New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-24
INCREASING THE WATER SUPPLY.
ANEW DAM ON THE CROToY PROPOSED


PLANS
Freouent complaints have been made to the De-
partment of Public Works recently by citizens IN
regard to the scarcity of water. The answer which
the Commissioner and his assistants nave gwen 10
these complaints is that the full capacity oil the
aCucduct is supplied TO the city. but that the pres
ent aqueduct is inadequate TO meet the drain upon
it. In his recent quarterly report COMMISSIONER
Thompson referred TO n report OF Isaac Newton
Chief Engineer of the CrOtOn Aqueduct, on plans
proposed for storing and conveying an additional
water supply TO the city, lhis report was prlnIou
Yesterday aud sent to the Mayor; COMMISSIONER
Thompson also sent TO the Mayor letter giving ms
views on the proposed plan. The letter Tst states
that the Chief Engineer IN ms nvessgaIon @
engineer, and that his plans for new aqueducI
have received the approval of John b. JeTVIS, con
structor Of the CrOton Aqueduct, James IS. rrancls
president of the American society OF ClVh EhSl-
neers and Robert X. Martin, constructor OF the
Baltimore Water Works. II sets forth also that
there is now difference OF opinion aLiohg emu
neers that he most desirable source of supply is the
Croton River. TIL rest of the letter is as lolioWs
The project of using the salt water which surrounds Hd
linues to brought forward from time 10 tlne ~ per
who have evidently not gwen the ru9rcl suClel'
consideration The objections to are so apparent sh
conclusive that engineers 40 hOl c'n i ci ' 10
Of serious considerations In view OF me many qleros
however, which are pu 10 me oy cllels " -! M W
propose make preparations 10 Use Sh,t Waici, w -
brifi; state the obec ions to IL. We bavc now d.
miles Of ron pipes WIN 2l3a stopccks au d ~
the Cty TO make salt water o roaI service IOf II,
limited Tor WICu IL can ne l-'l ~ "tuh
unnecessary 70 duplicate me greiicsi p;ft OF to US
trhutiug system. aud erect and main ain liii liS
machinery and standppS Al o' Eos " tdUoi,n!
not less than twelve to fifteen mi lion dollars Nontuc
ing nat less than PEE cent OF the pcseH water suppy
is used for eNtngushng fire, ana Tor cleaning
the principal or almost cAcilrIHe us's 10 me, '',s
water can bo luf-thc cost OF salt wa'cr en- 4.
compared With any OF the new projects Tor ~ ad 90
the fresh water supply OF ample proportions, ~ :" cho
nous a. to place IL out Of the question on mat ground
alone. But there are other serious once ions 10 H.
ire un!crwIlterN say tEal SAL WAFER u''1 III @
in fires would he likely 10 do rs much damage 10 hcI
chaud.se the flames themselves The RAPID c0rIOSiGh
Of iron pipes along the river iron whcre tny come ~
with salt water. shows thai II "ond soon COT
rode the maus st4p'gcks ana Iydrn,5 a"H ID cit
opinion OF tho chef ~ the FIRE Department. wear Oul
the steam irc-cngncs For use On the sticc,s Is 80
Objectionable, in sanitary point OF view, tat Se{cr
street spriukinc with salt water. An additional fresh
water suppl viii not only accomplish an ht can he az,
tanned by Utilizing SAT- watef' out WI eet u'c 'Iy
Other equally important objects OF an adequate Na'g.
sy-tc for which salt water would be useless me sal.
plan may therefore be dismissed "lInou !Hlt"eI
discussion.
CrOton watershed is not capable oi furnishing con
slant supply Tor new and arc aqHtduct SHOWS an I'M
perfect knowledge misconceptions o. The tacs hciu,
rae Ivanons and observation-disclosures OF he talau gnu
Of the quantity Of water running over the trol9n Dan
for the pas sixteen years prove th3t IN The drest OF
these years, loNu me average ddly no" OF 'e
River WAS 25O.O00.O00 gallons Al that Is needed to
secure mat supply every day IN Inc yer l., smSmf
storage capacity me capacy OF Ihe LIVt0h Ni'eIsc
10 furnish a minimum supply NJ 250000.O0O gallons per
day being proven the whole question is narrowed down
to the selection Of the plans ana means TO secure eu
cent storage AID to conduct the water to he titl
Mr.. NpWtOlr covers hJth the SUBJECT OF storage
and that OF conduit from the Croon River 10 the cty
In regard storage it combines IN the Mghes. ~ gree
the merits Of simplicity efficiency and economy Instead
Of constructing nunncr OF smaller reservoirs on INC
slopes OF the CrotOn watershed on sites established by
mad, under the direction OF the Cr9ton Aque-
dac Board ~ lSJ'JS u Is pfo9eu 10 oul'9 u'n on
CToton River at Quaker Bridge, about four and
half III es the present dam and five miles above
the mouth 81 the river, forming reservoir OF 1850
acres in area. with o storage capacity OF al at
g. OO0000OUO salons above the level OF ne proposed
q. compared with number Of smaller ones III Tie upper
portion Of the watershed are;
Firs-It will receive the entire drainage u the 36l
square miles ~ watershed including shout twenty
three square miles below Croon Lake not included in
any previous reports. plans or calculations. on the
other nand the combined drainage OF sufficient
number of smaller reservoirs on the sites heretofore
,c;ed, 10 contain 3-,00O000000 gallons available
water would be less than 200 square miles Consc-
Gucn; the large reservoir VIII fill much more rapidly
Sec6Hd|rhc estimated cost Of building this reservoir is
81, 100000 being al the rate OF SD per one million
gallons capacity The coat OF building the smaller resci-
voirs estimated by nay predo c.SSor the Hon MAN
CamPGG ~ h report % n 6ooj lar az 7yo nv
equal TO the large reservoir;
Trd-iurty of water IL better occurred by large reser-
yoirs man 10y smaller
fourtt--B5 taking the propcGcd size the length of
aqnednct required To convey me wafer 10 me cry Is
shortened about ten miles rs compared Win thc plans
proposed u 1870.
Though Ia, dam is TO be Of unusual height and viii
The eminent and experienced engineers who have exam
the entire plan pronounce Il entirely pTac'cahlc as
vel the ST tEat can be adopted. Dams 81 nearly Inc
same height have been successfully HuI and used ia
France aud elsewhere. The CONDUIT iiom the dam az
Quaker Bridge 10 the Harlem River al lii-h il%e - 10
lie a masonry aqUeduct crcular in snapc j feet II d.
ameier, ana cap bic Of delivering auout 21noU0Ouo
gallons Of water per day Inc Harlem River ana u,h-
haitian Vail v are crossed b; PhGnS the remain
der Of the conduit between the Harlem River and me
Central Park Reservoir 20 he in tuuHc wherever posi-
bic The distance from Quaker ItidS- 10 the Harlem
River on the inc sci cci s 2Gl3 miles. only 81 100 mile
greater tln air line; il is 10 miles shorter than the
Saw Mil RIVER nc and 90 mics sofcr than the Bronx
Kncr line surveyed in 1870 under be direction OF Cen
eral Ftz John Porter II has the further nost valuable
advantage OF btiuS almost wholly IN IOrk tunnel thus
SECURING groatct possible strength aud stability OF
the structure VITA me ltlS, cost ior supervision ana
maintenance after II Is completed.
The prominent features o. the entire plan are:
First-Iargc capacity and facility for collecting aud
storing 1hc reservoir VIII receive the entire
drainage OF the Cfoton Watershed and 320OOOoO,O00
gallons of above the level OF the nIucduct ana
days without recourse 10 the flow OF the r;v r with
tho 9OO00O0 900 gallons o. water IN existing storage
new reservoir about to be built ON the East branch of
the Croton the total available storage capacity will lee
4G 900 COOK 900 gallons sufficient TO supply 2OOO00OOO
gallons per day for twcny-ihrce days ,,.,
Sccond Large capacity and utmost atiainaDle strength
civ The new aqueduct will be capable OF delivering
100000 900 salonH day the entire IN minimum drainage
9jOO the rate OF 100 gallons daily per capita, or
33OOOU the present rate of consumption about 'eN
enty-nve gallons daily per capital Adi 10 ~ tr ca
pacty OF the present OOOOOO gallons per
day-and can. II needed in the far distant future,
convey the city that amount OF water from the HOusa-
tonic River other proposed auxiliary to the Gro
ton and supply population OF 4CGOOOO at tie present
Third-Economy OF first cost OF construction. as well
"a subsequent supervision and maintenance. The cost
of the new dam reservoir and aqucduct above de
scrbed, including everything necessary to deliver the
water into tho Central Para Reservoir. X esitcd ~
81 600 600 The cost of aqueduct of 10000, 600
gallons daily capacity by of the No routes surveyed
IN 1873 with equal capacity "a included In the
now plan and provision deliver the water III the Cen
trial Park ReserN Dir is estimated a. iOll0Ws:
Sawml river route sl9493GOO
Eronx River route Oll9OC0
Cost Of new plan per 100000 gallons OF con
dnit capacity $4,000
COST of plans reported In 1875 per l0OO.O'O gal.
S"9mi River route ................... 1916
pT,nY River route lOSl2l
The substitution of one large reservoir in place OF
eight or ten smaller distributed over the entire
and the construction ~ tue shortest pracic
HE conduit with the greatest portion rock tunnel will
voye much less labor for supervision and mat
of the works after completion than the works proposed
under any other plan.