, 1876-09-09
NEW WATER-lYORKS.
Next Saturday Will Probably See
Them in Operation.
Historical Sketch Of This Great I'm
provement in tho Weat Di.
vision.

having their watcr-supp'y cut OF by some pos.
sEble accident to thu mains connecting with the
Chicago Avenue Water-Works, but hereafter
they may feel secure. The completion Of the
new works gives assurance that, no matter II
the Chicago avenue pump should cease running,
the Weat Blders would still have IN ample
supply Of wafer for all purposes. Fer this rea-
son the opening Of tho new pumping. works
marks an era In the progress Of the city.
IL has taken long tlmo TO bring about this
great public improvement. The whole Of the
business portion Of the city has been built since
the sehcmc WAS first proposed, and other ex-
tcnsivc public works have been pushed TO their
fu1ltment, while this, whcl, Is really one Of tho
most necessary Of tho improvements ever un-
lertaken by the authorities, has been languisl,-
ing nlonE In almost as di1atorY fashion as has
the building nj the CourtclIousc.
The origin Of tho new land extension Of the
tunnels was quiet accidental. 1tlsappcned that
was dragging hes. anchor On the hottom Of tho
North Branch suddenly caino TO Il stanslsttlf ut
the Chicago Avenue Bridge. The efforts Of the
tugboat to move her were futile, and It was
hold 81 something in Tug bed of the stream. On
examluaton this supposit!on was found To be
correct, - tho anehgr was dtsyoycrcd
to bo caught IN the &-tnsh
%ea %e.t tb1F4sEa by With we1s the Ps9rs bvs r. hs
diver was ut once employed to make IN exam
lnatios', aud lie reported that ote Of the 1ukes
Of the anchor
HAD PENErRArgp TIE rrrE
and had 60 badly Injured It that the watcr was
sscaptng freely. Tie accident was unfortunate.
The seasun was hot and dry. and great incou-
yGnicncc resulted to the people living on tho
West sidc from the atoppagc Of the water sup
ply, which Yras rendered necessary In order to
make tho uceded repairs. Tic people in
TINT quarter oi the city wcrc without water for
sixty hours, and consequently there was mllel,
talk about the matter, aud the dcsfrability Ut
preventing repetition Ut the mbhap lu thu
The agitation was 80 universal and the de-
mant for future security 80 persistent that at
thc first meeting Of the Common Council Aid.
Holden, Holder, Of, 81 thc Tenth Warl. sutmtted com.
supply Of the West Division. Ii q
previously ~, urged l thy necessity of
nus to point somewhere In tho neighborhool
Of Harrison aud Luomts streets and tho erection
Of coInplcte pumping-works hut nothing had
been done toward the most important improve
mcat-" all Improvement TINT would have to be
would hayc auy substantial guarantee that an
accident like that Which occurred list week
would not occur again."
Tho document was referred to Special Com
following Thursday md held ccufcrencc, re-
porting the resclt Of tho same to the Council
Feb. :, 1s10. They were unanimously OF the
opinion that thu Board should tAka immediate
whereby the water supply might be extended
upon basis Of not ouly 1ncctiug the then de-
nlands Of the community, but for the making OF
ample provision for The future.
tion from tlo DoarI aud report frofn Clty-En-
ginrcr Chesbrough. The former rcco1nineuIcl
theconsttuction Vi tunnel. seven feet iu interual
diameter, from tho pumping works to point
on the South Branch sonth of Twenty -secontl
street and west Of ualsted. Such d tunnel
should have To be about 1850 feet In length,
sud pumping works with a ca,acity of yD,tSW.,
QUO gallons day should be crcctcd ut tic terni-
nus. 1t was also recommended that
sEcoNp LAKE TUNNEL
should be cointncncc<l. The City Engineer, IN
his rcporl, considered ut length thc tfnll far H.
crcaatng the water supply Of tue city, aud asked
| MI appropriation Of Sl13,Bli for this purpose,
| claiming an iilcrcase ID the water rcnts would
| enste which would more than rcpay thc OUTLAY,
| The Council favored the nlan. ai,l. uftcr ak.
tnr leave Of the Legislature, Issued bonds for
81, 800, 600, Which wcro readily sold. Nothing
was done, however, towards The commencement
| of the tunnel up to the time Of the tire.
which catastrophe, Of course. unset eycry.
thing for TIME. The Chicago nyct,ie
| avenue works we're eeriously inlu,cl, and tic
whole city waY without watGr for week or
more. Al soon a. matters wcrc strasltcnci out, r.
the Board OF Public Works advertised for pro.
po.als for the construction Of the new lake tun-
icl. Subsequently the bids for thu new land
tunnel werc received and tho contract Tas
awarded to the s party whom ON the BosrI De- Ieernsi d
tho lowest rcspo1islblc bidder" The bid OF
another person wna less, and, feeling aggrlcyed
that liz did not receive tlu ceu-
| trnct, ler carried tho matter into the
| courts. where It rclpatuctl ytar. during
which period OF coursu uutEing was done OH tho
| PROPOSED works. The Board we're, however,