New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-13
THE CITY'S WATER SUPPLY.
rNcNEER CHURCRs NEW PLAN.
4 SCHEME TO GET ADDITIONAL WATER IN
REASONABLY SHORT TIME.

n Camp ex-Judge William Ii. Arnoux. Dr Elisha
Harris Professor Charles +. Chandler, Henry +.
PeIlew ard Erastus Brooks. Mayor Edison briefly
stated the object of the meeting. AT his request
Chief Engineer Chmch pointed out on the large
map han ing against of the walls OF the room
the CrotOn watershed. and how much area would
be flooded if the proposed dam IS putt al the
Quaker Bridge MI Charcn sa oo 1 ao 1e II
water in addition TO the amount now sIoIcu
in the upper reservoirs ana Crolon Lnh n
There would be added twentv-three square mnes
70 the present available watershed, ana 10 square
miles to rhe area of storage. Mr. Church was ,qucs
toned at considerable length by u b. tOuerI1Iauai1
10 the cons ruciiOn of the proposed nanl ne sau
that from the Oed rock to the crest vi b bnT than
would be 27O feet. Tins was 100 feet hlgheI .nan
any dam ever built. measuring rom s .n1 fee1 below
M he foundation would be nlnety-hVe ieot poiom
the he'd of The CIoton River aud seventy leet peio"
the mean tide line of the Hudson River. ,o,,
Matthew Richardson brought forward anew P'dn.
TIL was to nse the Harlem River a reservoir by
danminy each end. He wasabOut 10 give the detalIs
of his plan when the Mayor cut HIM snort by saying
that the committee had not met Tor that purpose
Mr.. Potter SAID that the question W NE
one of great magnitude, affecting the
interests of the TIL city NOR STou tn ae con'id
cred carefully. In taking testimony tne Eoi' dn,
SION should know bow the Quaker bt n; ua u,
would affect the public healih Dy ha -.
times a large area OF ground The water III t1e pro
nosed reservoir would be drawn down % zee. very
wear. How could this be done without injury 10
The public hratnf Would 1t be possible TO draw
the water from q 600 acres of Hats down TO TWO OF
three feet and not affect the health OF tnose IN Sno
vcrnityf The preparation OF the ooS'oln anu sos
of the proposed great reservoir would be greater
q sestion rhan thar of building the dam ITSELF III
would be advisable 10 obtain the opinion OF Tue
Safe Board of Health before declSloh was hau'
THE COST of erecting and tanning bridges alone
if the dam were built, would be more than plOo0'-
900 New roads would have to De
i hn vor out musb he eTS to build dam at
Brewster's, winch could be done for not more than
81 20O,O 900. and this would double tne present
storage suppl. Of water 1hiS an would give ne
citv an abundant supply in separate reservoirs ana
rhe entire cost on side of the aqueduct, would not
be more than 81 250,0 600. The difference ID interest
alone on the sum which would be saved between
the two plans wOud build every other daln that
might be found niece sary to secure every drop Oh
woter in fbe Croton watershed. II was not hy any
mears certain thai the big dam would give any al
dltlobal water supply. Within thirty years me
CITY of Now-York would inevitably have TO go
hevoDd the Croton watershed for a further supply
of water and then The big da1l would be oil com
paratIvey little benefit considering rs cost. New
York would have to 90 to tue upper Hud son, wnere
could be had. The system OF separate
reservoirs had gwen the pureSt supply
of anv city on the continent. 1t would DC wen LOT
the Com mission to pause before 1t decided 10 depart
from his tried and approved system ana Dulin 'ne
Quaker Bridge Im.
mons expense and comparatively small additional
storage area secured by the proposed great dan'
MANY citizens iet that great caution should oe
exercised before the Commission nndlly decided 10
construct the dam. The question OF the puOlc
heath was of great importance, as well as that Oh
Dr. Elisha Harris, of the State Board Of Health,
sand that he had received kilograms from ffeSldsht
Moore and other members OF that BODY saying tnat
they would give the subject II he propose aaue-
duet and reservoir careful consideration. Dr. Har-
ms added that he CrOtOu watershed would supply
water 10 4OO0O 600 inhabitants. The water
now furnished was tue pmeSt gwen 10
any city OF its population. Hyeienists
were unanimously OF the opinion that the CrotOn
was pure and healthy. 1he State Board of Health
would give the matter careful stu iy.
Erastus Brooks, another member OF the state
Board Of Health, sad that the proper time Tor the
State Board TO give opinion on the question OF
how the rubhc health would be affected was after
the Commission had made som" dehnue plan. The
State Board would need certain data. such as the
condition of the Croton valley as to marshes, the
extent of the proposed overflow, whether malaria
would be generated, etc.
Dr. Harris said thai physicians had no fear Of
deleterions water beng brought into the city, Iae
Crot0n had never yet made any one SICK, ana al
fears of tins kind were eroundiess People ala not
drln!. cnils and fever. There was no more health
ful or beautiful valley for water supply than the
CrOton.
these we're the only persons aside from the
officials who desired to be heard. Commissioner
Thompson, OF the Department OF Pubic " orksiDen
pre~eBted a communication setting forth the WORK
OF the Department I'D examining inc best Pldn toI
an additional water supply lie declared mat tne
various engineers Lad agreed that tne Vnakti
Bridge reservoir would be the most elncleht ana
economical means oil collecting aud storing HE
water supply. He added that the aqueduct route
recommended IN his former report might pO sbiy be
changed without affecting the main oolect OF The
systen-the collection, storage aud sale convey
ance to the city of the largest available water sup
pIy from the CrOton BASIN But before new rou
was adopted be thought its character should be ac~
curatcly asceItalned by careful surveys and e1plo
raIons Of the ground and me lnatter should oe
submitted 10 tue experts who have gwen so much
time and study to the subject. Mr.. thompson con-
cludeS as follows:
The prop stion has also been made by Mr. Church to
build ali subsidiary dam III the per part OF tue reseI-
yOr MuscoO Mountain about six miles above the pres
ent Croton DAM according TO the survey OF 1870 his
place has Tor many years been known TO the enSneers
of the Department of the available SITES Tor ddn
and 1t 30 designated on an od nap dated 1870 ana
now among the records OF the Department The main
object thls suOsda dam would nc To meet Tue 90
reservoir on sanitary grounds the DIRECTORS claiming
in drawing down the reservoir ioT tnr
snd swallow portion would be laid bare,
and the health Of the neighborhood would be- in1ousy
affected According TO p report maze by tue iate
Thomas A. Emuett Dece mber 20. 1870 u General Fltz
john Porter. then Commissioner OF Pubic W0rEs, the
wafer above this dam w0nu amount to.iD1ui looooo.
600 gallons which could Dc ned back until the remote
contingency should arse that the gallons
bslow IL were exhausted. The dam wOuld ne about
thirty hgn and coat about 100000 although the
amount cannot be safely determined without aQequae
exploration OF the gfodnd us auutloh WoIid Ia no
manner interfere with tle system recommended IN my
the possible sanitary advantages TO be gained submit
10 you question OF its adoption IN conjunction with
the entire system
This was a new proposition, and the members of
the Commission listened attentlyely to Engineer
Churchs explanation of the plan. lie stated that
by tins plan water could be brought through the
new squeduct as soon as 1t was Completed IL was
intended 10 begin the new aqueduct just above the
present Croton dam, the aqueduct to be led by
two by-Dasses, one entering above the Croton dam
aud the other running around below tue dam. he
water was TO be regulated by gates. The
upper bypass would supply the water to
the aqueduct soon ~ 1T was ready to
carry It, This plan would insure circulation
throughout the entire BODY of water IN the reser-
voir and would draw Its supply below the Croton
dam instead of at the Quaker Bridge dam 1t was
also proposed to have three sets OF gates to regulate
the How of water into the aquoduct. BY these the
water could be drawn either from the top, bottom
Oh middle Of the reservoir. IL was further proposed
20 construct a gate-house connecting with the old
aqueduct near the Quaker Bridge dam. which
rnnlL pixn cnrnnlefe control OF tha cIrcnlaflnn