New-York tribune., 1890-07-15


sAEY REPAIRS WILL BE
FINISHED.
After tonight Ncw-lork need have no fear of
n water famine unless some unlookcl-i'r acclu'nt
occurs which viii cauS' the clo>lnr of Tie new
Aqucduct through winch wafer Will be- running
into tie Central Park reservoir DIS noon today.
The Aquclu,t was opened yesterday morning.
but water was only allowed 90 run Z" the r'''-
hous. above High Bridge. where n WAS run into
the swamp This was done simply 10 clean ont
the Aqucduct 50 that Tie water VIII r1n clear ana
also ~ test The s;rcn-th of the structure Cmef
Engineer Ftclcy raised the gate which sent the
first flow of water through the enormous tubing
toward The city.
meeting Of the Aqucduct Commissioners VIII
be held This morning in the Stewart Building ana
they Will receive from the Chict Engineer IT,
port. saying That the Aqucduct Is ready 10 bc
turned over 10 the city. Immediately on rccciv-
in tlis report the Commissioners Will go 10 tine
Central Pork reservoir where General James {.
Duane. president of the Aqucduct Commission,
will turn q knob which VIII raise the Gates and
allow She water 10 run into tie reservoir There
Will h, uo formal ceremony attending this event.
which without doubt will hc one of the most
important in the history of the city AZ tlc open
ing Of the gates in Central Park there Will ice only
the Commissioners, the Mayor. the Commissioner
Of Public Works, Thomas +. Giroy; Chief In
sneer Ftccy and a number of assistants.
Tie simple act Of turning the knob winch will
let the water into the Central Park reservoir
will give this city something over 3o".0oo.oo0
gallons OF water daily, which viii be over 1oo,-
O00.o00 more than NcW-Nork VIII need for many
years % come in connection with the Aqucduct
three new reservoirs being built loI tie storage
of water, which will make The storage capacity
GO 000 600. 600 gallons Another reservoir
VIII probably hc built winch Will in
crease the storage capacity 10 about
II .ooo oOo. geo gallons From this supply New
York could draw It's 100000, ,0os gallons daily for
year without running short. The water will
he allowed 20 run into the Central Park reservoir
until il contains about l,oo0 600 600 salons, when
il will DE shut on 50 that some repairs can he
made on Section No. o. These repairs viii take
about Sin weeks. and they VIII par the Aqucduct
In permanent condition. All of tie repairs 10
be made are in tie section mentioned
1t has taken five years 10 build Tie AQueduct
which brings the water from Croton Lake to this
city. Originally it was intended to do the work
IN two years. but there have been many delays
and bitches, and contractors have obtained cN-
tensions Of time in which u do the work winch
tlcy took contracts for that three years more
than the time originally thought to be required
have been used up. At the request Of The Legs
laturc which had hren asked 10 inquire INTO the
teeIs Of d new A3ucGuct. Mayor Frodkln Ldsoh, ID
1883 appointed a Committee composed OF -. b.
Potter, John T. Agnew, William Dowd, Amos X.
Emo and Hugh y. Camp to examine INTO me SUD
iect The bill which passed in that year authoriz-
ing the city 10 do the work named James e.
Spcncer. William Dowd and George ". Lane with
,1lp nd
Works as Commissioners The last-nJmcd Offices
were filed by Franklin Edson Allan Campbell
and Hubert O. Thompson. Commissioner Lane
died in 1854. and Governor Cleveland appointed
G. c. Baldwin 90 the vacancy. in $50 an act OIL
the Legislature Withdrew from the Commission
the three city officials who were members oil
II under the original law. and authorized the TOW
crDor 10 name three in their stead. Governor Hin
appointed Oliver II. Barnes, Edgar H. Rd2way
and Hamilton Fish, jr, 10 the places
The scandal following tie investigation lnto 'he
conduct OF this Commission compelled Governor
Iiu in the summer of l-ss tO call special meet
ine Of the Legislature, at which another Dill was
pas,ed authorizing the Mayor 10 maine the com
mission. The present Commissioners are General
James c. Duane John j. Tucker, Francis NJ
Scott and Walter Howe, together with the Mayor,
Controller and Commissioner Of Public Works
Tie Aoucduct is nearly fourteen feet hlGh ana
eight feet broad, and is llttc over thirty -thlce
Ellirs long. III, ,
is in charge OF the gate-houNe al One-huhdL'd-
and-thirtv-iith-st and Icnth-aVc., heard the hIs'
ripple of water coming into the nlnety-foot well
He shouted ont the news 10 several men who were
standing about the large chamber. Slowly the
water rose, auXiously watched by the engineers
Inch by inch II came until there could ne Il"
doubt that the great undertaking was success
Here at the gate-houS"-the lower end
OF the Aqueduct pTOper-WaS the main point oi
interest. No one knew for certain that the stone,
iron and brick work OF the great tuihcl "4""
sustain the enormous pressure brought 10 bear
upon il. This slow and regular rslnG 0l TIE
water showed clearly that the work had been
successfully performed. An Involuntary cNcld-
nation escaped from the lips Of the onlookcrs
They were men Of figures and science. They de-
lighted i'll the sight OF this triumph OF engin-
eerng.
George S. Rice. Deputy Chief Engineer Of the
Aqueduct, in speaking of the entire work SAID
Few people have even feeble Idc1 of Inc mag
Eitude OF this undertaking This IS not "a simple
aqueduct built on an incline Numerous dlII-
cultics had 10 DE overcome, hut clever advantage
has been taken OF natural COniOrmailOnS OF T0cs
and soil Had il not been for tie solid rock
lining tie Aqueduct throughout its entire length,
We would never have been able 10 build il as II
Is II would have collapsed as soon as the press
ur Of water was put upon II had II Only
been surrounded by earth. At one place, for in
stance, we ;Ound the rock was bad and would not
stand the required pressure. To Overcome this
obstacle We were obliged 10 line the AqacdGct on
al sides for distance Of 80 feet wItA iron Nou
must understand that below tic Harlem River
The Aqueduct is nothing more nor less tiau "A wafer
pipe, which viii always he full O! water An
enormous pressure is thus brought 10 bear on this
part Of the work
The peculiar structure of the Aqueauc, has not
permitted the general public to understand The
true nature OF "hushi1g" and Gl,iug if with
wafer, which mas been going on for The last few
DAYS Tire lowest levels Of the tunnel, for in
stance. where Il dcsceEds 10 the dcpth of i2O feet
under the Harlem River, il was necessary to MI
before the pressure Of the Croton Lake supply
could ne utilized. II was also considered mex
pedent TO allow the full force of water 10 he cX-
ertcd al once on the new work Therefore tho
water only allowed 10 run down into the
lower levels little by little until the highest levels
were filed The full flowing capacity Of the Aque-
duct is 81 900 600 gallons day. hut ONLY about
$4,000. 600 gallons were permitted 10 enter thr
tunnel at the Croton Lake gates yesterday and
Sunday.