New-York tribune., 1884-02-28
MAYOR EDISON IMPATIENT.
SLOW PROGRESS ON THE NEW AQUEDUcr.
SHALL PROPERTY BE ACQUIRED IN FEE f-DisCos-
sIoNs ny THE COMMISSION.

SHALL PROPERTY BE ACQUIRED IN FEE I-pisOo'-
sIoNs By THE COMMISSION.
The Aaueduct Commissioners, at tne Ies.i Iesu
weekly meeting yesterday received communicar.vn
from Michael smith asking to oe spPSb s ben Chief
EnS;nssr Church reported progress and Mayor
Edson asked if elaborate SURVEYS were no, not
Tb no;noer reped in the affirmative. The Mayor
then asked what progress had been mace WIN tue
property mans and Engineer T Mew'Ss aSs s and nearly
ali the maps aud surveys in six or eight days. III
Would @ Id depend on the weather The Mayor
SrSposed s%a ta5 10 he taken Moad s have to be
weeks. There nothing to prevent inc inaklng Sng
of arrangements with owners OF properly Mnero YIo
This could be done. Corporation Counsel Andrews
The Mayor desired to know what otter surveys
required to be made before letting me & contracts
ssissble TO know Just What n difCTl- ,1I
. S yG%a snnne Gf The %st pseoaoa Eh needed % be
carefully drawn. 1t would be good thing TO have
rst-class gcologist go over the line OF the pro-
posed aqueduct and ascertain the character OF the
work to be done. The Mayor wanted TO know why
the contractors could not do this Mr. Church re-
Joined that he wanted to protect the city,
The Mayor impatiently-If we are to find ont lust
will take twenty-si years to complete the work
M Church said that they wished TO asceIad6 sc h d0ns as
This was important in order that the contracts 1or
the work might be lot underStandingly.
In response toa question irom the mny1, Urpn
ration Counsel Andrews said that when tne prop
ertv mans were completed he was c0mpclled 10 au-
yertise in the newspapers that he would Apply 10
some Judge TO appoint GoiniSJIo ;ra ~ o,tbn
fee or easement over it, The Mayor said that his
idea was that it would be necessary only to obtain
the fee of the land required for shafts, portals
dumping grounds and roads leading to the shafts.
Further questioning OF Mr.. Churcn ellclted tne
statement that it would be probably three months
before contracts could he let iOr the work.
Mayor Edison (sarcastcally)-That will be May, one
year rom the time the bill authorizing the construction
them M 600 r year have sitting for nearly
year listening arguments am free to confess that
growing somewhat impatient at the SLOW progress
Mr. Church-There is great deal to be done, and much
Mr. Dowd~We should never have got West if railroads
were built III that way Al, A., ~.
Mr.. Spencer-is might be well TO stir up the Depart
ment OF Public Works
Commissioner Thompscn with laugh)All right we
Mayor Edson~Before attempting to acquire any prop
erty it will oe necessary to ascertain te 1eIh Oh he
tunnels whether 1t will be forty OF lou rect Deio" ne
MIR Andrews--This is Indispensable
A general discussion followed on the probable
cost OF the land needed Mr. Church thought that
on average of 500 acre for the entire distance
would be high price Much of the land was COM
paratIvely worthless. Mr. Andrews said that
ready reckoner had figured the amount of land
needed at 100 acres at 1000 an acre The Mayor
said that IL the tunnel was carried fifty feet
under his place the cost of the easement
would be comparatively nothing. II, however,
the fee to the land were taken he would demand at
least 81 900 1t would cut his place in two 10
obtain the land of the place Immediately below his
would probably cost the city 100000 1t would
cut through the handsome country seats of ii. Is.
Clahln, MIR. Dickinson and others. 1t made great
difference whether merely an easement was ac-
uuifed, or the right to go on and take possess
sion of the property condemned In the latter case
the owner would want to be fully indemnliied. MIR.
Andrews said that before going into court ne
wanted to know whether he was TO ask If certain
property was to be acquired III Zee, or merely an
easement obtained.
Mir. Thompson offered a resolution that the
Chief Englneer should be directed TO examine
and report what lots of land are needed to be
ment is needed The Mayor moved that
land IN fee be procured only for the shafts portals
dumping grounds, cuts and roadways, and that ali
else be in the nature of easements. MIR. Spencer
lces ex pense; but it would be much better to pos
sess the land in fee all along the neeXcept where the
cost should be deemed too great. Along the Sawmll
Valley he was in favor of acquiring the land IN fee
Mr. Baldwin wanted TO know whether telegraph or
telephone lines could be constructed along the
aqueduct rOute without acquiring the land in fee.
Mr.. Andrews said that this was different matter
Most property ty-Owners would object to giving the
commission the right TO go on their property and
erect telegraph or telephone poles III their garden
tunnel fifty ieet under ground. 1t was finally de-
clded TO wait for recommendations made by the
engineers in the matter.
Mr. Thompson submitted plan and specifca-
tiOns for building dam near SOdOm, on the east
branch of the CrotOn River, TO be known as Reser-
was estimated at $647, 300. lie wished this to be
added to his former report. Engineer Newton said
that this dam was not indispensable. IL was mere
ly part of "a general plan.