The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-01-02
THE LONGEST TUNNEL.
Interesting Facts About the Great
New York Aqueduct.
New York SUM-

New York SUM-
The longest tunnel in the world is rapidly
approaching completion. In other words,
New York, in about eight months'time, and
after the expenditure of about $4,000, 900,
will have her aqueduct
1t is of interest to the public,to take glance
at this great engineering feat in some of its
more practical features-the question of New
York's water supply and its utilization under
present and prospective facilities being of
vital importance.
The drainage area of the Croton basin
covers about 1854 square miles. In other
words, the supply from which New York de
rives her water is brought to Croton lake
from that area Of country.
This vast water shed, even in periods of
the greatest drouth, will furnish a supply of
water equal to the needs of the city for about
thirty years to come, allowing for an increase
in population pr0portionate to that of the
past. But, under present conditions, the
facilities for storing this water are totally in
adequate. The present capacity of Croton
lake and other reservoirs is roughly estimated
at about ten billions of gallons, and, ASSUME
ing that each year, like the present, shall
give regular monthly rainfall, averaging
about four inches, these reservoirs will be
kept filled and equal to the increased demands
made upon them by the new aqueduct. But
given few months of drouth, New York may
find herself as badly off as ever.
The reason for this is obvious. The rain
fall at present being far in excess of the st0r-
age capacity of the Croton reservoir, the
great excess of water passes over the dam
and so into the Hudson river and out to sea.
Hence the necessity for the proposed Quaker
Bridge reservoir, which, when constructed, as
it inevitably must be, will impound and store
all this waste water and furnish ample re-
serves from which to draw in seasons of
drought. This reservoir, therefore, is most
important feature in the present plan for i'm
proving New York's water supply. When
the dam shall have been constructed the pro-
posed reservoir will have capacity of about
$4,000 600, 900 of gallons. 1t will form a lake
practically about sixteen miles long and of an
average width of over half mile, from the
mouth OF the Croton river to Croton falls,
near Purdy's. BY reason Of its vaster b ,dy
and greater depth, the water in this reservoir
will not only be cooler, but of greater purity.
1t is wellknown fact that the rays of the
sun, acting upon any body of water of
general depth of less than eight feet, cause a
vegetable growth of green scum, the gradual
decay of which renders the water more or
less impure, although not actually deleterious
TO health.
Apart from its supply of water from the
Croten basin, the city has two other sources
Of supply@namely, the Bronx and Byram
rivers. The present or old aqueduct, as it is
now called, has daily delivering capacity
OF lOO,00O,000 of gallons, 1900, 900 more being
obtained from the rivers first mentioned.
New York is therefore, now, and has hereto
fore been, using about lis, 000, 600 gallons of
water daily. III, however, full head of
water could be turned on at the gates of
Central Park reservoir, the consumption
would not fall far short of 100000, 000-the
use OF water having of necessity been dis
couraged rather than otherwise. But, with
the new aqueduct and the Quaker Bridge
dam, the public will be educated to the liber-
al use OF water, and the consumption, espec-
tally among the poorer classes will be greatly
increased.
The new aqueduct is about thirty miles
long. and will deliver to the city $4,000, 900
gallons day. 1t is horseshoe shaped and
little over thirteen and half feet in diam
eter from Croton Lake to point near Jerome
Park, through which section the water will
run by gravity, with fall of about seven
tifths of foot to a mile, filling the conduit
to an extent of about four-ffths of its capac-
lty. At Jerome Park the aqueduct makes
somewhat abrupt fall of about hundred
feet, passing under the Harlem river some
800 feet below the level of the river, running
under Manhattan Island, and finally rising
at One Hundred and Thirty-ffth street.
where gate house has been constructed
from which the water will be distributed by
means of eight iron pipes. four Of which run
into the reservoir at Central Park and four
to the city.
Throughout its entire length this great
tunnel has been blasted out of solid rock with
the exception of three or four spots where
blow offs" have been constructed with the
object of rapidly emptying the aqueduct-
which here m Gets the surface-for the pur-
pose OF examination, repair or cleansing.
The tunnel is lined throughout with brick
and In one or two places where the rock has
been found imperfect and a leakage is pos
sible, iron has been added as a lining. In
ell hit months time this vast undertaking
will have been accomplished, and nothing
will then be lacking but the Quaker Bridge
reservoir, which Is now under consideration
by the new commissioners.
AS there is no cloud without lining, so
too, there Is no rose without its thorns, and
II is an undoHbted fact that the new and in
creased water pressure, when it does come,
VIII create no little trouble, especially In the
lower and business portions of the city. For
II must not be forgotten that the averageNew
YORK plumber Is not addicted to putting in
strong, thick pipe where thinner and less
eeSstiy one will answer the purpose. Under
Sde present weak pressure the house piping
connected with the New York supply is ade-
quate out, given the difference between the
present, so TO speak, "throttled" pressure
and that of full one, and sad Indeed will he
the heart of many householder. owing tn
the bursting and leakage of pipes originallv
too thin, and doubly so now that they are
emasculated by wear and tear. 1t is an iii
wind, however, which blows nobody any
good, and the plumbers will reap rich har-
vest