Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1842-10-27

DCMIiptIOu vi tho NIVtVu "eVI WIN"
,, The following is the concluding part Of the
speech of Samuel Stevens, Esq, President
of The New York State Water Commission
ers, delivered a, the Croion Water Celebrs-
/, lion on the l4lh inst. in the city Of New
York:
The work is now, continued Mr.. Sic
vens.) excepting the high bridge over the
Harlem River, completed; and you have il.
I'll u consists Of
Firsi-An artificial reservoir, called the
Croiob River Lake, IS miles from the Bate
ry,-ihe extreme part Of the city this jske
rs formed by a hydraulic stone masonry dam.
with two waste-weirs or aprons, for the over
fall Of The water, one Of 81 feet and one Of
lsO feet. these being separated by q gate
ho,se. The height of these waste weirs 10
55 feet above the bed of the river, and ~
feet above the low water level.
H The dam backs the " atcr miles snd makes
q lake Of an area Of 400 acres, and Of Q ca
pacny equal to 500 millions of gallons.
H The water enters gate house where tho
quantity is regulated be fore il enters the
aqneduct, which is stone structure lined
and arched with brick.
The face Of the interior of the uqueduct
is at the bottom on inverted arch, width G.
feet . inches, height feet 5 l2 inches, nrea
SO a-l00 square feet, about large enough
for an omnibus and i0nr to pass through
The line of The nqucduct being on II declivi-
Iiy Of l3 ID inches To the mile down to the
Harlem River, n distance OF 30 miles, il has
line of lunnelling Of 6,S4I feet, being six
teen IN number, sometimes through earth and
sometimes through solid rock the deepest
cut is so feet, and The least 25 feet. In
Il Weslchesler only, the oqueduct crosses 2J
4 streams OF water, which are from 25 to S3
/ feet below The top Of lhe aqueduct.
Il The grade line Of aqneduct across the
| Harlem is 25 feet above iIdc water, md the
! top OF the water now passes over Harlem
river in one pipe OF 3G inches, placed on the
ear,hen dam made IN the construction Of the
high bridge.
The bridge itself is now about one-third
complctcd, and will be " hen finished one of
the most s,upcndous works OF the kind in the
world.
The river is GEO feet wide at water line,
but The slope of the river banks ndds m ad-
diional distance of $50 feet, in oil 1870 feet.
The plan now in progress crosses the river
with arches of so feet span and on piers Of
81 by 44 feet at the base, resting on the bed
of The river, and 7 arches on piers on the
/
banks Of the river.
/ The spring o! one OF the arches is g5 feet
above the lowest foundation put down: tho
top Of the parapct will be- l40 frct from the
Lowest nnndaiion. II is intended that The
water shall pass over this bridge in pipes To
have II secure against the possibility Of dan
ger.
| The interesting works Of Cende nnipp VAL
ley, being bridge over valley Of 1900 feet
IN breadth, the greatest height Of the mque-
duct is 50 feet from the bNtoin Of the valley;
beautiful archways are constructed for three
streets, 81 feet for the cniriagewsy, and 10
on each side for sidewalks.
Next in interest is the reservoir at Eighty
sixth street, which might well be called the
OBTAINING or clarifying reservoir. II Inns Two
divisions, together thirty-iwo o acres--rreniest
depth Of water twenty five feet, containing
one hundred and fifty millions Of gallons.
Two lines at ihIriy-slx inch pipes connect
this with the reservoir at Foriieth street.
which has also twp divisions forming together
nm area Of four ocrcs-depth Of water when
filled ihir,y-six feet. From this point four
and half miles to the Battery. Whole
length Of line from the Battery to the ar,i6.
cinl lake. fifty miles. There are in this great
work 55000,OO0 Of bricks and 100000 cubic
yards of stone masonry.
The water in the nqu.dnct is regulated at
the entrance gate so ns hot TO flow undc, apv
pressure-ii has not been permitted to flow
in the division nenr the city at q greater
depth than two feet, but the works al tho
Croion dam required n few days back thst
more water should pass through the first
division (ihc distance between Sing Sing and
The Cro,on Rvcr) being eight miles, and il
was found 10 pass seveniy-fve millions New
York gallons in "a hours, and that iis veIoci->
iy was over two miles per hour.
The Croion Lake, now retains, beyond
the daily rver supply, in reserve, five hun
dred millions Of gallons and n snnll ex-
prnse would add other immense artificial
lakes TO hold hack an additional supply, but
the necessity Of this is hardly conceivable.
II is estimated that the London supply, from
all their companies, is but twenty -four mil
lions of gallons, and Paris four millions ONLY
The quality Of The water is OF q pure and
transparent character, and has been found
already TO be II pnlatcablc beverage TO thou
sands Of individuals who have used the wa.
ter. l, IL only remarkable TINT il has been
so generally approved.
We of New York have therefore now got
the great desiderstum-nn abundnn, supplv
OF pure and wholesome wnter-io be- sure at
great cost-hine millions of dollars, eXclu-
sive of the main md distributing pines
throughout the city, now laid 10 the extent
of one hundred and thirty mllcs) exclusive Of
tho interest accnmu!niing on The cosl-beine
III all twelve millions of dollars.
Well, what of that? Does il not belong
to the system which Eternal Wisdom has in
ictcd on the world-that the greatest bles
sings can only be procured at the greatest
cost and sactllicpso
What Is ihs water to do fur us? II isto
protect our city from the awfnl conharrn,ons
Ia which 1t was subject. We now nav in
pi cmluns one million oi dollars nnnunlly IN
insure about half The value of our BUILDINGS
goods aud chnitcls, for we nre our own nm.
d"rwriirrs To the exlpn, of one more million
ot premiums here are two millions in pr-
uiums or RISKS incurred. II The Croton wotks
give but half security, Won chn snvp more than
will pay the whole interest at the cost. Re-
feet, gentlemen, on The amount of property
consumed ~ thus city md then CONSIDER IL
We cannot afford To give twelve millions for
security. In two days ot December. lS35.
ouI clli2rns had consumed by fire ,wen,y