New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-07-20


1922 new scheme started, that of bringing the
Housaonic River TO NewYork in an open canal ana an
act Of incorporation was obtained in CONNECTICUT Ior ns
purpose The Sharon Canal Company was chartered oy
the State and among ts duties was that oil supplying the
City with water The work not however undertaken
ls24. Mr.. White made his report IN favor OF bringing
Westchester Cotton Factory Pond The cost OF bringing
the water reservoir near the Park was estimated at
million nine hundred and forty nine thousand nye
hundred and fortytwo dollars
isg5. company called the New-York Water Works
Company, was incorporated by. the Legislature, with
authority supply the City with pure water. Canvas
White was appointed engineer to this company and in his
report he recommended taking the water of the Bronx a.
Unde hills bridge at estimated expense Of million
four hundred and fifty thousand dollars
1896. The charter Of the New York Water Works
Company proved so defective in practice that they were
for necessary amendments in which they opposed by
the Sharon Canal Company who claimed in their charter
all the water the route Of the canal.
Is27. The Wa.er-Works Company, unable TO proceed,
surrendered their charter and the Legislature Incorporated
the New York Wei Company" The water was 70 be
procured on the and by sinking wells in the most ee-
waited grounds. The Company made several attempts 70
procure water but being satisfied by their experiments,
Of the impraccabiy Of the undertaking, the enterprise
ebaIroned. >,
and reservoir in each Ward of the City was the next plan
Though partially successful, the cost spd uncertainty Vi
supply forbade the prosecution OF this pian . .
ie29 A report was made TO the Common COUNCIL Dy
Alderman Samuel Stevens in favor Of the establishment oil
well and reservoir in Foureenti-st whence water might
10
The Committee did not omit 10 urge as an additional mo-
five for LAYING down iron pipes that whenever the long
desired object Of I"Iybn be- carried n %' elect these same
pipes would reluctant assent was wrung from
Inc Common Council to these recommendations, and
Committee empowered to provide the necessary site
for reservoir and 10 contract for iron pipes. From this
reluctant feeble and economical beginning, sprung the
Croon Aqueduct.
1890. motion made in the Common Council TO ap-
ply the Legislature for all needfu power to supply the
City with wafer and to create two millions of stock 10 de-
fray the expense thereof but did not prevail May H.
memorial from Francis Is. Phelps proposed from different
sources Of supply First, TO bring the water from Rye
Pond the whole distance through, in twenyeght inch
iron pipes Second TO bring the Croton River by open
canal by iron pipes Third, TO bring the water OF the
Pastsic taken above the falls, at Paterson NewJersey
and the Hudson BY iron pipes laid on the bottom of
the river Four by plan ohs own, probably wells and
springs on the island.
1881 The Common Council referred the subject, with
the various communications, TO their Committee ON Fire
and Wafer, in the Board Of Aldermen, consisting of
Messrs. James Palmer, Samuel Stevens ana William
Scote who presented report adGuciDg facts and argu
meDs sufficient 10 prove the praccabiity Of the project
and the ability OF the Corporation to meet the expense,
and appended to their report was letter directed TO the
Corporation and signed Cyrus Swan, who ia President
Of the New Yok and Sharon Canal Company in which
it is asserted that That river the Crotop can be carried
into the City of New York, and that without II supply
which ho be adequate to the present and future wants of
the city, cannot be obtained.
1892 The Committee drafted an Act for The Legsa-
ture 10 pass which approved by the Common Council
and presented to the Legislature, but which failed in be-
coming law. In November report was made by limo
thy Dewey, and William Serrel TO Benjamin Wright Esq,
recommending the Bronx as sufficient source. The
above named Committee Fire and Water with Myn-
dert Van sehaok, Esq, at that time member Of the
Board Of Aldermen pursued the subject with energy. In
December. De Witt Clinton, Esq, Of the United States
Corps of Engineers made report IN which he arrived
al The conclusion that adequate supply could only be
obtained from the Cr0ton River lie proposed an open
equeduct, and estimated the cost at s25OO,ooo.
1893. Feb. &C. The Legislature passed an net in
pspce with the request of the Common Council provid
,rrf fort e IN nj
FIVE persons Ms Water Commissioners whose duty 1t was
by said act declared TO be ;O examine and consider al
"maters relative TO supplying the Cyof Newfork with
"a sufficient supply of pure and wholesome water for the
use of ts inhabitants and the amount of money neces
"sary to effect that object This act giving the first eff
fectual impetus 10 the work drawn up by Myndert
Van Scback Esq., then member Of the Senate from the
City of New York The following named gentlemen we're
appointed under this law the Board Of Water Commits
sioners-Stephen Allen. William w. Fox, Saul Alley,
Charles Dusenberry, and Benjamin NJ Brown The Com
missoneTs directed to report the result of their
eulatops both 10 the Common Council and the Legsa-
ure the City to deay all reasonable expe nses The Com
mon Council having the 9Th of June appropriated
$1,000 enable them TO carry into effect the objects OF
the appointment, the Commissioners engaged Canvas
White and Major Douglass to undertake the requisite sur
yeys examinations and estimates. Mr.. White was pre-
vented from acting and Mr.. Douglass commenced his
surveys late in June and they occupied him and his party
till late in September and the result firm CONCLUSION
that the Croon should be the source OF supply Inc plan
Of construction recommended was continuous tunnel or
issi In February, the Common Council adopted re-
solution accepnc the proposal of the Manhattan Com
many TO enter into negotiation for the sale OF the Con
pnnys immunities, rights, and privileges oil ever! hhd
relative TO the supply Of the City with water May an
act prepared like the former by the Hon. ynder Van
Setback passed by the Legislature giving additional
powers the Commissioners and requiring them TO re-
port result their Investigations to the Common
Council before the fret day of January 1850. In
case the plan adopted by the Commissioners should be
approved of by the Common Council they should submit
it TO the electors II further authorized the Common
Council TO raise Sc 600 by the creation of public
fund or stock be called The Water Stock of the City
"of NewYork. The Governor and Senate reappointed
the Commissioners, who, after thoroughly examining
their former work. decided that the Cro.on River was the
only that would furnish adequate supply. The
engineers employed were David Ii. Douglass John
Ntartineau, and George w Cartwright. Various plans
were again proposed to the Commissioners; among them
that Of Mr. Bradford Seymour OF Utica who proposed 10
erect permanent dam in the Hudson River extending
from the foot Of Amos 81. 10 the Jersey shore Messrs
Manesu and Douglass expressed themselves in favor of
closed aqueduct of masonry from the Croon estimat-
ing the cost at Is, Az, 336 ~
1885. A Committee Of the Common Council TO whom
was referred the report of the Water Commissioners, a
proved the plan adopted by the Commissioners, and
commenced reference the subject 10 the electors at
the ensuing election These resolutions adopted by
the Common Council and at the election in April the
question submitted to the electors with the following
results
Let Ward. All n 9Th Ward ......' eSl i'o.o
ID W.6 25lOrh " ard. $50 l,oS
81 Ws,S as 42ilth W ard....... $50 s73
q wMslsss, 3 Is,s W W 81 81 lsS
tfh " aid........lT9 iSotittS w -iI ''''''i'-S
It'll " aid......lSS POI i9th " Aiu'''''''' a. 49,
9Th Ward. ......l3l w
Sse'
To complete this view and 20 show that the Wards
which contributed the largest amount OF taxes gave also