New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-09

I
/ inc little Of practical value In the following
| March Mr. Rice obtained permission 10 MAKE a
| thorough examination of the work. Holes were
punched in the lining and in nearly every IN
stance the drill met with no obstruction after
/ passing through the three courses OF brick.
| Lighted candles. pushed through the openings by
means Of a wire, continued 10 Burn freely, IL
! Eliminating the empty chambers. The engineers
! were vindicatcd. Stupcndous frauds were Ic-
| ycalcd at every point Tests Of the construction
! were made with steel sounding-rod, which by
its peculiar ring when driven against the lining
of the tunnel indicated 10 a certainty whether tine
spaces above were filed with masonry or air.
4 record was kept of every hole drilled, together
with the number of barrels Of srout pumped
through it. The total number Of openings exceeds
| 22j,OOO
CAMERA SPIRITED AWAY.
Spaces large enough to admit maSons and ma
tcrial were cut in the arch. al intervals of about
twenty feet. and through them thousands Of
cubic yards of loose rock passed 10 hc packed
around the lining and aitcrward grouici with
cement The thieves we're Shrcwd enough 10 lay
the first. or inner course of brick with care, 50
that the inside OF the tunnel Is AN exhibition
of fine masonry. But there they drew the line.
In some places the second and third courses were
laid without cement enough 10 hold the bricks To-
ccthcr in Others. where the specifications called
Tor five courses in the key Of the arch and where
five were paid for by the city, only three were
laid.
DESTROYS Of terrifying The Commissioners with
evidence, OF this bad work, of the assistant en-
einccrs. an amateur photographer, went into the
tunnel to take d,oh-li-ht pictures. While cnsa- cd
In the undertaking the man lost ms camera, and
the supposition is that il was spirited away. The
contractors afterward presented the engineer with
d new camera.
The grade Of the Aqueduct is very light, but
il is continuous. Tie water finds It's way from
lake 10 reservoir by gravity alone. no pumping
being required at any point. II is estimated that
the stream will flow about two miles AN hour.
If the Croton gate-housc DE opened at "a. N. the
water will reach Central Park at 10 p. m, "a
Journey of sixteen hours. Mr. Rice and tie Ic-
porter moved a little slower, as they lotcrcd on
the way 10 inspect the work III al rs
phases; 10 rest themselves IN the cool chambers
over the arch where they brcathed air that cost
: "A cubic yard 10 ranblc through blow-onS and
waste wcirs: 10 climb up shafts and down them
al the risk Of breaking their uccks; 10 watch
the groutinc all the while" and discuss tAc
moucntous question, " Was O'Grady cheaper than
cement" Their tour occupied them twenty hours.
The gentle slope down which they walked is "a
fall Of only % inches in the mile. Tie oroton
eatchousc is - feet higher than The satchousc
at Observation-Disclosures and - feet
inches higher than the Central Park reservoir.
STABILITY or THE TUNNEL.
The tunnel tourists came across a score Of masons
filling air chambers with loose rock and patching
tie lining. Several new holes were being cut and
in observing this part of the work tic reporter
was enabled 10 form opinion Of the stability
Of the tunnel In order 10 remove brick from
the wall steel crowbar was required on which
two men hammered with all their might with
siX-pound slcdecs. 1t was not possible 10 get
the brick ont whole. The cement held il with
50 firm grip that the bar was driven through
il again and again before II would yield. II THIS
were fair sample of the masonry IN the lining
| then il might be said that the tunnel is built
for all time When, the engineers complete the
loose rock filing in the empty chambers and close
! all the intcrsticcs with grout nothing short Of
an earthquake can injurc the Aqucduct. 40
structure was ever examined with SO scrupulous
care on repaired 50 thoroughly The frauds OF
Uhc contractors can never be cond0ncd. but they
! have been of incolculablc benefit inasmuch as
J the discovery of them has given 10 the city the
| most perfect conduit that the world ever saw
And il is safe to predict that future generations Of
engineers viii bless them, for they have been
! cyc-opcncrs on a grand scale.
! At Station No 4O8-- $50, about eight miles from
! the gatehouse, the tourists detected faint blue
light ahead
Pocantico" said Mr.. Rice and Mr.. Gowcn in
breath Pccantco it was, 800 feet away.
| The hills overhead had been steadily rccedino
! They now fell back altogether, and the Aqucduct
passed under Pocantc0 River Then plunging
o,ain ttpdor tIc hills q distance of 2 0Ou foot -
came 10 the surface in the Pocantico blow-olI
and waste weir, IA miles from CrOtOn Dam
4 beautiful stone structure marks the spot Here
is a great stone pier in the middle Of the stream
! having vertical grooves either side. core
| sponding 10 grooves in the walls, IN which stop
| blanks are dropped 10 form dam 10 turn the
water out Of the tunnel, through gates into tho
| Pocantico River. The blow-oG is much like a
! gatchouse, though far simpler. II is a convenient
! structure for letting the water out OF the tunnel
| whenever the latter should need cleaning or
! repairing Just before reaching it the aqucduct
curves sharply 10 the left, then goes OF on
another tangent four miles iii length.
The tourists climbed ladder 10 the top Of
the blow-on to obtain view OF the country
and little fresh air The Hudson was only a
mile and a half 10 the west, but high hills OBJ
scured IT. The journey was continued. The
aqueduct bored under the hills Immediately, and
was 400 feet beneath the surface. For half
a mile it dry but the tears from the weepers
accumulated till they formed a stream, which
| grew every moment
THE hEADLEss HoRSEMAN.
Sleepy Hollow said Mr. Gowen, meditativcly
and spcculatiyely.
The reporter looked up invountarily and caught
a memory glimpse Of Ichabod Crane stridng along
4 the nrollc of "A hill with his clothes bavping