Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-01-24
Americas Finest Aqueduets.


Up to the present time the finest
aqueduct in use in America is the Croton |;
but this will be surpassed by the new
aqueduct now in course of construction
on lines parallel with it. The Croton
aqueduct was begun in 1887 and finished
in 1912, at a cost, including the means
of distribution, of SO, 81 900. The
length of the conduit from the impound-
ing to the receiving reservoirs in the
Central Park is 1871 miles, for 80 of
which the conduit is built of stone, brick
and cement, arched above and below, is
feet and inches high, q feet wide at
the bottom and j at the top. The water
crosses Harlem River in two cast-iron
pipes feet in diameter, and one wrought
IRON pipe feet inches in diameter laid
upon High Bridge in magnilic ent granite
arcades 1850 feet long and ia high.
High Bridge comprises fifteen arches,
seven of which have fifty feet span and
eight of those over the river eighty feet
span. The greatest capacity oil the
aqueduct is 10, 600, 900 gallons per day,
but for the first SIX years after its
completion the water used was
only $4,000, 900 gallons per day.
Twelve years ago the daily sup
ply had risen TO s., 600, 600 gallons aud
at the present time it is between %. 000,-
600 and 100, 600, 900 gallons. 1t has
long. however, been inadequate to the
demands of the city, with its ever grow
ing population, and about four years
ago work was commenced en- the new
aqueduct, which is now nearly COM
pleted. The trouble up to the present
time has been not so much with the
Croton aqueduct as with the supply Of
water. The supply is drawn from Gro
ton River, a stream that flows into the
Hudson a short distance above Sing
Sing. The river was arrested by dam
forty feet high, and made to form what
has since been called Croton Lake. For
the purpose of the new aqueduct it has
been decided to collect the entire water
supply of the Croton water shed, and for
this purpose three more dams are build
ing across the Croton and subsidiary
valleys The length of the new aque-
duct from the impounding reservoirs to
the receiving reservoirs is thirty three
and one-eighth miles, and the water, in
stead of being carried over the Harlem
River by bridge, as in the case OF the
old aqueduct, is carried under the river
by siphon. At its lowest point the con
duit is over 800 feet below the surface OF
the earth. The conduit has an inside
area equal to that of circle fourteen
feet in diameter and its capacity will be
$50. 900, 900 gallons per day. This will
give, with the old aqueduct, a total
water supply of over 800, 600, 600 gallons
per day. The actual cost of the new
aqueduct, up to May !, 1888, was S17,-
49,, 900, aud it is expected that an ex-
penditure of 81, SEQ, 900 more will be
required to complete it. This is exclu-
sive of the cost of the dam yet to be
brilt. The aqueduct proper is finished,
and only the finishing touches remain to
be put on. 1t will be opened for use
next summer.
Other notable aqueducts in this coun-
try are the Washington aqueduct and the
Cochituate of Boston. Tho former sup
plies the cities of Washington and
Georgetown with water from the
Potomac. Its capacity is 10000, 600
gallons per day. 1t was constructed by
the United States Government at cost
of SO, 00o, O0e. and has several fine ar
cades, of which the most notable is the
one across Cabin John Creek, which is a
single granite arch 100 feet high aud
220 feet long. The cities Of Chicago
and Milwaukee obtain their water sup
ply from the lake. The water of Lake
Michigan is brought into each city by
tunnel from q 81 iicient distance off shore
to insure its being pure, and is then
pumped up into surface reservoirs,
whence it is distributed in the usual
manner. The Chicago tunnel is three
miles long, that of Milwaukee is shorter.
Arrangements have recently been made
to increase the water supply of Chicago.
San Francisco Chronicle.