New-York tribune., 1884-03-23
PURITY OF CROTON WATER
THE AQUEDUCT COMMISSIONS MEETING
CAPACITY or THE OLD DAM, AND WHAT MAY BR


| CAPACITY or THE OLD DAM, AND WHAT MAY ER
EXPECTED or THE NEW.
The meeting of the Aqueduct Commission was
largely attended yesterday by property-owners and
others interested in the work of procuring an addi
| tional water supply for this city. Among those
| present were Augustus Van Courtandt, represent.
| ing the Van COurtlandt estate: SherbOurDe Van
| Tasse Samuel T. Knapp, Joseph p. Disbrow, and
| Benjamin Odell. James Pyle opposed the sinking
of shaft his premises. James +. Serrell, repre-
| sentng the Central Committee of Taxpayers said
that the time accorded TO taxpayers to state their
| objections TO the proposed Quaker Bridge Dam and
was opposed to that part of the project serious
objection that the water stored would become
Stagnant. Living water was what was needed. 1t
a grave question too as to the quantity Of water
that the Croton water shed would furnish
Theodore Weston asked how much water tho
present Aqueduct would deliver
Chief Engineer Churchill was built to carry G5 100000
gallons daily IL Is being destroyed by forcing II 10 de,
liver lOO,OOO,O0O gallons daily
Mr WestOn-The public do not know this.
Commissioner Spencer-We do not wish to alarm the
Mr. weston-I doubt whether the Croton water shed
will furnish the amount OF water which it proposed TO
store
Mr. Churchill is the custom to count on the smallest
supply OF water delivered by river when the storage s
insufficient with sufficient storage capacity % DC used
when the river is running full the case is different.
In response to questions by Commissioners Spencer
diameter will deliver 232, 900 900 gallons daily.
When the Quaker Bridge Dam and reservoir are
completed fOurteeL tOOt dQucuuct NOulu uellNtF
35O,C 1000 gallons daily. Mr. Benedict wanted
to know If the storage of large quantity OF water
for considerable period would cause deterioration
in quality and be deeteriOus to health. Dir. Church
said that il the universal practice OF engineers
to get storage in one basin II possible, especially II
this was situated on stream. Ihls gave q com
pete circulation to the water Probably IN tho
case proposed the same water would not be there
more than four months, as it constantly being
drawn on There was no trouble % WIN % ane present p
drawn upon. The only complaint as 10 the quality
of the water was made when they had been COM
pelled to draw on the small ponds where vegetable
matter had accumulated As To the allegation that
bad material would wash in from the shores OF tho
proposed reservoir he did not believe 1t. There had
never been any trouble of this kind.
Mr. Serrell said that the Central Taxpayers Com
nlttee favored large aqueduct. lie DeileVed III
should be larger than fourteen feet; Robert Il.
Darragh had said that the water of the Croton
River at the dam was sometimes so impure that IL
was found necessary to let part run over the dam
to carry away the lmpurlty.
Mr Church-That is "A mistake. Nothing OF the kind
M serre~wel he said So and he viii behere again.
Mr. Benedict live near the Crot0n Datn and never
anything Of the kind The water is pure at the
suiceway or vent Of the dam as at any other point
have green caused by vegetable matter along
the edges OF the lake but not to any great extent
Lad any trouble OF the kind mentioned Dy Mr'
Serrell.
At the request of Chairman Spencer, Secretary
McCullOh read part OF report OF Professor manu-
ler made TO the Commissioner of Public Works IN
1876. 1t set forth that there could be obtained
from the Croton water shed an available supply or
3s7 900 900 gallons of pure water daily. Inc
gueiss rock and silurian gravel from which tho
springs came established the purity OF the sources,
and there nothing along the banks OF te stream
to render the water impure. Nothing had been
found to produce disease.
Mr. Serrel said that he had a report by Professor
Chandler which declared that the water OF the up
per Hudson was purer than the CrOton. lie added
that he would bring it with him at the next meet
ing. -.
1t was then announced that the next public hear
ing will be Wednesday next at 3 p. m, and all
persons who may wish TO be heard on the subject OF
water supply are desired to attend