Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1839-09-04
SECTIONS OF THE CROTON AQUEDUCT.


Ancient and Modern Aqmeducts.
We have, IN former articles, gone very fully into
the history Of ancicAt aqueducts, as compared with
those oil modern erection and we have therein
shown that, if the work had been properly carried
on, the Croton aqueduct would hsve been the most
splendid afaif of the kind in the world. Bat owing
to the gross msmasagement that has prevailed in the
office of the water commissioners the expense of the
work has been twice as much as it ought TO have
been, and after all it will be very defective in many
of its most important points, and independent Of the
immense trouble and the large sums of money That
will perpetualy be required to keep the whole of it
in repair have not the least doubt that, when the
work comes to be proved by passinga large body Of
water through it, at least enesiyth part Of it will
have to be pulled down and rcbsilt.
Such at least is the opinion of many Of our most
experienced architects this head. But we will
fer to these points Of the work particularly hereafter
and shall not fall show up all the foes and misman-
agements from time to time as long they con-
nued. and until formation takes place. We shall
today detail the Of building the Croton aque-
dect at various important points Of il; but before
doing shall describe the manner OF building
these structures adopted by the Romans. Their
system was worthy Of all praise; their aqueducts
were built so admirably, and such pains were taken
with every portion of thsm,t up to this hour they
the most durable monuments Of architecture
that great people have left behind them.
The most of the ancient Roman aquedacts were
built Of brick, particularly those in the neighbor
hood Of Rome; but the bricks employed by them
were of much better quality than those employed
on the Croton aqueduct; and their Roman cement
was also much better than any thing have in the
present day. These Ancient aqueducts consisted Of
nearly square piers running up to the same height,
the necessary fall Of the being considered and
connected BY semi-circalar arches, over which the
conduit ran This conduit had paved or tiled floor
and was enclosed lateray by walls Of brick or stone,
and covered with transverse arch, or by a simple
fiat coping Of stone. This species of conduit, hsw.
ever, sometimes involved a difficulty; for if the
source Of the water conveyed we're much higher
than the place at which it had TO be delivered, and
the distance short to reduce the flow OF TO
proper velocity the stream had TO be carried in
winding direction to expend the height in a greater
length, otherwise the pressure of water from the
head would burst or blow up the covering arch, or
coping Of the aqaeduct render the work useless and
inundate the country over which it attempted
to carry H. This for the curious sic zac''
course, as Father Montfaucon terms il, OF many or
most of the Roman aqueducts. Per exampe-thc
head OF the Aqua Alsietenai was ONLY min.
miles from its point Of devery,o principal castella;
and yet the distance by the line of the aqueduct
at least TWENTY-FIVE miles. Some. on the other hand
have supposed that this winding course was pursued
on account Of the Csmpagna all round Rome being
split up and divided into small estates; anu that the
twenty noble aqucduets that stretched across that
wide plain carried in . crooked course merely
To avoid infringing upon private property But tins
we think not feasible, because they always carried
their great roads and highways IN a strait line, re-
gardess Of any thing and they would have done the
same with their aqueducts had the plan been eas-
like screen, not only to break the force Of the
rent, and TO cause deposit Of any sediment con-
tanned in the water but also TO give stability 20 the
arcades which supported the aqueduct.
But must not be supposed that these arcades were
the only mode employed in constructing the Roman
aqueduct. Great portions Of the distance were. OF
course in every case, occupied by artincal channels
winding along the sides o hills and mountains and
long tunnels carried the streams through these ma
tural barriers when occasion required but nevethe
less the arcaded ductled the streams across the
valleys, and the acqueduct was in every case
auired 10 carry EDWARDS, from the hills the
wide plain the doors sfthe eternal city We have
already mentioned that they Of various lengths,
according to the direction IN which they came; but
in Of them the series Of arches IL calculated At
nearly 200, the height Of which about l02feet
And mad water commissioners not grossly mis-.
managed the whole business, from beginning 10
end, we should have had a series OF 10000 arches
in line upon Maahatan island, all 80 feet hi h, and
at no more expense than the work will cost in its
present nsmanaged form.
We will take the above view Of the section Of the
Croton aqueduct for an example. The upper portions
IL the above draw ing, marked r. y represent sec
tions 81 92, 93 and -, Of the Croton aqueduct the
length and cost Of each Of which is as follows