New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-08
THIn C1TYS WATER SUPPLY.
REfoRr OF AouEDUCr COMMISSIONERS.
1rr7LE PROTECTION AGAINST A WAFER FAMINE
FOR A NEW DAM.


FOR A NI]w DAN.
Aou.duct Commissioners Duane, scott, Tucker and
Cannon Yesterday adopted report Of tho CONSTRUCTION
Committee which extensively reviews all thai h'S
been done by the Board and its eislieefs coh'0'e
the building of a new dam oil Croton RIVER anu III
cludes history OF the public hearings helo OIL uio SUI
iect The judgment of Chief Engineer Fteey WHO 'u
vocated the building Of what is called the nc" Uo,o'
Dam about mile below the proposed QUAKER nI'"9o
nam as a substitute for this costly and at present
unnecessary structure is cOnvincingy VhuIca'o" ~
this report; and. although a resolution o .no
work to be proceeded with laid over I'D WIN wv
decision Of the Commission in the premises HAY oo
gapded as settled All the Commissioners hailie' W.
for the report Mayor Grant, Controller Myers "iu
Commissioner Gllr0y, the eAohoi" "N
Board, were not present. ,.,
Tho following are extracts from the report bearing
npon the decision to erect the new Ciotoh Dam ..,
Having arrived the conclusion Oat INC su''N'
dams So1om Purdys and Garner shouu w Uu.' =, th
the Commission instituted an exhaustive ehl'o"''o" VI
h.d of the Croton River from present Croton Dam sue
TO the proposed Quaker Bridge Dam sue "lun VIZ"
determining whether smaller and less expensive ua'n S
the proposed Quaker Bridge Dam couia not DC pun
explorations were carefully conducted under the
90 h Cbif Engineer resulted in the selection Vi
two available sites large DAMS In aoutoh 70 S ~
pJ.d Quaker Bridge site .os
Tbor resncctye characteristics and relative advantages
are fully set forth in report of the Chief Engineer oa'eu
o.nher . 1870 and herewith submitted As Will BE- seen
1, n.rsal Of that report the Chief Engineer recommends
h erection of dam at Site designated as Location
I,,tIo less than the present Croon Dam %
!, is uuon the plan for dam at that site thS1 ue p
hearing has been had ard this report Is maze
The discussion upon this subject soon developed d. '
questions to be decided - cha
1st-Should any dan be presently built AZ OF ne"i W,
present Croton Dam, between it and the hOu'n VI ~'
Croton River ,...,a .,
2d-n sucn dam should be built should it be located at
the recommended by the chief engineer of " ''N''
further down the river ,, 49,. l.,
The determination the first question involved C"o NJ
our,as First. whether dam needed for addiuohai
storage. Second whether such dam was ho'ueu ~,
security against disastrous consequences 'hA' ou'u
result from the destruction of the present Oro.o Jam
and this latter inquiry in turn ihNoINou O"' HU'7 "
the security of the present Croton DAM
II will be observed that in his report oil ocVooef 's
Chief Engineer SAID $500, - a..
Ap additional and weghty argument IN regard 70 inc
location of such that although the fresen
Croon Dam has rendered good service for half century
il must be conceded that it Is not built IN SUCH hammer
a. structure should be which depends the very lho
of New ana IL is necessary IAse IL oo ep"'u "
more substantial one.'
The records of Mayors Commission OF 1883 and OF
the Aoueduct Commission show that one OF the reasons
most strongly urged by tse Of the Quaker Bridge
Dam why 1t should be built without delay hau beeh
that the city should he LEFT dependent for its supply
of water upon the stability Of the old Croton Dam 1t
was with much surprise therefore that the members OF
the construction commit found two avowed advocates
longing the Chief Engineers statement as TO the aSger
Of RELYING upon the stability Of the present dam.
The Croton Dam to-day all that stands between the
city Of NewlYork md an absolute water famine ii u
were be destroyed the aqueduet both Old and ne"
would be useless and the storage reservoirs In the upper
mart OF the watershed would be Of value. The sole
reliance Of city until the dam could BE- repaired OF
temporary constructed, would be the amount that
might happen the time in the Central Park Reser
yor and the small supply about 16OoOOoo pei day)
eyedf from he
The consequences thaS necessarily follow from
such catastrophe need not be suggested in this report
After showing that CHEF Engineer Fteley, Engineer
Mclean, of the Controllers Department, well as
such approved hydraulic engineers James b. Francis
Robert H. Martin. and General George s. Greene, ST.
have given testimony that the present CrOtcn Dam
Is not safe against extraordinary Hood, the com
ittee conclude that another large storage dam Is an
absolute necessity. The report closes follows
1t conceded all hands that daily supply Of al
least ZIG 900 900 gallons per day will be needed within
comparatively few years But In case OF recurrence Of
dry year, such that which began In February, 1880
anil ended February 1881 the whole Yield OF the iHei
which could conserved by the reservoirs now built o.
building would not aggregate $50 900 Of gallons day
So that abundsnty Of suneient supply ie"
wears hence IL impeIativcy 70 construct
a storage reservoir point in the lower water
shed. 1t may indeed be that for few tbs dam
now recommended will provide water than is ALSO
lutely needed it is not probable that this condition
will prevail for long and while IL does last 1t will be a
city TO know that they enjoying the benefits OF super
abundant water supply
Having reached conclusion that dam Should b.
built rear the tn CrotOn River, both for security
and for abundance the only question left is whether that
dam should be the recommended by the Chief Engnee
ar the muchdiscussed Quaker Bridge Dam. On this
poiD. the reasoning the Chief Engineer comments its
% YOUR committee The CiotOn Dam will sur
cient supply at least generation, and for considerably
more than that time II extremely conservative views Of
Mr. Brdsa be adopted h time the cost OF the proposed
dam will than Offset by the saving OF the
interest difference between the cost of the new CIoton
Dam and that Quaker Bridge Dam and the end Of
that time experience will have taught whether further
water supply should be sought by building the Quaker
Bridge Dam or by seeking elsewhere for a watershed
The Aqueduct Commission has performed but part
~ the duty for which created and that is
vet uneonpleted The Aqueduct has been put into
dition to run water there a number appure-
Of our duty that Of providing reservoirs for
the purpose Of supplying the city Of NewYork with
increased supply pure and wholesome water " is teng
performed with diligence and IS not yet completed.
In the opinion of your committee. a dam such S
recommended by Chief Engineer the site Of the
present Croton Dam constitutes, the keystone Of the
water supply city, and it, construction should not
be delayed moment longer than necessary.
We therefore recommend the immediate erection OF an
and masonry dam. be known as the New Croton
Dam the point Indicated by the Chief Engineer in his
report Of october S.