New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-08-26

tTouEcifS pumps, WIN HAAiNai AZ -
familiar increased the output from 14ooOoo
gallons A day 10 about 100000 gallons day
For the output in excess of 100000 gallons
day Nj Titus received compensation at the rate
of $50 for every 10000 gallons The result was
gratifying 10 Commissioner Ellison and MI
Cozier. but il did not seem to please MI LIE
varcna and other engineers in the water ana
finance departments. who had ali along IN
sisted that Mr. Titus could not produce the re-
suits promised
Commissioner O'Brien wrote 10 the Board Of
Estimate and Apportionment on May a. iSo''
submitting a proposed contract between the de-
rartraeut and Mr. Titus for the establishment
ard oDeration Of two driven Wen stations IN the
Po-ouRh of Brooklyn, from which there wouid
he n,,Y1ped a maximum output OF Zo,ooo'"oo
gallons Of water a day, the city TO pay 500 d
,n5Ilion gallons Mr. OErien stated in his letter
that the Ridgewood pumping station was WORK
ing 10 its fullest capacity and was unap4e 10
maintain at a proper pressure at many points
q force Of water sufficient to meet the deiIlaiuS
a. The consumers He said that the water from
The new stations would be pumped directly ln'o
the distributing mains. relieving the situation
He also stated that Mr. Titus's ability to fur
nish a supply OF water from sources unknown
and undeveloped by the water department hao
been established TO his satisfaction
CRITICISED BY WTTHINGToN
Nelson p Lewis. chief engineer OF the Board
OF Estimate and Apportonment. in a special
,enorf suggested certain notifications anu
changes in the contract with Titus. and said
that with proper guarantee and penalty sao
ror,,d he a fair price for each 100000 gal
Ions.
Chandler wilmington. chief engineer of the
finance department. in a long report Nlgof-
ousiy criticised the proposed contract, assert
ing in effect that there was only one source ot
-,,rrlv AT Jameco. where. notwithstanding the
sn-er,osition Of a clay bed thirty feet thick be
tween a 16Q-foot deep well supply and 3D.
foot shallow well system variations in the rate
Of pumping on the deep wells were accompa-
MED by corresponding fluctuations in the shall
low ones operated by the city. Mr.. Nithlng-
son suggested a contract relieving the city
from obligation TO pay Titus for water pro-
t7rced in A period of plentiful supply. saying
that last year during a wet period city pants
al Clear Stream and other points were out or
operation while az Jameco Mr. Titus was MT
ing into the conduit excess Of millions OF
gallons of water at Z daily cost OF S4o null
son. He also criticised the amount of the
bond. saying that it vas entirely inadequate
In closing his letter he said:
The cost Of delivering water into the distrf-
hutton system varies from SIS &c q million gal
Ions at the Gravesend station 70 S26 81 at the
New Lots station Considering the age and
consequent inefT1ciency Of these plants. to-
eether with their limited capacity. the est
mated cost 2 million gallons shown for city
operation appears easily capable o. attainment.
am Of the opinion that che water likely to be
furnished by this contract forms part Of the
same reserve now being utilized by the city
rlauts for Brooklyn service. and that the De
pertinent Of Water Supply Is quite as capable
r-1r
additional water at points as remote from ex-
listing stations as the plants proposed and for
q very much smaller expenditure Of money, the
citv's fnterests therefore. being better con-
served by its undertaking this work itself
Despite the adverse report of Mr. wilmington
The Board OF Estimate unanimously authorized
contract with Mr.. Titus on the terms stated
DEFENDS THE CONTRACT.
When Commissioner o'Brien was seen with
reference to the Titus contract. he said:
The contract is Of the most advantageous
that the city ever made The city takes abso-
l,rseiy no disk We paying the Citizens
Water Supply Company Of Queens 500 million
gallons. without any prospect Of ever owning
the plant unless pay extra for it MI Titus
IS 10 furnish a much needed supply in Brooklyn
direct TO the distributing mains against press
sure Of seventy pounds 10 the square inch at 500
2 million gallons and at the end of five years
the city wii own the land plant and everything
that he has paid for out OF his own pocket. 1
suspect that the land alone for these two pump
Eng stations viii cost Mr. Titus $4,000
The trouble with the water supply in Brook
lyn is that have reached our full conduit
Capacity. The big conduit running from Long
Island TO the Ridgewood reservoir is kept full.
We are building a 72-inch steel main 10 rein
force this conduit capacity, but it will take two
70 mis- her and meanwhile there
IS imperative need Of increasing the supply Of
water in the distributing main This is
actly what Mr.. Titus has contracted to do. He
assures me that he will begin pumping water
within ninety days
Deputy Commissioner Cozier said that Mr..
Titus was benefactor 20 the Borough OF Brook
1yn. adding;
we have got 10 have the additional water.
and Mr. Titus is the only man that is able to
furnish it az once. For months we have had an
application before the Board Of Aldermen for an
appropriation of 100000 for the completion Of
the new steel main from Anaityvie TO Clear
Stream. II Win take year or two 10 complete
shis new conduit, and until it is finished we can
not increase the conduit capacity Of the Brook
-yn water system from the wells on the island
eastward to Brooklyn. We need the water right
here in the mains in Brooklyn Borough, and that
IS where Mr. Titus contracts to put il with a
plant built at his own expense"
On what grounds has the finance depart
,nent stopped the payments TO Mr. Titus for his
water supplied at Jameco?" was asked
The objections are OF a technical nature,
said Mr. Cozier, land should never have been
raised at all. The Corporation Counsel ruled
that the FIRST agreement with Mr.. Titus with
reference TO Jameco vas not a contract, inas-
much as IL did not concern the purchase Of
water, but rather involved only the development