The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-01-12
The Crotoa Aqucduet OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
to the Common Council

The Crotoa Aqueduet OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
to the Common Council
The annual report Of the croton Aqueduct Depart
msnt laid been laid before the Common Council and
printed. 1t is an admirable document.
CLAIMS SETTLED UNSETTLED.
During the past year the department has settle two
claims sgainst the city for dsmases growing out of
the construction OF tns aevsduot- the frat claim OF
Richard oarusn compromised tor $4,000, and the
second for sloa The report ADDS mat fhsTe are
other claims etti ussested, which viii require not
less than Sl25 eco 10 sstisfy
TIE IhrEo,EakSrs or THE
Among the Improvements made during the year are
the iron railing the wing walls at the western end
drtdgsd out 80 as to furnish, at all times of tide,
sufficient depth of water TO any vessel likely to
navigate the Harlem river ana modious iron stairs
have been erected down the rocks IN the foot OF One
Hundred and Seventy-thrd etrset, to the bridge.
This new means of visiting it, available by Of the
finest drives the island and opening at various
points on Harlem Heights aud from the top OF the
stars o very extensive ard BEAUTIFUL view of Long
leland and the SQUAD wiz no ooubt become a place
OF great sttraction net only TO Strangers but to
own citizens. In the design and erection of these
STAINS, the department ha. sought to exhibit the
character OF ma ssiveness and sodity which espa
cislv plsk all the prominent features Of the aque-
duet throughout its entire length
The aqut.uct .'""' "s. soo0unt, in which these
Improvements items, amounts to Slo1s1; still
leaving further nents to be made. Out OF the ap-
preparation made for repairs has been expended the
sum OF Sl2697 These outlays are spread oser con-
tnuous line of more than thirty miles OF aque-
duet. ana DO not appear extravagant
THE pxlEssIon OF TIE WATER
All the work contemplated in the plan submitted to
the Common Council, in December, lSas under the
hesc OF Croton Water Works Extension.p has been
completed, The amount expended is S3l7l1 The
thus acquired of throwing into the distributing
reservoir at will an additional thirty pch column OF
water is most important item in maintaining at all
times Efficient head for the extingushment Of 6res
for the service of in the upper stories
OF Dwellings and manufacturer It's beneficial effects
ar. apparent in the absence of com plsint-fermerly
n dAtly HAhn nHntia in all al
waited Situations.
MAPS AND STATISTICAL TABLES.
The appropriation OF ten thousand dollars made by
the Common Council in lS49 for the purpose OF ena-
bling the department to compile 4" Statistical Tables
gnes and other particulars within the water districts
OF the city required by the act OF the Legislature Of
the 18th OF April ls49 has the to meet
there expenditures with plus sufficient to pay for
the returns TO be made by the Captains OF Police OF all
new Buildings erected during the current year their
character and dimeps and also copy the ward
maps used in the Office of the Receiver Taxes These
maps are essential to the Reesiver OF Water Rents
THE LAYING or THE PrPEs-rHe TOTAL LENGTH.
In The lay OF beee much has been done during the
year, but the operations of the department have been
greatly obtructed by the erection oil and by
others hich il is intended to erect During the year
in the upper wards OF the city Oil feet OF four inch
pipe have been laid 81 $50 rect NJ ak inch 1880 Of
twelve inch 5c00 Of twenty inch go of thirty inch
and GAO OF thirty-six mon Total AZ 40l feet
6h miles The whole Of the present OF the water
drtrict including the curou. net work Of pipes be-
meath TIE street pavemsps makes IN aggregate OF two
hundred miles
THE MAINS on THE FIFTH AsEsUE-Is1EREsrrSo orERA-
In April esrly a. the opening spring would per-
mr the department need the great work of low
ering the two lirss OF mains on tho Fifth avenue at
Murray hill rendered imperative by the alteration OF
street grades ia that vicinity aud through which the
principal supply OF water to the whele city Is derived
Ing made by the former officers Of the department,
and Offering in amount from sixty to one hundred
and five thousand dollars it bad always been assumed
that these pipes must Of necessity be- taken apart
koited out OF the trench the espcutting (reaobng
to the depth OF sixteen fee excavaed toe pipes low
cred In sno he joints AIDE and eau cd each con-
sumisg least hundred pounds OF lead To avoid
this sDcImout sxpsn diture, Mr. EDWARD Tracy, one
ofthe gnee II az In his pinion, might
be effected rs safely, sGd ct great saving Of cost,
without breaking the continuity OF the line BY draw
ing on the water from one OF the mains at time and
wss left N addition to the thirty Inch line the
Third avenue to keep up the daily supply OF water to
by the board and he pls charge Of the work
The course pursued by him essentially this
FIRST the whole OF both lin-s we're uncovered and the
water Drawn OF from the westerly one; next, sectional
drifts underneath md across bot lines excavat-
ed to the required depth at distances Of about eight
feet apart snd both lines supported on independent
crib work Of timber carefully carried from the bot
tom Of these drifts, and securely wedgsd 30 sustain
ed the earth between these cribs leaving
the pipes to BE- supported by them for length OF
raj hundred feet At time; jsckscrews then
curey placed under the line the crib work Of timber
taken out piece by piece and tho pipes lowered BY
the screws to the bottom OF the trench Tie nature Of
the SOIL an exceedingly hard pan favored this mode
y
s cavipg. About hundred and City laborers were
employed, among whom the stric.est ai,cipne was
come on the ground nor we're the men allowed during
the hours OF TO visit any place where they could
be procured Every pscaution having thus been
adopted, sEd steadily continued the plan proved emf
repty succ.ssiu early in July the whole finish
ed nor had simple joint been broken, pipe injured
In the operation while ctirens scarcely felt thst
any work affecting their daily supply water had been
In process Of execution Durpg the whole period the
engineer reisined the power to bring both lines into
n In hire had s{reN
currec, require IT, The sptire only Sl2 $50 IS
which would have been lessensd more than thousand
trench
being done, and while, In consequence these great
MARS were alternately empty To insert at the in.
terssctisn OF the Fifth AVENUE aud Twenty ninth
street horizontal stop. cocks In both lines OF i'm
proved construction, ana In q more perfect and tho
rough msnner than they have h.retofers been set A
capa,itur and vel. built vault arched and laid In
ment With convenient man hole inserted made
to enolo,e thsm Furnishing perfect Tao tes for future
repairs as ~ell ~ to open aud shut them Originally,
In laying down these iarR. mains OF twenty twenty
four thirty and thirtysix inches diameter all the
stopcochs with perhaps two three exceptions,
msoe 10 open and shut vertically The great danger
Of this arrangement will be apparent when t b stated
that the valves ere attached to the piston which eie-
rivris and bolts which acted upon With great
pidiy by oxidation, rendering IL certain that in
lev YEAR,, NOR. or les, this frsii support viii be
eaten away by rust and the valves suddenly fall.
The effect Of an instantsneous stoppage Of . column
Of water. thirty elk inches In diameter. q mile or
more In length, and moving ut ths rat. OF four
miles an hour, scarcely BE- conceived. No
pipe ever constructed would sustain the tremen-
dous reaction; . rupture would inevitably ensae,
which ~ happening In the night. would probably
producs incaIcuabv damage before the could be
thut o indeed IL IL not too much 20 suppose that in
pursuing Its course to either river IL would cut
vine down TO the rock. and ~eep away everything op.
porting an obstacle to It's Exit
The department intends, during the next working
season 70 substitute horizontal sopcocks in place Of
these vertical once on the principal lines A. early
and as rapidly AZ the means of 1t. disposal will per.
init.
In bringing the Oro,op 10 Blackweils Island great
dimcultie, were encountered The river bottom was
found to be naked rock. pointed aud uneven, and
the water srJng in depth from 40 to "a feet with
tides OF great rspiaity
These circumstances forbade tn. use ot metallic
pipe in orossng the river and induced Mr. Craven At
ter due enquiry and Consideration to adopt double
line Of suts psroha pipes each OF the diameter oftwo
and quarter inche. the best, aud, perhaps, the
only nsans Of efectina the Object. "a thesa miner