The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-16
WELL, THE WATER Is ON.
1T TAXES US TO OPEN 4 Se3.OOO,0OO
AQUEDUCT NTH NO FUSS.

The onuoiAis Were to Havo Lot the Torrent
Loose, But the Torrent Got There He
fore the Officials Did-Few GOto Look On
The Adueduct Commissioners. including
Mayor Grant and Comptroller Myers. met nj
IL o'clock yesterday morning for the ostensi.
bic purpose OF permitting Chief Engineer
Fteley 10 announce officially that the new
aGueduct was ready for temporary use, and to
order that tho gates be opencd and the water
permitted to run into the Central Park rcser-
voir. After n brief secret session this rosou-
ton, offered by Comptroller Myers. was
! adopted:
RrSor,d That as our citizens enjoy to-day. by the
utilization Of the nuueiuct for tho first time the
benefits OF an undertaking which stands unp ed
monument to engineering skill aud which IN every way
contributes TO our cys health and welfare, the mem.
bers OF this Commission Warmly congratulate the pub
lie OF tho city OF New York upon the virtual fruuon OF
an enterprise OF such incalculabo magnitude aud
merit
| 1t was then announced that the Commits
sloners would be at the gate house OF tho
Central Park reservoir at 2 o'clock sharp and
| witness the opening OF the wnter gates. Stress
| was laid upon the announcement that every
body who wanted to enjoy the spectacle OF
seeing tho water como into the reservoir must
DO on hand precisely at2 o'clock. Shortly be-
fore a dozen reporters. three sparrow police-
| coat and about score OF men. women. and
boys were scattered about the ,neighborhood
drbbins through rough the four slHlccwa ast that that
were fed by the iour four-ioot pipes from l35th
street. and the general impression was that
there was a leak somewhere. The water had
been pouring In great deal faster shortly be-
fore; and i was noticed thnt the stream kept
O'Clock however, the water camo down through
oil the four sluiceways with n rush and boiled
over into the rcser, DIR in shower OF foam.
crs. Five minutes later n Central Park stage
drew up 10 the gate house ana uisgorGed tho
ers. Chief Engineer tteloy, Division Engineer
Brauen EnGineer Mclean, Secretary Sheehan.
LnlIey Contractor o'Dren. Tax Commissioner
sioners ran into the gate house and peered
through the iron grating at he water tearing
n m b n1 ien o GeeFe nt az tb
reservoir. Then they got together and talked
q little, while the Mayor, looked at the water
through tho grating and out OF the window.
something .. the Mayor was asked, -
Why. no, guess not" he replied.
The, water had been running into the reser-
voir since i o'clock In the morning. The flow
TSs Sf hs on SSt SeoTe S oI 80 that 1t
men, 1t had been arranged that the gates at
the reservoir should be kept wide open. and
tirely by the gates at l3jth street. whore the
water leaves the apueduct and comes down to
llb IeSeINulT through Tue IOuT lOuT-lOOl pipes.
This distance, as was learned by careful ex-
perimcnts. could be travelled by the water In
about five minutes and tho mon in charge Of
the gates ut 13jth stree were ordered 10 dimin-
ish the How OF the water 10 q very weak ST. cam
shortly after | O'Clock. and at precisely five
minutes OF to raise tho gates two feet. Then
come official was to turn wheel at the Cen
tral Park gate house and. II everything worked
all right. his manipulation OF the wheel would
be answered by magnificent torrent The
torrent was there on time. but the officials. as
has been recorded. five minutes late. and so
oven the unceremonious ceremonial Of the day
was unceremoniously ahnted. If the Commits.
sioners had not insisted in arriving in all the
state which attends upon staGo and had gone
direct To the Ninety-third street station OF tho
elevated road instead OF to the Fifty eighth
street station the proceedin gs ut the gate house
would have filed several more pages OF history.
But tho main object was achieved Just the |
same. and throughout the day water poured
into the reservoir At the rate OF about $780, 900
gallon m hour. The full capacity OF the pipes |
is 125O0O.O0O gallons day. 1t Is estimated |
that there arc ut present In the reservoir $780, |
600 00O gallons, or about half what 1t will hold. |
When there is enough water IN the reservoir !
TO make it certain that there will be 10 lack the |
flow will be shut Off and the repairs will lie |
completed. This work will take about six !
weeks.