New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-20
THE PROPOSED NEW DAM.
VISIT TO QUAKER BRIDGE.
,,,p WATER COMMISSIONERS INSPECT THE SITE OF
THE PROJECTED RESERVOIR.

r,,p WATER COMMISSIONERS INSPECT THE SITE OF
THE PROJECTED RESERVOIR.
wo,er Commissioners John I. Agnew. o. Il. Pot
Ter Hugh n Camp and Amos +. Lno yesterday In
sctsd the C1oto1 River dam and the proposed site OF
the new dam Just above Quaker Bridge. They were
,ccomn.nied by Chief Engineer Isaac Newton, Resi-
seut Engineer Is. S, Church, Engineer Samuel Me-
Elroy, Surveyors John Meachan. and j. ID. Ripley
and j. n. Smith, contractors. 1t was expected that
Mayor Edison would be one OF the party. but oinciai
uuties prevented this. Commissioner william
Dowd was also unable to 90. Those who went from
this CITY left the Grand Central Depot at am,
aud were iolned at Yonkers and at sing sing by
others. Resident Engineer Church had horses and
sleighs waiting the company ON their arrival ~
Sing Sing. a little after o a. H.. and withn very
few minutes the party was beng rspiuN po ILL
away over the smooth roads leading norm anu u.s.
from the place The day was pleasant Tue ar Sit "a
and cold tie sleighiDg excellent. ana Ill VI quo
party were in fine spirits as they swepV E"s. , ,n
Parnell House. on beyond the BLACK not so La
and up the road. along the edge Oh tu1 eS"'y
through which the CIoton River, or the 0Verho"'
AS II ia called-below the dam1ran rapidly. o..
Ouaker Bridge four and a half miles HON cins
Sing. and half-wayto tho dam, was reached
atont 10 o'clock. about quarter % a
mile beyond it, o. the 1 tea o1 oTT
aIiobtea to view the proposed site Of the new dam
Tho hills rise abruptly either side OF the river at
this point, and extend in ridges sixteen miles ana
more away to the northeast, with only one or two
OPENINGS the west and these openings eau lhto
other outlets which are completely enclosed by the
hills At the spot where the Commissioners stopped
iust above Quaker Bridge, the valley Is ABOUT Z3o
feet deep and its width is about zoo feet ne
dam which it proposed to ereG1 az 'hs 1 fea big
from the RIVER bed. We have made diagonal DOT,
ings with diamond drills and have found the solld
rock-bed 80 feet below the river bed at its deepest
MONT Near the sides of the valley this rock comes
near the surface. If dam OF the proposed helght
were bullt here, lake 10 miles long Wouiu 10
antb haraO f I-1f fact
and being }3 feet above the present Croton dam
four ana half miles further up. This would fur;
solve the water problem Of New York CITY. at east
for years beyond our life The present a9SeauGt
supplies zoo GOO 'oo2 gallons Gay no Jbe new
aaueduct would dispose of all OF this over
flow, making the total supply for for the the city
from the two aqq 4Ss tSs Mat Il is
1t is proposed that the new aqueduct shall be tun-
need under the bills directly TO New iorS ana tns
will save q distance of five miles. Besides, there
would be no pense for keeping 1t IN repair where
as expenses for repairs for the old aqueduct are
nearly 100000 a year The estimated COST Vi the
new dam and aqueduct Is $l4.0O0,OO0
The Commissioners crossed Quaker Bridge and ex-
amined the ground where the overflow from tue new
uam would pass. learning tina; wall 900 teet long
and 20 feet high would lie required for it. Tney
were then driven up Quaker Valley along the river
to the CrotOn River dan" ne Wa MsteT Sa, passeS
over the dam and has been lost within two days
said Chief Engineer Newton. to supply the Guy or
2 900 600 600 gallons The Commissioners were
particularly interested in examining the gatehouse
where the water passes into the aqueduct he water
was rushing into this structure ol ~ 1eet incues
diameter at a tremendous rate and was within
foot of the top of the arch just look at that"
Mr. Camp exclaimed. The water ~ TWO feet Deeper
than tho limit originally calculated on
"Yes" said Mr.. Potter, and 1t has been RAINING
at that rate for eleven years oil my own knoWleuee
MANY people IN New York have the idea that more
water might be sent through the aqueduct, but that
is impossible. If the water reached the top no ar
could enter and the flow wOuld be mpeded.'
The Commissioners were unanimously OF the opln-
ion that no more could pass through the aque
duct The party next went to Keeper Woods house.
where refreshments were served and then they were
driven rapidly back to Sing sing, reaching New
York at pm.
The Commissioners were non-conmlttal as 10 thelr
opinion of he project for the new dam. Mr. Potter
said that IL was q great scheme would cost large
amount of money, and he would need time for care
full thought in the matter Mr. Camp Thought II
would settle the water question tor New YORK. II
we build the dam" he said. the supply OF water
will he practically without limit for the lake cOuld
dnct in one direction and i'll the other, wafer could
be bumped UP and brought into tie lake from the
Hudson" Mr. Agnew aud Mr.. Emo were OF the
opiniOn that the dam would give an abundant sup
piy of water. IL would put the water question at
rest for fifty years" WAS Mr.. Aguews comment.
Engineer Church said that with the proposed dam
The water would be so deep that 1t would always ne
nure and cear aud there would result none OF the
difficulties regarding impurities in the water such
ms Boston and other cities had been troubled with.