The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-04

III.
When II was completed It's builders were so proud OF
It that in report made IN 1912 TO the Common
Council they did not hesitate speak Of it as a
work that would endure for ages; but pressure
ana quarter OF century OF winters frosts
and summers heats have satisfied those whose
care t 10 watch hourly y nsr s essn
less babe, that 1t Is not an infalihle structure.
here ana there the foundations have been washed
away, ana the vast tube OF brick and stone, mortar
and cement with its volume OF Croton passing
tnrongil IL at speed OF one mile In every thrtytwo
ana half inches to every $3.50 fcet-hangs sus-
pended in mid air and is liable at any moment to
hey should be- and as we have reteaed suits its ca
pacy ought not TO he fully tested for any length OF
an% Nc these aPparent weaknesses
tom, the aqueduct with no radius sharper
than five hundred and the majority upward OF
one Thousand feet, II ~ admirable structure. Its
course from the dam OF the lake to the High Bridge
Is wholly through much OF the finest agricultural
land in Westchester county. Fortunately for the
public OF New York the Board OF Croton Water CON-
missioners have title In ground each side of the
eaS to permit E a on OF bes
another duct OF like capacity that the necessary
one hundred and fifty millions OF gallons which we
nave assumed VIII be required twenty years hence
Gun be commanded
THE HIGH BR,puR
There were originally placed on High Bridge two
pipes OF the diameter each OF three feet but it was
ascertained in 1859 that these would In wears
be wholly inadequate to the demands OF the city MI
Craven suggested the placing OF an additional pipe
on the bridge In itself of sufficient capacity TO
walls or the bridge Owe feet and In the pine cham
ber which reaches from shore TO shore under the
roadway, put q tube of wrought iron. threeeigh'hs
OF an inch in thickness thoroughly braced and boted
OF the diameter Of seven feet six and half inches
pipe OF nearly the cubic capacity OF the aqueduct
The suggestion bold one. and before 1t was I'M
dertaken many builders architects and engineers
among them those who constructed the BRIDGE were
consulted and majority were decidedly opposed to
the undertaking, declaring the great work wholly
incapable OF sustaining pressure enormous as
tube OF its weight, and filed with water over what
Mr. Craven, however, had greater faith in the
strength OF the bridge than its builders, and finally
obtaining me 81. sanction Of the Board to whom ne
ing out his pans in the month Of October, 1860,
with stout heart, commenced the great work.
The side walls were raised, and the pipe-a giant
among the pigmes-laid and put in operation in
December, 1861, and the whole was completed in
1862 We regard this as one of the boldest attempts
OF the engineer OF which have present knowledge
Let any one enter the gate that opens upon
the vault which, with the bridge. crosses the Harlem
river at the Westchester end and examine the huge
structure, and he cannot but he astonished at the
temerity OF the man who despite the admonitions Of
others with equally az good reputation for experience
IN MS profession, dared hazard and accomplish so
much The threefeet pipes vet the bridge in their
Old places are not present required FOR the passage
OF water. Tney can NJ any moment however, be
brought into use, and thus nearly double the supply
be obtained, so far as the capacity OF the bridge
concerned. The great pipe is placed directly over
these movable rests so arranged by
the Introduction OF small wheels placed in
beds that the utmost allowance for the
expansion and contraction OF the iron OF the tube Is
given. This pipe is not the least among the engineer
ing curiOsities OF the Croon Water Department Few
comparatively speaking arc aware OF the yastness
OF the structures that FOR the CONVEYANCE OF water
our dwellings, and places Of business demanded
more Ultimate acquaintance with them would i'm
press even the thoughtess with the necessity Of con-
serving so important element to their haDpness
personal and general as the water gathered with so
much and such vast expense of skill, time and
money IN The valley OF The Croton, from the water
shed OF Putnam county.
ENGINE HOUSES, CHIMNEY AND TOWER.
N slFn IL.
ment, through its agents. actively engaged max
ing improvements and raising structures which,
when completed will not be among the least signil-
cant OF their cyclopean undertakings
At on elevation OF Dos feet above iidewater and
the aqueduct reservoir for the accommodation of
the people OF Carmansvile and the entire northern
end of the island ID in course OF construction. It's
capacity is not large. It's area will be abOut three
acres-tO be more exact, II il square, whose sides
are 329 feet. Its depth OF water will he equal to
about ten millions of gallons. Ground was
broken for this reservoir on the I'D OF June 1865,
and its completion is set down for the autumn OF 1862
But the High Bridge reservoir Is not Of itself remark
able when We recall the fact that already have
one In process OF construction three hundred times
Its area and billions OF times Its capacity 1t is the
work in connection with it, to which. in general
way, we at this time desire to call attention. But
are placed two twenty inch pipes, which thrown
up at an exceedingly sharp angle on the side Of the
of two large engines placed at the foot OF the
bridge on level with the Harlem river. the reser
VOf, TX needed, WITH twelve mliIlOnS or gal
Ions OF water in every twenty-four hours. As
water cannot without an extraneOus cause up
Hill these engines will be employed in forcing II from
the aqueduct through the two twenty-nch pipes into
the reservoir, which they can fill in two days with
ease-that is I'm fortyeight hours. Beneath these
pipes is another OF three feet diameter Its Office is
to empty the reservoir when necessary: and this 1t
does by returning the water ~ the aqueduct and
that without wasting a drop OF It, ON the opposite
side of the new basin are placed two thirty six
inch pipes, through which the CrotOn Is to I've dis
af nd nf Tar Qytlla hos
who have visited the southern end OF the
High Bridge are aware that the bank near
upward OF two hundred feet above low tide. From
the New York end Of the bridge the water Is
rocky dec i and thence across Tenth ave- ave.
nue. and other thoroughfares to the Bloomingdae
road, under which It runs for considerable dis:
Ninth avenue to Nineteth street, where two lines Of
six feet pipe have recently been substituted for
leave the aquednct at the above street and Ninth
avenue, and passing in line diagonal to the road:
reservoir i in the PARK The ' water which supplies
the basin comes direct from Ninety second
street via the old aqueduct
THE WORK or OUR MODERN CyCLOPs.
To return to the bridge. The precipice on ts west
ery side has been cut down, thousands OF cubic
and sites Thus secured Tor an engine house ffty.nine
by thlrtysix feet, and boiler house ifty.three by
forty feet In addition to these tall'' chin
sufficient draught to the furnaces Of the engines This
fue will have an altitude OF 1876 feet. We should
here add that besides two large engines already men,
TONED there will be q smaller one capable Of
raising a column OF water about 800 feet. and the
particular object Of which will be presently ex-
planned.
THE TOWER.
Directly In line with the bridge, and far above
Its level-n fact over 200 feet above the waters
OF the Harlem. an Octagon tower Of 1876 feet
from the ground to the vane, and containing nine
stOries Is TO be constructed This tower, which IL to
be massively built Of granite, but OF particular
order OF architecture will have, at altitude OF Ill
feet tank securely placed within Of the capacity Of
5402s gallons, designed for the supply OF dwellings
on the higher grades OF the CITY, The tank is to be
twenty-five feet In height by twenty-one feet and ak
inches In diameter. IL will receive its water from
the aqueduct by the small engine, which is
TO be made competent to raise 100000 gal
Ions OF water IN ten hours Above the tank
Is the lantern, or lookout This s at elevation OF
about $50 feet and will command OF the most ex
tensve and grandest views on the Continent From
M In ha orI.r Al.ai.