Review Essay Water for Gotham a History, by Gerard Koeppel

Review Water for Gotham a History, by Gerard Koeppel - Essay Example A seemingly "drab" topic has been successfully converted into a captivating read, which is a creditable, wondrous achievement. This thesis, which the author puts forward, is very well-supported throughout the entire book. The author 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, which is "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, in a similar fashion. The author recounts many incidents in the book, some of which are his own personal anecdotes. Apart from those, the author 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. The author's extensive research is reflected in his vast bibliography, his steady flow of thoughts, 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 vitality of the situation. 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, as New Yorkers could not access fresh, clean water - which is as essential for survival as a whiff of fresh air. It was in 1832, the author 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 same. It may be worth mentioning here that the author has, 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, in due course, how the Manhattan Company, found 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