New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-02-28
BORING THE BIG AQUEDtCT.
IN MANY RESPECTS A UNIQUE WORK.
HOW THE EXCAVATION IS PUSHED FORWARD
SCENES IN THE SHAFTS.

SCENES IN THE SHAFTS.
New-YOrk people rarely think OF the new
aqucduct except when tremendous explosion oil loose
dynamite or a horrible accident some where along Its
line shocks their or their senslbl!tles some
times taxpayers think OF it and groan in bitterness OF
spirit when they little matter OF ten or fifteen
million dollars lacked tho citys debt and vaguely
wonder if the money and lives and dynamite that are
being put into holes in the ground will ever result
in real aqueduc Bat in spite OF all THIS indifference
and ignorance and misapprehonsion OF the nature auu
state o: the work the expenditure OF money
and energy goes regularly on; hundreds OF powerlu
drills hammering at the unyiedins rock the
rumble OF the blast and the putting OF the hosting engine
testify to the uselessness OF natures resistance W
INVASION and the engineers figures Indicate tna "' 'ho
nrcscn rate OF progress all will he finished by september
30 1887 as called for in the 1t is character
stic OF New York that this work, in many ways INC
Oreaost Of its kind ever undertaken should go on almost
uunotped excer by engineers who recognize It's mag
nitudc and novelty. The present discussion Hpout inc
p1ouer means and methods Tor gathering supply VI
water to fiji the big tunnel has however reawakehou
interest in the aqueduct among people who know hle
about engineering precedent and much about taXpayns
The total amount OF tunneling be done thirty three
and one fifth miles from CrotOn Lake to the Central
Park reservoir. Work the twenty eight ana quarter
cs north the Harlem River has been la progress lor
nearly year. Tho following statement shoFs the WorR
ia he done and the work already done on the hiry-one
J
Va @ is the shaft nearest lake It's depth Is 20 Feet
distance to lie tunncod 24sO feet to tho south; cngth
Of tunnel driven up TO January 80 s-6, l6'o.7 iect
Shaft No. l-dcpth, 1888 feet; distance To he tuhnelIed
2OG7 feet north 3,2O1 south; distance driven up to
January 80 1920 north, 300 south. No. 2-deI tn,
$50 feet; distance to he trnneed 3.2Ol feet NORTH
lCO south; distance already driven NJ to January 30
! north 2l.7 feet, south l7.2 feet No. 3-delth' 8"
feet distance to he tunnced 300 feet north, 32l9
south distance already driven, north rs fcet sohth
24 feet No. 1depth OF shaft go feet; distance 10
be tnnelled north 1881 feot. south 3o79 feet; distance
already driven north s165 feet. south 7Gl feet No
-derth d feet distance he tnnnellbd, north 35lS
feet south 3.3s feet; distance already driven north
1l2O feet, south 99l feet. No. G-deTth IN feeti
distance to lie tunneei north $3.50 feet south 3oi9
feet distance already driven, north 5l3 feet south 40
reet No depth lss feet distance to be tunncllrd
north $3.50 feet south 731; distance aIIeaoy urNoh'
| LoIth $50 feet south 500.
Where Shaft No. should be the aqucduct comes up 10
tbs surface rather tho surface cores down To tue
aQueluc TbeL It passes through little NIL ana comes
to the surface again where Shaft No should be- hese
work Is begun by digging trench and Lorns INTO inc
side Of the hill. These points OF attack are caIied
portas The total of this open trench WORK Is
approximately 5000 feet in the entire aqucduct' Al
Portal No. north the distance to lie dug or tnnneIcd
ia 100 feet north md $50 feet south. At Portal No
son.h the distance be dug tunnc!ed is SO feet
north s22 feet south 40 work had been done here up
10 January 80 From Shaft No. there are 81 % feet
to DO dug and tunneel to the north OF which Lib feet
have already been done; distance to be nneed 10 TIE
south 3222 feet distance already driven l.799 feet
Shaft No lO-deph, 1872 feet; distance to bo tnnhced
north 1922 feet south 37l3 feat; distance already
driven north 29s feet south liza feet No. il A
deuib % feet; distance be tunncled north 3,-61
feet south s feet distance already driven north 2Oi&
teot south % feet No IL B-depth Is feet distance
to be tunaecd north 5sj feet, south $500 feet;
distance already driven north 1876 feet sOuth lSJo
feet This work has all been done under CONTRACT -!
Brown. Howard CO.
shaft No II has a depth o; 30 feet distance to lie
tunneed north $40, feet, south $40 feet; distance
already driven north 1910 feet, south 2ol feet NJ"
II B-depth 50 feet; distance 10 he tunnce norm -"
icet south go feet distance already diNon north
feet; south 9l2 eet No. 13delth lj5 feet; distance
to lie tunnellcd, north 1,el7 feet, south 2l9l feet
distance already driven north 73G. ieet, south li74
feet No l4dcpth - feet; distance to DO tuhneIled'
north 2,7O7 feet. south 900 feet; distance already
driven north llG2. 9 feet south 3j.s feet. The dis
tanre TO he unnelcd north from No. II IS @32 feet
souih 1893 feet: distance actually driven, north lett
souh OC2 feet DeLth OF Shaft No. TO- ~ feet; DIS
lance TO be unuelel north 1898 feet south - 10 fct
distance already driven. north Gl22 feet, south O-o.7
feet No. lG-deph, - feet distance TO he tuuneiIcd
north 4OOG feet south $3.50 feet; distance already
driven north O5l i feet, south 2O3 feet No. IL
DEPTH o. icct distance 10 be tunncllci, norh 5000
feet south $500; distance already driven. north 3Oj
feet south .Os9 feet. Between shafts Ncs II anu i
tbcro Is another lor.al from which they VIII Work
35J2 feet north and ,G0- feet south From SHAFT No
IL where the adnc again VieTccs the earth there Is
distance OF lGOs feet hc worked TO The north aud
3-3 feet 10 the south; the distance eady covered l.,
| nouh 3l3 feet souln 40 feet Shalt NO. ~ nts
depth OF ~ fact distance DE tunnced north J.'33
feet south 3l-4 feet distance already driven. north
! rs feet, south $50 feet. From No. ~ to 80. ~
inclusive the work Is being done by Ol'ficn x Clark
! contractors. 49, ,.... o.,
tunueoI, north 34-6 fest. south ~ feet h:tauce
ALREADY driven north 1872 feet, south s74 cc No II
depth 100 feet dlsanGe 20 ne 1pnh ncn n0r
feet south 055 feet No 22dopth, - feet distance to
be tunneed north $igl isG i ioC sd 9g FIX SI
No 23~depth II feet; distance 10 be tunncied north
n n,%;S 'oI'i ~ feet south li2I feet. 40 "a
iep,h s3 feet; distance be tunnelled, NORTH 40
feat south IS feet These last al under contract to
Colonel Hcman ClatS The Temi ic P%,. 1n nIHe
yeitcd siI hon under the Harlem River 10 o. Biien "
/ for SiIe 365 ana Section No il &c the same foI
SGlgIi5 Tnis brings tho total contract price Of the
entire aqneduct including the csehose AZ the Croton
Dam, up to the neat little sum OF $l3, -oo.3Gl
WCrk Oh all the shafts except Non. ana ii was begun
In January 1888 The two EXCEPTIONS we're oIeneo ia
sunk at an average monthly rate varying from 20 feet
depended OF course, the nature OF the material en-
conntcred. Zach smart was SINK 10 the level Of the
tunnel ana then few feet further 10 form 7HmI IN
which the water collects and from which II Is mica TO
the surface by The ninI Ihc sna morc Teaoeu Imo
her and work the tunnels IN either Oh Doth acc0,s
wa. bcru Immediately nom VIC !OOt OF cacI IHc
overapa date for beginning about tho nfst o Juno
I'm the eight months following that date cgt ana nan
miles OF tunnel have been driven rms II Az inc ia'c OF
A mile a month a quarter Of "A mile "a week. AH thc
work must bo iuisbcd by September o. I95I the con
lotto. haze nineteen months more in which To com
Lie IL As there are twenty more miles OF tunnel to lie
drr An north OF tie Harlem River THIS would make
nreV close calculation at tie past rate OF progress u
mile month They now increasing the pace, now
ever and attained speed OF third OF mile
week This will carry them through In time ana leave
more or le.e OF "a margin FOR the brckng up etc. which
n Ina o0De before the contract is fulfilled Tue shafts
viii also have to he bricked up aud furnished Win
strong iron gates TO resist the upward thrust OF tue
water. ,....,,, Ill,
The aqucduct for the larger portion OF IT'S length VIII
have A diameter OF thirteen aud half fset This with
e aynrlye fan seVen-enths OF loot 10 the mile ana
hr head a water tho lake gives flow OF 32OOOO
nnn ".Ilous ner day At point milo or two above the