New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-27
ODD SIGHTS UNDER GROUND.
THE MINERS on THE NEW AQUEDUCT.
MANNER OF LIVING AND WOEKi>G-A PICTURE OF
STRANGE AND FANTASTIC SEEMS.

will lie capable OF supply ing the peopc W Nv"
with $50 600 900 gallons Of water every day oi course
this quantity is yet required but the present supply
is 80 unegnl to the demand that tho Aqucduct ConS
soners are seriously considering the question OF te III
vJved the completion OF the great "oi| ~" "'o
cautioning the contractors against any failure III haNs
the tunnel ready at the appointed date III every "t
goes well it Will be finished in 1t Is estimated
that every man, woman ana child in New-lork uscS
sevrnty-tve gallons OF water daiy-that Is, II tho
% 600 COO gallons used divided UP among 'he
cty's inhabitants per capita, each lhdlViuuaI "o" NC
entitled 10 scvcnty-hye gallons This Is inc eA're"o
limit to which the present supply can be taxed an '
have been several times when the water WAS not sum
cent for the needs OF the people II goes III "
creasing in size has done for many years. the ne"
aoueduct cannot be put into service day too soon' III
deed it will only take twenty years of such deveIoment
70 make the entire 100000 900 gallons insufficient ior the
cty's needs
Tho Croton River has an average daily flow of over
Ao5 600 600 gallons and its daily waste Is estimated 10
he not less than 3lO.O0O000 gallons 1t woud seem "S
n this were all that NewYork you'd he likely 10 require
for many years to The unI lei through when tho
overflow is to be brought to York Is twenty SIN IN"
one half miles long, II begins at Crooh Lake. "''oh
about i've miles from the Hudson River ana Aiou seven
miles from sing sing aud comes down III more Ut ics5
straight line to the Harlem River Along tle rou'"
tweutytve shafts are sunk depth OF from 30 to 800
feet as the topography Of III country REQUIRES anu
about a me disaU, from each other. Nhch Tue s"nl''
reach the proper level gangs OF minors tunnel ho"~n
the ground on each side OF each shalt TIL they meet cac
other The shafts required 10 bo seventeen Ioct NA
inches long by eight feet wide The tunnel must nave
diameter OF fifteen feet one foot OF this Is occupied 10y
the archl acking," ~ IL Is called Or lining Inc Hl'-
Is either OF solid brick ruhbe stone masonry or con
Crete the nature Of the ground determining "Aleh Ma
teril shall be used The tunnel viii he perfectly round
and will have a flowing capacity OF fourteen lccI
dam Is to Ire constructed at the lake which VIII mona
3. 600 100000 gallons OF water. This NIL be I''
through an elaborate four million dollar gate lno the
tunnel whence it will easily flow down to the CITY reser
vOrs.
The tunnel Is bul hy contract 1t Is divided into see
tions IIenau Cl rk has Of these sections oB"cl
a Clar6 another, and Brown, Howard q Co. the tnrd'
Tno Aoucduct Commissioners. who awarded tue con
tracts adopted an arbitrary plan OF doing IT, brown
Howard n CO. were tie lowest bidders ana Sho""
risnfuIy have had the entire work, but The Commission"
or. thought time woald be saved by dividing II up
so they allowed other contractors To take portion
oft MrOBren ore the contractors, Is chairman OF
fine Denocr.ts state Committee. Brown, Howard y
g., work their own contract. but Olrien Clark cub
let theirs to number Of smaller contractors FROM -"
to 200 employed IN edch sh'it hh"'n- ~ Az
nearly 1900 who engaged IN the worN oi
The Aqueduct Commissioners, AT the head q. WHOM j.
Mayor Grace with their corps q! engiuc"rs, cNerc ~
general direction entire work of constructions
rhc land In Nc,chc-er County IL hiliy and the SUI
strata are LARGELY oi rock. Tao work OF sln"hS the
sda t, ont the excavations has consequently
been heavy. Tie l,torcrs are employed III Two gangs
one OF which works ~ hrhi AM tue o'"'' ""'"- '''
Iay for the work goes throughout the entire twenty
four hours They manage to make hoadNAAal 'Ho T"'c
OF about tlurty -fiYe fcrt "A day.
now TmE LABoEfRs LIVE.
,. .,,,,. g.. ., ,-,
one o. '"' "'''' '''''' - 80 o.. tn. l,u,r,.r.
The contractor, along ucluct have cndeavoed 20
l, hi. rronlcn y the erection % temporary sh"uuc'
i"' Va '"'' ,,., ,,..r,,.. ara. .,,,,l,, cd il, tine
one Is "A mess. 10 WI u "H' "'~''' nv '''
mine they have smaller -hauty To thrin7elNr" 4''
-, .-,o m. mon SIS month Tor their board
CONTRACTORS 'H"'~' u" ''''' 80 ...., ......
AMI considering It's quality they must mako "'""-'"'
. , o. H., t,re ,f tho bu,iucs. Many 81 the
F'N " ....- ...,, ,...,, obtain l,.rI If .rrt.li-
boring farm houses. but i, sort OF accommodation Us
,,, am, j. available nn, FOR the better class OF work
- rri l,,,e. ,,u; mn l,y tns contractor. are built
-, -. aim, ,,,rJ. ,.itli suiu.Ird roofs In the centre
,...t. 10. -, .,..,t ,,,,, win Il Little egg
o. oath i H'"' H'N-"1 ''-"' 800 80 =,
cylinder stove in H. about wIich the men cluster ana
,uo their black ctv pipes on either side OF TINS are
oo,,,,,, ro,,,s seventy 1--WE mcn are hudulei into
Wv ''i''- .t O.. ,.,... ,.,, tr. ,f,tus rnoui.
space not large enough 10 tN' '" " inns ,
Tine buua. ar- M ) harrow frames of phh%. lho
-. '.r. ,,,., and oi. 8, and diu-c a ml.ty oIor.
mhIIe77'' "'' "'''' ' ,.,,... ,,. h. .,,,
suse couht''p'h' '''''' NV" '''' ' "
uo.eI 10 keep t.c men and they arc NOT cApccl'
-, $500. ,,.. ...I,... l,y taking OF their clothes
I"'Hy "'Nl''' 90, -. TIT. r,,,...i
when they 20 to bed Ia 'A'-e H"I"" "'""' 100
I'm tirr. four high. tho laDoscr. arc lacked They
,,.,, i,,,,t, god deal aud nro aware OF tho fact
etu"''o "'"'' - -. ..,n.r T., I.o,,k
that their quarters are IaI ''''" "H'''
at or To 'i"y ID ..,,. ..., ,,., vr,,l,,,c,
49, ,....., ,.r t.. ,u.lty ar the quantity Of
80 ,,,,. ,,r,,.b.d II tutue-e cooking win, their
'Do r., rrn,,. auy exhibition Of IT,
a' am Wv ,.',,,,,,,' mover WA. meant
90 cook fora decent white man. These cook, give uaa
rir, oi.le- rice aud all tnnt sort of thing.
,r, tny k meat II Is either done t. death or as
,,rn.t wind The NEE, room In loug an surn-hcd
,.n Too, ,ip. table. OF rough boards with strip
plank for Inc dishes are w'rrd"''" no u .''"
II n"nso cI' on 'n'u', a' , itc ,"k- nal nothing
~ "2 M or when tncy w,niei little diversion from
titir regular duti" Al these Shantics are lamp ".'
nal. and n!'IooHlh-' hna 1t - ,, vs. al When one
no" NUM-, ,IIrrati;i tn fact that the contractor.
80, tunnel, them Nrt , the Worhiith ioi