Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-25

demns-pays as much and probably more
than the lands are actually worth-but
there is a greater damage that cannot be
compensated for by mere money. This is
the damage to the general good brought
about by causing hundreds, often thousands
of people to leave their homes of a life
time, to give up their businesses, and to
start life over again in strange commun-
tiles. The general good is of far more i'm
portance than the possession of an adequate
water supply by New York. though we do
not belittle the latter. Still, we feel certain
that New York can attain her object and
at the same time the rights of others and
the general good be zealously guarded; and
We feel that a state water commission
would bring this about
Her Only Hope.
With all the adjacent counties getting
bills passed keeping the metropolis from
their watersheds, this is New York's only
hope and it will make the city go clear to
the Adirondacks for all the water it may
find use for in the future, in addition to
that now supplied by present sources,
which is around $40 600 600 gallons daily.
The city's total yearly consumption Is in
the neighborhood of one hundred and TWEEN
ty-five billion gallons the storage capacity
In fourteen lakes and reservoirs is forty
five billion gallons, while at least thirty-ive
billion more gallons in reserve, above the
thirty-two billions now being arranged for
would be necessary, at the present rate of
consumption, to tide the city over dry
season and prevent water famine. This
does not take into account the demands
constantly being made by increased popula-
ton and industries. One new industry not
long ago made application for 100000 gall
Ions of water daily, while the population
is being added to at the rate of 100000 year
ly, which means a daily increase in con-
sumption of 600 gallons, on the basis
of 125 gallons per capita.
New York'S water department officials
civ is fast aDDrOaclinR the
day when it will be called upon to furnish
its citizens with J0O,O00,O00 gallons for daily
consumption.
Lately various commissions of experts, Of
fetal and unofficial, have been trying to
ascertain the best source for the additional
supply that is needed badly even now, for
no man knoweth when dry season may De
at hand. Nearly every watershed of the
state has been Investigated, and scheme on
scheme has been reported and recommended
until even the officials have become so
swamped with statistics and propositions
and counter-propositions that they are we'll
nigh bewildered.
From Mountain Streams.
One of the latest schemes-that recently
outlined by the commission of engineers ap
pointed by Mayor McClellan-would have
the city tap the streams of the Catslills and
bring the waters down to Manhattan Island
by aQueduct at a cost of something like
S91 600, 600. But this plan would seriously
interfere with the industries and water sup
ply of five cities, and the more scattered in
dustries of five counties: and these COM
munties and interests are bitterly opposed
to the plan, and are fighting it before the
legislature.
If the city is at last compelled to go to
the Adirondacks, $50 miles away, it will do
so at an expense of over $50, 100000 for
water rights, aqueducts and reservoirs, but
it will certainly secure an unlimited supply.
whereas the Catskll supply will solve the
problem for only twenty years to come. In
the Adirondacks there are few industries
to be injured, almost no towns and all that
would be necessary to add 100,O0o.0O0 gal
Ions or so to daily supply Of say five
hundred millions, would be to extend the
auueduct a little farther into the heart of
the mountain waste
For the General Good
This plan of distributing the waters of a
state for the general good is of recent