The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-05-11

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Hsa. o n Peter. wasAi~siow, Do
DEAR StR: In response 10 your letter adj
dressed to me some time axo through the col.
umns Of TAn Bus. invite your attention TO Q
brief examination Of the statement which you
then made. 10 the effect that. next TO the Cro-
ton water shcd. the cheapest source from
which supply Of pure water for this city can
BE- obtained In the upper Hudson above
Poushkespsie" I shall show that you
are In error - regards the relative
cost Of the proposed plan. compared
with the RAmapo scheme; and further
moro that IN ptritv. the water Of the Hudson
River In the neishborhood OF Poughkeepsie
beers no just comparison to that Of the Ramapo.
which 10 more nearly pure than that now
furnished to any large city In the world. with
the single exception Of Glasgow In Scotland.
which obtains it supply from Loeb KAtrine.
Tho distance BY rail from New York TO
Poughkeepsie 10 seventy-three miles. while
from the crossing Of the Croton River to that
place tho distance ID thirty.two miles. The
squeduct proposed BY you would commence at
point on the orotoh River ive miles distant
from tho Hudson River Railway. and the re-
mainder Of the route. a. will b shown
presently would be at least four miles longer
y the cOSdus ct ess 1 Ssn 70 fcrs s.c
The elevation OF tho present Croton dam. 10
100 feet above mean tide level. Assuming that
sS g . TSsk .S TSSa e
S ee. ssoS SGg ia. r0 FSo
therefore BE- stated IN round numbers at $40
rs ssys 4 a s sss
.od ss sS ii ,hs e ns
er no cot sas ~ ETsfsGTf
and Hamburg crock. but az many other points.
sstsnt % four ms IN s az To sSs
one mile should be allowed for the extension Of
ss 81 :as ssN
The portion q the Hudson River Railway *.
the most expensive part Of that work, and prob:
ably exPesssd n cost any other section OF road
duct constructed along steep mountain slope
having so irregular q contour as that referred
projecting Points. and benches along i hearty s
perpendicular rocks. to be supported by high
Sr FG .aSSsn
and destructive freshets. must be crossed by
means Of massive and expensive bridges.
purpose. the expense would be nearly a. great .
,,As often as twice q year on the average tho
times its mean volume. At such times It scours
| the extensive ailuvial lands through which It
Il sars. VIZ R HaF
to New York. and which. Of course renders the
n tue es. Of
draw their supply Of, water from the river are.
therefore. all compelled TO provide f!terng ap-
Tie large population inha6itins it, banks and ID
enter into combination with the water. No
matter how much they may be diluted the
isctnsliy removed BY lon. exposure to the ok
dizing cfrects OF the atmosphere.
RTe1 1 q wstd
81 men,!oned. The mean rise and fall OF the
fi nearly g. sar Albany sSish
three Inches. and at the State dam at Troy.
which Is sig miles distant from Albany. 1t il
lscc q The Hudson Rvsr between Albany and and
New York. excepting in seasons OF freshets. Is
ns The ere sSe Of ds the tidal wave average. veoc
ty Of fifteen miles an hour between New York
and Albany varying In pr3portbIS 1i to ths depth
Sass
wave It mus. not DO coniounded WI with the
tidal current; The latter Averages three miles
the ebb between tho two places in question. y.
:, The tidn! current brings more than one mil
| lion. cubic feet OF salt water per second into the
! Hudson River. The mean quantity of fresh
water discharged by this stream is about ten
thousand cubic feet Per second. IN low stages
cubic iee seeepd shis 1f N
floods the, quantity discharged sometimes
reaches as high rs one hundred and seventy
| thousand cubic feet per second.
Under ordinary circumstances the superior
head OF the fresh water forces hack the salt
| water. so that while the water In Tappan Sea Is
nearly rs saline as that OF tho ocean the first
the river is In NewbprGh Bay. But when tho
lance above. Poughkeepsis is perceptibly
braoksh. From all that has been said 1t Is
| safe to affirm that the water In the Hudson
River at PoqEhkeeDsis will never be found free
As has been already stated the river water
you'd require to to be elevated By pumping to
Allowing fos interest on the cost OF tho ma
| would involve an annual expenditure OF at
| least Ave hundred thousand dollars which rep
| resents capital OF ten million dollars.
| The cost OF an aqueduct Of one half the ca
| pacity OF the new Croton aQueduct. including
the immense pumping engines. the reservoir
and the settling and fltering basins at its head
would DO at least ten million dollars. irrespec-
q ssass oa doa ss"ns
six million dollars. the price at which the city
authorities have the option OF purchasing the
| Ramapo aqueduct and its appurtenances. at any
| time within period OF three years from the
date Of their compilation; Ihavo the honor to
| +. A. CoNKIINo President,