Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-07-19
Cus,i3y at tic Crotcn .3casdact

Monday. The eth June, witnessed the consumma.
ton of this, one of the most magnificent; WORKS un-
der,aken by any city since the g'ofy OF Ahc'tht iNon'e'
Near half n century aga, the project OF supplying tbs
CITY with water first attracted pubic interest. 1t was
ORIGINALLY proposed to bring the Bronx 10 Harlem river,
nv means cf a canal. Ia 1899, Cro,on river was first
thought of. In ne year following. the Legislature
on,burizcd snrys rs, and a temporary Board oil Ccmmis.
s,oners. In the Winter OF 1880, appeared TIE elaborate
Report OF the Water Commissioners, recommending the
work, and furnishing a plan 10! MS construction, both
of which we're approved by the Common Council, aud
also By the citizens al large, a. the next lha!tcT E'ec-
ton.
The work was Immediately commenced, and after
seven wears Of almost uninterrupted labor II IS thus
completed. It Inns cost the city about Twelve nal
lions Of dollars, has furnished employment to many
thousands of operatives, and provided a market for q
vast quantity Of materials. The pond or rather lake,
formed by the magajlicentdam across the Crot"n, covers
500 ceres OF land, and viii retain a supply oi several
thousand millions oi gallons.
Al half nat 4. the hour narcc :r bringing the water
through the last section Above the great receiving re.
seryoir. countless numbers OF citizens III nil sorts OF We
biclcs, with several companies ct Artillery, together
with The Governor, Leutenai;t governor, Chancellor,
Niayor and Coramon Council, thG hritisl lonsuI, liofd
John nay and the officers of ii. l.. NJ. roZee the War
snite. &c. Sc. were present at t!e imposing ceremony.
The Reservoir embraces % ceres wi,hia lis bounds. 1t
is surrounded b. \ huge granite wall, broad enough on
The ton for thee or ION; carriage TO drive abreast, and
more than twice as broad al The bottom. ~ is divided
into Two parts b. a similar wall which runs through the
centre. When thr gates WEE lois'ed and the waters OF
the Croton ri.er came gushing a;1 toam'ng INTO the re.
servoir, with tstream sctae u feet IN with and perhaps
as many niche in depth,D the air was re,i with the
chee-s Of tie assembled thousands aud the lo,a roar
OF the artillery. TiiTty eight guns were fired, th.t
it,iBq he numher of miles from the Crotcn dam TO the
Reservoir. The band plgyea Lively oirs, and the music
and cheering con.nuea Tor ! long tine as the water
continued 20 iloH in.
itmusl undoubtedly De- some d,ya bsro-e this great
BASIN can be tlie!.
The h~eautifu! beat 'The Cro,oE Maid If C'oton
Cake Eas afer 4 i,;'lc time launched IN the water
n The rseryan, aad 81 rgenicd 10 the Fire Cnnpacles
efthc city. through MIR. Anderson, Chief Eac:nee,,
b. Samuel Sewers. Esq ~ q nea, address. lie al
luied 10 III immense value - the work, in supplying
The Fire u; par;nent with & fu' supply OF wa'cr-wh'ch
VIC ID hav been 80 important ~ the conf!agra;ion OF
1885 and te late ire al Hamburg. He thus speaks OF
the Lille boa:
"E,anint hp-shc is not = row hca'--sle h'S no cars nor
,hore-pins or ,aw-lock, nor paddlcs-she has vet Ship rroprlhng
power, for she h's ~" >raIS, nor !a'ds, nr sa.s. s, ) h"'a
cana! :oa,. having neither i'N. line nor h,'ss. powet-slr Is not
= steamh0li, she Las 10 wtcsis, no SnokS pipe, coi.enstr or
boiler. Bnt what $ more singular. she has neither rndder, tlleT,
due coatsr, Uad a%thpusN >t" dos not % = fast: vel she tite,
her voyage whh - tHn1h precision is the Crest Wt>trin, am" Al,
IL was double the di,ias whch Separates Great ";i;ain. from INC
f 20, IN !. 81 rn ,.nl 81 = :" ton ' Water CIV y hr,Ch mel !. r,mSnced hy a ~,
ctiyh.y of l3 iucass 10 III. mls, aad travel, - uiics IN the Aqhc-
dnct. under ihe surface 81 TIE cgound. tbs feature of The worn
adaa:s il i- nrorsla e lutt rs wei - Tor conveying water, and
is length and SIZE are Srel;crthnu ANY similar work Of ancient
Ifay al her lHtgunc NaJt>;y'S Navy. We do mel, show hm Il
line OF battle ship, hut ~ shuw him that We have hcea bnsy in
The ats Of peace. with i view 81 promote III. health aud com
fort Of our people.
"To ms itiIow.ci!aers, generally. aec 10 say. that We hope
tour Eu.jn.ers, IL whom We afr Trt'- great obligations. have
promised IT, Ia meet ta,n on :lc 81, al july At lMli street, II TIC
Dl,rihu,lng Reservoir, ucarc; ihHi: iume- and Il besides, au"i fur
Nah then, II = beverage tc, sn".d ioF iteen'c" !" celebrate
The day Of ;no.f lndrpeGdeuSt.'
TO this address, Senator franklin Of the State So-
nate, replied in n lew appropriate remarHs. The water
was only admitted into The North Division Of the Iie.
rervolr. |
The MAIN TRUNK consists OF an immense nal IS Of
masonry, six seetand a half vide, nine feet high, and
forty miles long, formed Of walls three fse. :..::.k, ce.
mentcd into solid rock.
tunnd leads the wafer from tl.s reservoir into te
A~queduct, and clever more Of these sub'erraneoas fas-
sages occ:, before reaching the Harlem River, having
"a aggregate length of seven eishths OF a m,i', and
many Of then being cut through the solid roek. AT inter
veis u. a mile, ventilators are constructed IN The FORM
of t. wers of white marble, which give TO the water
81. at exposure to the atmosphere, without which it I've
comes vspid and inslpid; and these dazzling turreisI
mark out the line ofthe Agueduct TO the passengers
upon the Hudson.
The streams which ~intersee. the line Of the structure
arc conveyed under il in stone eu'rerts; slng-sinS
IresL' Win i,s dee rsviac, is crossed by a bsidgs of
single %ellip.ica! arch OF sIsh'y eight feel span, and a