New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-27
THE QUAKER DAM SCHEME.
Ex-JUpeE ARNoUx's OPINIONS.
WHY THE AouEbUCT SHOULD BE BUILT TO CRoIoN
DAM-CosT OF QUAKER DAM.

WHY THE AQUEDUCT SHOULD BE BUILT TO ChoIoN
pAM-CosT OF QUAKER DAM.
The Aonoduct Commissioners held session yes
t.rday afternoon at their office in THE TRIBUNE
lie to present some estimates that he had made up
on the cost of the wooden f,ume when ~ was pro
posed to build froln the Croton Dam to Quaker pam
His estimates showed that the cost per running foot
would be Sal for distance of mere than Two
miles. After he had finished speaking ex;J4dge
Armour addressed the Commissioners lie sald that
he would not go into the question of the public
health as affected by the proposed dam ana reser-
yor as the b Dam shed 10 hd@ p 0Sss
upon them was the fact that storage was not an
increase of supply. 1t was simply husbandlng
from rainy years sufficient supply 1or tne needs
of dry wears. 1t was doing for water what joseph
had done in Egypt for corn. The weak point OF
the proposed Quaker Dam was that it did not in
fayay of, of9.t6e a1ned1ct to Croton Dam be-
cause 1t was obviously i'll the right dlreclon point
ing toward those additional sources OF water sup
ply which in the natural growth OF the city must
be sought for or later. Whether 1T should DC
determined in the future to pump water from
the Hudson above PoughkeePsle or to adopt tina, 6nat
duct from the CrotOn Dam to Maurice ave, olng
Sing, would be true integral part OF either. ne
believed that constant stream OF running wafer
was preferable to water drawn from huge reser-
yoir 1t became oxygenated and was purlned Dy
the motion, throwing Oft in its course whatever Ln
purities might have polluted it. But his main argu
Hment was based upon the importance of looking
forward to the ultimate future when the ralRIai OF
the Croton system would be insufficient 1or the
A' The W wear isso, Judge Amoux continued, was
dry year and he had taken it as the basis OF some
fgufes because the strength of chain is its weak.
est part and the possibilities OF water supply nlust
be reckoned ON the same principle. In that year
there fell MILLIONS OF gallons q RT Tan some
to The God 6oo oo consumption nPp
80. 500, 100000 gallons yearly There was oonsid-
cradle scrimpng and there was considerable. waste;
but that might be taken as the true pasls iof G3n
the CTOton River should be utilized theIe Woula 20
sufficient for population in round numbers t tT
and one-half times the present. The flow OF tne
Croton River during all the months was sufhclent
for all the months consumption at the present tlme
Reckoning, however, at daily Consumption 0I
he necessary before the aqueduct should be I'm
jshed he found that the daily flow of the Crot0n
River would be nadegaate IPr a s1 G% FebFnaTv
March, April and May. The suIPlusage OF these
months was so considerable and the deficiency OF
the others small that no argument could De lnade
from that basis. But increasing the daily eonsump-
ton to 150,00O,000. or to 175O0O,00O or TO
2O0000,000, brought about state OF Things w wneh
trely dependent on the flow OF January, teDruary,
March and April and as population flowed into the
fend~it must tend-to diminish 1T. For
population Of the city doubled itself itself
of system that would be Ink IN any Iuture sys-
TEN of water supply Either pumping the Hudson
above Poughkeepse or bringing water from the
eally inexhaustibe. He favored pure stream OF
fresh water running into the city day by day. lie
was opposed to the formation of a huge reservoir.
fillod with stagnant water, of which large per-
centage would be lost by evaporation. Therefore
was in favor of an aGedset from and the Sro6Gn
posed TO the formation OF the Quaker Dam Reser-
vOir, with its $4,000 million gallons .
With regard to the cost Judge Arnonx thought
the estimate of Mr.. Newton delusive. Mr.. Newton
stated in his report that this huge dam, 272 feet
broad at the base, and 27o feet in height from
the foundation, would cost only two millions of
dollars. This seemed to him, the speaker like an
endeavOr to induce the Commissioners to do GER.
tain work by figures arranged IN certain way
AS the provisions of the law for the aqueduct gave
power to the Commissioners to take testimony, he
thought they should not hesitate to examine men
of positive knowledge, under oath, upon the point
of cost, for frankly he thought there was evasion
here. 1t seemed to him as ii man should say
"My house cost me only five thousand dollars,
and should omit from the calculation the cost OF
the ground and of the foundations.
Mayor Edson-I don't think Newtons report read that
way. read 1t and think II hardly fair TO give
Judge Arnonx~May it please your Honor it gives in the
report about $50 per million gallons the cost OF the
reseryor and that makes less than two millions, you
will discover by multiplication. friend has whispered
hut am sure have read in the repOrt-ah here is
the of carrying up the dam to the proposed
point, So, 100000"
Maycr Edson~I am perfectly unbiased in my views,
and compelled to say that your reading absolutely
unfair.
Judge Arnoux sat down and Julius Adams civil
Mr. Newton is sick, but ne has authorized me to say
that he reported as follows:
Cost o Of Carrying Quaker Dam sixty feet
above the level OF Croton Dam. 100000
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The meetinp was then adiourned At the business