificed by Tammany for Interior
reasons It must be considered that. unless steps
are taken Immediately to prevent it. this lake VIII
soon become a source of pollution and a menace
instead of a benefit to the city. A trolley line
from Danbury Conn, is now in course OF con-
struction and the rails are laid 20 within less
than a mile of Peach Lake This trolley line
will bring more than twenty thousand persons
weekly to the lake for recreation and pleasure
Even if the sewage from this pleasure ground
were thoroughly disposd OF. the presence OF so
great a number of people must necessarily De
a menace to the purity of the water
The natural beauty of the country ABOUT
Peach Lake has made it attractive to summer
residents and the establishment of such colony
would not only have a poIluting influence on
the water but would make the requirement or
the property troublesome and costly if the city
were forced to buy il in the future. AS the
only outlet for the lake is through the Croton
watershed. it is hard TO see how the city can
escape buying it in the future to protect the
purity of its water supply.
Montpelier, the capital of Vermont. receives
IT'S water supply from lake in the mountains
back of the town. The beauty OF the scenery
and the purity of the water attracted a summer
colony and cottage after cottage was built until
now the lake is surrounded with many houses
a recent chemical examination of the water dis
closed the presence of typhoid bacilli, and an
extensive proposition faces the citizens OF Mont
peer. q =,
Tammanv now presents the spectacle Of in
wiring typhoid bacilH to enter New-York's water
sunpIy and at the same time refusing an oHer
of land valued at $4,000 free and the oppor-
tunItv to ward off the typhoid germs-and all
because of that ''nigger in the woodptle
KILORAN AGAIN CAUGHT.