New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-16
POLLUTE CITY'S WATER.
ITALIAN GANGS BUSY.
Vosh Clothes and S5cim in Sodom
RessrTOir and Feeders.

rsour hundred italian iaborers arc busy pollut-
ting .he city's water supply in the neighhorhood
of :he Sodom Reservoir. and they are making a
thorough and successful job of it They take
Sundays for the work and give their entire at
tentfon TO it.
The men are about half on city and half or
railroad contracts. One lot is engaged in dou-
BE tracking the Highland division Of the New
York Nev-Havea and Hartford Railroad, neal
brewster and the rest are working for city
contractors on thu Sodor2 Reservoir The rail
road laborers are quartered in shanties on a
farm Just outside the limits Of the citys prop
erty. The other camp is on city land. One
Of lhe show sights Of Brewster is a line OF
shantias overhanging a stream that within a
hundred yards enpties into the Croton River
the great source of Yorlz's water supply
But the favOrite method OF pollution is by
laundry work About o'clock on Sunday morn
ing the men gather up the clothes that they
have been wearing ali the week and start for
the various streams that I'll the Sodonl Reser-
yoir The first on the ground selects a shady.
pleasant pool lays a board across a couple of
rocks, and in few minutes polluted water is
hurrEing on the way TO thirsty New-York.
The next man goes a little higher up the
stream. And so II goes Each is unwilling 10
Use water already made filthy by his compan-
ions. and goes little further along, until there
IS 2 string OF men washing clothes for half a
mile Up the stream. When they are through
with their laundry work. fifty yards of under
clothes are strung along the city's stone walls TO
dry, while hundred Italian laborers sun them
selves and shout objectionable remarks at pas
sers-hy. This thing is going on along. not one,
but half a dozen streams tributary to the Sodon
Reservoir every Sunday morning
There is a stream that runs for some distance
close beside the tracks of the New-York New
Haven and Hartford. which is here inside the
city land and 1t is one OF the favorte places for
laundry work. Another is the outlet for Peach
Lake which impounds about two hundred mill
ion gallons of water. al of which makes its way
to the Sodom reservoir. The Peach Lake outlet
runs through the property of Edward Hatch,
and A week ago yesterday the Italians shot at
him when he tried to interrupt the washing.
Mr. Hatch was walking through his woods,
when he came on two Italians with shotguns.
He ordered them off the place and they pointed
their guns at him. Mr. Hatch went for one Of
his men and the italians retreated on the main
body When Mr. Hatch returned with his man
the Italians peppered them with birdshot and
made for the railroad tracks. Some of the shot
went through Mr.. Hatch's hat. He chased the
Italians and was fired on again, the men using
the tracks as q breastworks.
Some Of the laborers actually swim in the
Sodom reservoir. A week ago yesterday a party
was watched bathing in the water of the reser-
voir for an hour. Around the edge of the basin
Others wander with shotguns and shoot robins.
This viii be pleasing news for the Audubon
Society-tiat the city's lahorers are shooting
robins on the city's property. They got three
robins behind the main dam of the Sodom a
week ago and half q dozen yesterday.
At night the laborers turn themselves loose
on the countryside. and the farmers for miles
around suffer from their depredations one
owner Of stock farm. VINO sends a large guam
tity Of milk TO the condensed milk factory in
Brewster noticed that mis- COWS were not giving
as much milk as formerly. He watched, and
the reason became apparent when he saw half
q dozen Italians enter the pasture and milk the
herd The farmer was helpless in face of num-
bers. and was unable TO pick out from the great
crowd the particular ones who had robbed him
Another farmer missed a fat poTker. This hog
had been in the habit Of wallowing in stream
that runs into the reservoir. less than five hun
dred feet from the farmers barnyard His barns
and stables are on a high bank overlooking the
stream and drain Immediately into it. a dung
beap IS on the edge Of the bluff. The hogs are
in the valley and have made convenient. easily
approac achabIe place 70 waIiow in the stream.
The orchards OF other farmers have been
robbed. until they have hardly any fruit left
The Italians come To the house under the pre-
text Of wanting TO buy something. or to ask
question about directions. In this way they get
the lav Of the land and see what there is worth
taking In a few days the farmer finds that MS
fruit tress are bare or his garden is empty OF
produce
one small gardener watched with PRIDE MS
fine cro7 Of potatoes They We're coming on IN
splendid style but quite inexplicahly the tops
began 10 wilt He could not understand what
vas the matter with them. The trouble began
in the lower end of abe garden and gradually
extended toward the house The gardener dug
UP some Of the plants 10 see if he could find out
what was the matter The empty hills furnished
q simple explanation The italians had been
robbing him Systematically and sticking the tops
back in the pfIfered hills. 50 that they could
come. hack the next night for a further supply
withoR, being suspected
The men are utterly lawless, and nave become
q terror to the surrounding country. II Is un-
safe 20 venture out at night because Of them
Thev carry weapons and have held up people
on The road A short time ago there was a
shooting afiray in one of their shanties IN "hLch
tWo men were killed and one was pfobapIS 70
tally wounded For the benefit OF New oih ,
wafer supply and the peace and saietN "i ,t,s
neignborhood the Inhabitants are ear Il7s'lS
praying for the speedy removal Of the paiioi''''
TTDI1 IN CEVCTR IpER