The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-23
$4,000 SUFFERING
I'm WATER FAMINE
TRAFFIC CRIPPLED
Dry Christmas Threatened For
District Between Rye and
Sound Beach
POWER HOUSE SHUTS DOWN
Banker Converse Gives Use of Pri-
yate Lake at Stanwich Contain
ing 2OO,OOO,OOO Gallons.

Facing the most serious water fam
inc in twenty-five years without like
ly relief for several days, fifty thou
sand residents Of the district lying be-
tween Rye and Sound Beach on the
line Of the New York, New Haven
and Hartford Railroad, seem likely
to spend cold and dry Christmas.
Coupled with the manifold discom-
forts which attend this general deprl-
Walton OF water for household pur-
poses. is the serious Gripping of the
transportation and lighting services,
both of which are demoralized.
Freezing weather and lack Of rain
are responsible for the trouble.
Householders at Rye, Port Chester,
Greenwich. Cos Cob, Riverside, and
Sound Beach are supplied with water
by the Greenwich Water Company,
whose normal capacity Of three mil
lions Of gallons of water daily has
dwindled since June Is. when the last
rainfall was recorded. until now the
supply in the reservoir is q foot or
more beneath the level Of the intake
pipe. The result was the complete
stoppage Of the supply yesterday and
the consequent Generalization OF
trade, traffic and temper.
Unable to obtain the needed supply
the power house Of the New York.
Cos Cob was crippled Wednesday and
three Of the four engines in the pow
er house closed down yesterday. This
necessitated the use Of steam loco
motives instead Of electric locomotives
on trains, and before nightfall the
train service had been reduced by
two-thirds. Instead of the customary
twenty minute service an hourly
schedule was established.
BY the use of water brought from
Stamford and. the consumption OF a
sporadic supply furnished by boats from
New York, the railroad company was
enabled to generate enough electricity
to maintain it's signal service through
out the night. Officers Of the Green
witch Water Company were appealed
to and reported that arrangements
had been completed with Edmund c.
Converse, banker and president of the
Greenwich Country Club, by which.
his private lake at Stanwich contain
ing 200, 900, 900 gallons, could be utilized
in the emergency.
Two pumps having a total capacity
of $500 gallons minute were set in
motion and the water from the Con-
verse Lake began to flow into the
immediate and at six o'clock last
night consumers reported that the
water was flowing feebly through the
pipes.
When the people at Port Chester
awoke yesterday not enough water
was In sight to mix. cocktail with
and there was a general scurrying
after the water in the ponds and
smaller courses in the neighborhood.
Householders- armed with axes and
carrying various kitchen utensils at
tackled ice heaps on the ponds and
carried it away in chunks to Their
homes. In houses provided with
steam heat the fires beneath the
boilers were drawn and great distress
because of the cold was experienced.
The factories shut down, the trolley
power houses closed their doors and
the schools failed to open. Hundreds
got to town late. hungry and irri-
tated.
Teams at Greenwich and other
places hauled water in barrels. The
fire department issued an appeal to
tine residents to guard against fire.
A fire started yesterday morning and.
by prompt work on the part of the
department it was extinguished with
out a drop of water being used.
There is no shortage of water at
Stamford, and late last night twenty
tank cars carrying 100000 gallons of
water were hauled to Cos Cob for
use at the railroad company's power
Ions came from New York later in the
night and a large force of men was
placed at work bv torchlight making
ready pumps to force the water in
to the 100000 gallons emergency tank
on the power plant.
Mr.. r. Walsh. pres dent of the
Greenwich Water Company, said last
night he was hopeful that sufficient
water. for domestic use and for fire
protection would be obtained today.
The supply for the railroad company,
however. he said, would not be re-
newed for four Or five days. THIS
may mean a crippled train and troll
ley service until the middle of next
week.