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

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DnAR SIR; In respUnse TO your letter cd.
dressed to me soYns time aEo through the col.
umns Of Tnn Bun. I invite -FOUR attention 10 .
brief examination Of the statement which you
then made. TO tho effect that. next 10 the Gro.
ton water shed. the cheapest source from
which supply Of pure wafer for this city can
BE- obtained 10 the upper Hudson above
poushkeepsls" 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 parity. the watof Of the Hudson
River In the neishborhood Of Poughkeepsie
beArs no just comparison TO that Of tho Ramapo.
which 10 moro 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 Kstrine.
The distance BY rail from New York TO
Poughkeepsie ID seventy-thrse miles. while
from the crossing OF tho Cfoton River to that
place tho distance 10 thIrty.two miles. Tho
aaueduct proposed By you would commence at
point on the Crotoh River Ave miles distant
from tho Hudson River Railway. and the rc-
mainder Of the route. as will bs shown
than that OF the railway. making the entire
length OF the conduit not less than forty.two
The elevation OF the present Croton dam. 10
100 feet above mean tide level Assuming that
grad" ss e TSrk e AZ
iai would Se Nov iset SHOWS do. TSe
sSsfsiSre be statsa II round nGmbess 3. ssS
ieet above mean tide Lowell Constructed upon
than the track OF the railway the a1ueduct
would have to follow the contour Of the inter-
Il. nSsn nus O ~ FTstsTf
would Involve It's prolonsation %. an aggregate
one mile should Be- allowed for the extension Of
the conduit northward Of the railway station.
making IN AL as mas been stated total length
The portion e the Hudson RlysT Rswsy ;s
sssat se ss hss ss0R .aS
duct constructed along steep mountain slope
to. would requlre tunnels TO b cut through the
peTpsnd eulsT Rocks to Be s"pported BY 11 hHk
and costly retaining walls. Four river or noun
and destructive freshets. must be- crossed by
means OF massive and extensive bridges.
IN ss &c fS q os s
on tine tsss ts
the extensive ailuvial lands through which It
flows taking g Up n suspension the hne part;
to New York. and which. Of course renders the
water iI the ,t nsiEhSorho9d Of Poaghksepsie
draw their supply Of water from the river are.
therefore, all compelled to provide altering ap-
HsratHs and d,. settling basins t. free the water
the large population inhabiting its banks and
the refuse material Of many manuiactories all
matter how much they may be diluted the
germs Of disease remain. and can only be o.
dlzjng effects OF the atmosphere. ~
Another source OF unntness OF the water OF
or
b mens!oned. The mean rise and fall Of the
tide At New York Is four feet and four inches.
tant it % nearly four feet. Al Albany. which
e 80 miles further north, II Is two feet and
which Is six miles distant from Albany. it il
nearly one foot. The mean descent q the sur:
Ky IN and
nearly thres feet.
The crest Of the tidal wave averages a veloci.
a. sss sss
s Snss Rsss
70 rise IN ths form dssignatsd as The tidal
tds current The latter Gae three sn niles
an hour on the food and four niles an hour on
the ebb between the two places In question. :,
lion cubic feet OF salt water per second into the
! Hudson River Tho mean quantity Of fresh
! water discharged by this stream Is about ten
| thousand cubic feet per second In low stages
q the river the quantity discharged is less than
five thousand cubic feet per second, while In
| reaches as high as one hundred and seventy
| thousand cubic feet per second.
| Under ordinary circumstances the superior
head OF the fresh water forces back the salt
| water. so that while the water In Tappan Sea Ia
nearly as saline as that Of the ocean tho first
the river Is in Newburgh Bay. But when the
fiuvial waters OF the Hudson are at their mini
| mum flow. the river water at. and for some dis
lance above. Pough keepsle is perceptibly
brackish. From all that has been said 1t Is
cafe to affirm that the water in the Hudson
River ct Poqxhkeepsie will never DO found free
As has been already, stated the river water
would require to be elevated BIZ pumping to
| the height OF $40 feet above mean tide level
Allowing for interest on the. cost OF tho ma
| chinery and for repairs and renewals. this
least hve hundred Thousand dollars which reD.
res9nts capital Of ten million dollars.
Daclty Of the new Croton aqueduct. Including
| the immense pumping engines. the reservoir,
and the settling and Altering basins at its head
would De at least ten million dollars, irrespec::
Of ,h land makHE total SUN Of
six million dollars. the price at which the city
| authorities have the option OF purchasing the
| Hamapo aqueduct and Its appurtenances. At any
| time within period OF three years from the
date Of their compilation, have the honor to
| DO your obedient servant.
+. A, CoNKIINo President