Water for Gotham: a history by Gerard T. Koeppel - Essay Example

Water for Gotham: A History By: Gerard T. Koeppel A Review Water for Gotham: A History, the Gerard Koeppel, examines the long historyof water deficiencies in the city of New York. In a long, tantalizing and well-documented history from the troubled times of 1800, when New York was reeling under the cholera epidemic, to now, the author has done a really creditable job in this book. The history of water deficiency in New York City has been systematically researched, documented and presented - and most of all, the dry nature of the topic never bothers the reader. Koeppel has not only succeeded in making the book a delightful read, he has filled the reader's mind with an infectious curiosity to know more and more, with each passing phase. This much neglected and overlooked point is the focus of Koeppel's book. His entire documentation is well-presented in the entire work, and is very well-supported throughout with examples and anecdotes. He opens the book with a gory description of the Asiatic cholera which struck New York in 1800, leaving scores dead with each passing day. The author takes into account every single detail of the epidemic - including how it originated in India, how it spread to the west through trade routes, and how helpless doctors and authorities felt. The opening chapter of the book, "Give us Cold Water," deals with the epidemic itself. The chapter starts with the description of how a healthy family, the Fitzgeralds, who had emigrated from Canada to New York, succumbed to cholera and disappeared among the faceless, countless millions who had died, gasping for water. The author recounts many incidents in the book, some of which are his own personal anecdotes. Apart from those, he also draws upon primary sources, such as the "Cholera Bulletin," "The Description of the Canals and Railroads of the United States," and The Edinburgh Encyclopedia, among others. Koeppel's extensive research is reflected in his vast bibliography and his step-by-step account of how New Yorkers were suffering at that time. After filling the reader's mind with an unimaginable New York, the author reveals the irony of the whole situation. In fact, he writes, "Water, water, everywhereelse" .The delicate situation is well-explained and researched. Manhattan was surrounded by salty water on all sides, and there was not a drop of fresh water available to the residents. Such a difficult situation aggravated the situation even more, since the lack of access to fresh, clean water is similar to being deprived of fresh air. It was in 1832, Koeppel says, that cholera was first thought of as a possible waterborne disease. Doctors who were working overtime to grasp the situation now focused on the issue of fresh water and stressed the importance of hygiene. It was only then that New Yorkers realized the vital importance of the presence of fresh water, and devised upon ways to access the vital resource. Koeppel, apart from researching a very difficult topic, has done everything to make it exciting. The book has all the prerequisites of a novel - a scheming corporate monopoly, a suffering public, and the triumph of the public in the end - which makes the book an inspiring read as well. The author reveals how the Manhattan Company, founded in 1799 by Aaron Burr and other prominent New Yorkers, controlled the waterworks industry for an overwhelming forty years - and recounts how the public's suffering became aggravated due to its helplessness. The Manhattan Company, which owed its social responsibility, had to come up with solutions for the sorry situation. After many hiccups and problems - which are very well documented by the author - the Company came up with a solution to end the water crisis by bringing in the water from the Bronx River. The author shows how this proposal was always going to be unsuccessful, due to its short-sightedness and inadequacy, making New Yorkers increasingly irate and desperate. Thus, after the failure of the Manhattan Company's proposal to bring in Bronx water, it was essential to bring in another solution - but this time it had to be long-term in nature, satisfying all not just the present, but the future of New York City. But, owing to its strong hold on the waterworks industry, the Manhattan Company was not letting the public take charge for obvious reasons. In an even more sorry state of affairs, Koeppel showed how the people of New York rose against the Manhattan Company and won in the end. After a financial investigation, instigated by the public, the hold of the Manhattan Company on the waterworks industry weakened, and the public triumphed in the end to pave way for the creation of the Croton Project, which was of course followed by a number of other ventures. After a great victory for the public, Koeppel continues to illustrate in chapter eight, "Catching the Croton Bug," how a satisfying solution was finally proposed and soon began to take shape in the form of the Croton Aqueduct, a proposal to bring in water from the Croton River, and finally put an end to the overwhelming water crisis. The Croton Aqueduct was finally implemented in the year 1842, led by Alderman Samuel Stevens, who was later credited with the success of the project. Following this long history of water crisis, the author reflects upon the past, and compares the water projects of today with those of long ago. In his last chapter, "New York's Water from then to now", he makes a helpful comparison between the waterworks projects of the two eras. He compares the Croton Aqueduct project with the projects of today - such as the Catskill reservoir. In doing so, he keeps the water projects of yesteryear and today side by side, and immaculately explains the magnitude of change, and the level of improvement attained during this time. He finds that the situation has definitely improved in the city, but there is still room for a lot of improvement. This systematic approach - first tracing the history of water deficiency in New York, then analyzing the reason behind the same, and constantly referring to myriad anecdotes, examples and experiences, taking apart the history of the water projects, such as the Bronx proposal, the Croton Aqueduct, and finally ending with a comparison between the water projects of yesteryear and those of today - is clearly visible throughout the book. As mentioned in the very beginning, he begins with a description of the cholera epidemic, moving on to the acuteness of the water crisis, and then dealing with the proposals introduced - first by the Manhattan Company, then by the public, and finally ending with a comparison of the water projects of yesterday and today. This systematic approach, is in itself, persuasive - as it maintains a steady flow of fact, views and circumstance in the right proportion; and highly reliable - for the sources used by the author while writing this book are mostly primary and drawn up on some of his personal anecdotes as well. The research is immaculate and greatly satisfying, making the book a helpful source of information on the water crisis of New York. There are, however, two important negative points in the book, which prevent the reader from calling it a 'perfect' documentation. First, the book does not define the equipments, structures and engineering designs, at least not enough to enlighten a layman. Koeppel has definitely documented a great deal about all the engineering projects and the equipments used - but the engineering jargon is too much for a common man to take in properly. However, we may overlook that point by remembering one thing: the book is a well-researched history, not an engineering manual. Secondly, the author has ended the book abruptly by providing a brief account of the preparation of the Croton Aqueduct and later another brief account of the implementation of other projects, namely the Catskill reservoir and others. A discussion on the legal, mechanical and social aspects of these projects would have been a great addition, making the book complete. In fact, a further discussion on the current water projects would have clearly lengthened the span of relevance, making the book a perfect source of the history of water deficiency in New York. The demerits notwithstanding, it can be seen that the book scores on almost all counts. It has a creditable thesis by book's author, Gerard Koeppel, which has been persuasively supported using a myriad of creditable sources. The author has made a dry topic a riveting read through an organized approach. He has meticulously studied the developments of the proposed solution through these years, something very few have done. For all the author's hard work and painstaking research, the book promises to be a reliable source of information on topics concerning the water crisis of New York for all times to come. Seldom have writers painstakingly compiled such an important episode in the history of New York, and Koeppel deserves all accolades and appreciation for a great piece of work. Read More