The New York herald., 1876-02-22
Surveys for a New Croton
Aqueduct.
Estimate Of the Cost CT the
Work.
NINETEEN MILLION DOLLARS REQUIRED.
The Proposed Routes and Other
Specifications in Full.


In compliance with instructions from General Fitz
John Porter, issued by him while Commissioner OF
Public Works surveying parties were organized to
best for another aqueduct between
the Croton and Harlem rivers, at High Bridge.
These parties were placed under the charge ofThomas
A. Emmett who for the last four years, has had charge
of the being constructed in the Croton Val
ley and whose report ofthe surveys and the estimated
cost of the new aqueduc is hereto annexed careful
examination of the Croton River showing the most
favorable place for another dam about quarter Of
mile the head of the Croton Lake and just be-
low the mouth of the Muscoot River 1t is at this
point proposed to dam thirty feet in height
above the lip OF the present dam, which win form
reservoir and settling basin covering $50 acres and will
DC about miles in length and hold $780, 000, 900
gallons.
Surveys for the aqueduct made the
divide to the head waters of the Bronx and down that
valley and also farther to the west the Pocantco
and Sawmil rivers The length of the aqueduct from
the reservoir to tho High Bridge the Bronx River
route will be 360s miles, and by the sawmi River
route 36 80 miles The aqueduct will start from the
Croton River with elevation of thirty feet above the
present aqueduct, and descend grade OF II 67100
inches per mile to the vicinity of Jerome Park at
which point the high grounds fall away far as to
render the continuance of the aqueduct Of masonry
expensive and Objectionable 1t is now proposed to
construct reservoir and from tins point carry the
water in cast iron pipes The water in this river will
stand fortytwo feet above that of the waters in the
reservoirs in Central Park The present aqueduct is
now bringing into the city daily all the water that it
carry with safety and 1t is necessary that steps be
taken at once TO bring in additional supply. The
Importance Of full supply great be dependent
upon aqueduct, and another should be built
entirely away from and independent of the present.
that in of accident to the other may not be
affected by It, II is now impossible TO keep the water
out of the present aqueduct sufficient time to make the
thorough repairs to it that it requires Had another
tho water could be drawn from it for such time may
be necessary to thoroughly repair it, when It could be
made fully as good when the Croton water first
brought through it in 1872
~ SURVEYORS REPORT.
The following is the report OF the engineer having
lhe surveys in charge. Estimates also submitted with
the report will also be found below
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. !
ENGINEERS OFFICE CARMEI4 Dec 90 1915
JOHN c. CAMBPELL Chief Engineer
SIR herewith submit report OF operations in the
field together with profile and esmates Of the engi-
neering parties who have been engaged in making
veys a aqueduct from the Cro,on to the Har-
lem rivers The mapis not quite completed, but will be
sent 10 you in few days
The arst party, under the charge of Charles L. Nc
Alpine, Esq, commenced work the Goth of August,
locating the site for dam the Croton River one
quarter Of mile above the head of Croton Lake and
establishing flow line for lake settling basin
thirty feet higher than the lip of the present Croton
dam. From tho point where the was located a line
down the east bank Of Croton Lake on a de-
scending grade Of 002O per 100 feet / 56-lo0 feet
mile which grade continued to the end of the
line. Leaving Croton Lake at the mouth of Kisko
River the line follows up that stream to the summit
between II and the Bronx River, and down the Bronx
to the end OF the route. The length OF this route to
High Bridge is SO s-100 miles, of which I3 9s.lOO
miles in tunnel, 10 9100 miles in open cuts and en-
bankmcnts and 1100 miles cast iron pipes 10 tho
High Bridge over the Harlem River
Tho second party, under the charge OF Horace
IOOmis commenced the 9th of Septembpr M n otnL
on Mr. McAlpne's line, on the north bank Of Kisko
River near its mouth and crossing the river continued
down Croton Lake TO a small stream called Trout or
Van Cortland Brook and followed 1t 10 the summit or
head waters of the Pocantico River following down
that four and half miles, and thence across 10
Sawmll River valley, which was followed for twelve
and quarter miles thence crossing the ridge to the
valley of Tbbetts Brook In the valley Of Tibbett's
Brook the line for about three miles alongside the
present aqueduct varying in distance from fifty to 100
feet to the east Of and ground from thirty forty
feet higher. From where Il leaves the aqueduct tho
line west of Woodawn Cemetery and thence on
the high ground to its junction with Mr. McAlpine's
line The length Of this route from the dam to High
bridge Is SO 52-100 miles, of which 10 6-100 miles is
and l-10o miles in pipes. For the lake above the
dam two aow lines were rum one of them thirty feet
and the other twenty-five feet above the lip Of Croton
dam. The area of land covered by the upper flow line
will be $50 acres and the capacity is estimated at
l,1so,ooO,0Oo gallons The lower flow line will
cover area Of GA acres and will con-
tain about 1906 100000 gallons. The upper flow line
the track of the Lake Mabopac branch Of the
Harlem Railroad, from to six feet In depth, for
distance OF ], SEQ feet and the lower flow line for
distance Of 400 feet merely touches the track the
deepest place being one foot The water by the upper
now line will also cover four feet above the lower
chord OF the railroad bridge the Croton river
the track being laid the upper Two points
examined for receiving tho vicinity
OF Jerome Park, one containing Go acres with
capacity OF about COO 000 900 OF gallons the other
containing about GO acres, with capacity of about
$50 600 900 Of gallons In making these surveys the
country has been carefully examined, and lines have
been run through every gap opening that found
between the Bronx River line and Pocantico River
and .he Bronx River line witch runs from the sum-
nit along the hcadwaters OF tho Sawmill River TO
lJnonvllc is connected with the Sawmi River line
short distance below that place In crossing sprain
Brook the Bronx River route the estimate is Tor
carrying the that valley in pipes
The inside Of the proposed aqueduct Is rs 32100
feet Estimates arc made ON the Bronx and Sawmill
the ewcst obstacles to tho construction of aqueduct
and think the estimate annexed TO this report will
fully the cost
Tam indebted to Messrs. McApine X Loomis and the
young men under them for their careful and skilful
prosecution OF the surveys and their prompness and
despatch IN making up the estimates and pronles
Respectfully submitted THOMAS A. EMMETT,
Assistant Engineer in charge
ESTIMATE Fon LAKE AT HEAD or NEW GoUB-
DUCT
SEQ acres OF land including buildngs..... $4,000
Clearing and grubbing ............... 1000
$500 cubic yards OF earth excavation, al 25c l25
"a, 600 cubic yards OF rock excavation, al
81 25........................... 20. $1,000
20O0 cubic yards Of tunnel cutting In rock-
DO 600 cubic yards Of eHnbankment at 5Oc... $1,000
500 cubic yards of concrete masonry, at &c.. 5000
500 cubic Yards OF rubble masonry at So. %, 500
200 cubic yards Of brick masonry, at Sl2... 400
1900 cubic yards OF cut stone masonry, at
10. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. oO,OO0
Gate bouses gates, screens, &c............. 10000
Making now roads, raising railroad bank ana
Total. s532 o25
FOR NEW AQuBDUCT
Estimate Tor new aqueduct on Bronx River route,
nom dam 10 High Bridge 90 8-100 miles of which