New-York tribune., 1896-12-07
WATER FOR THE CITIES.
cont.uucd from first pnGe.

smo,race area Of the Battenkill and the
sosic ,ne are in the states OF Vermont ana Mas-
hs,ss,ts ho1S The portion in the state or New
sacnu', a region Of valleys, hills, numerous
loiH lnn lakes sparsely settled and in every re-
s. shla an IDEAL region for making extensive I'M
ICund,ms the summer of 1896 surveys have been
aSa cor about ten such reservoirs on tne up
ner Hudson area. Ine genera Pians LOT IIe
". which are now in course or preparation,
san, sal, riven in the next annual report of the
e,a,e Engineer As many or the proposed reser-
's 60. sre 10 he situated in the Adirondack Park,
', q. ,ronosed with a view OF ADDING 10 the at
II 10 sponses Of the park. that good roads be
u@ns,r,,cted leading to the reservoirs and around
49, In the case Of the reservoir at Schroon
lie where by the construction or dam on
Lam Ian c,roon M.oI river few miles below the lake
lhe 81, nnesihe TO impound 15O0O.OW.OO0 cubic
u ~. - ,rater in n single body, thereby creating
n lake thirty-seven mlles IN lehsth' tne totai
;arrtb Of roadway bee comes over seventy-five
miles.
CLEAN AND HEALTHFUL BEACHES.
=. &c also proposed TO cut all timber. brush
,ra other vegetation close to the ground be-
80, the present margins Of the lakes and
.ho nav flow line which will be created by rails
,rs ,be surfaces Of the lakes. This timber will
ho cut In th,, spring and burned over in the
,ou. co that the new beach will be- after one
season as Gear from refuse and as healthful
os the present sand and gravel beaches. The
~ the natural attractivenesS of the Adirondack
park but at the same time conserve to the use
fulness Of the canal and river as navigable
channels a.. well as greatly increasing the Wa
fer power Of the stream.
The studies thus far made indicate that
.otal storage Of 40 000 900 900 cubic feet of va
fer will he sufficient to supply the Champlan
Canal and always maintain the Hudson River
al 800 cubic feet flow OF water a second
which IS found to be necessary TO produce the
increased depth of channel required at Troy and
This. however
hausts the storage capacity Of the region
There is above Glens Falls a total area of $500
square miles. Of which probably 1000 square
miles car be developed by comparatively easily
constructed dams to substantially its full ca
pacity giving in this way total storage on the
upper Hudson alone Of at leas. I0.OO0.Oo0.ooo
cubic feet.
STORAGE on THE MOHAWK.
In addition a large amount OF storage can
II necessary. be made on the various branches
Of the Mohawk River. as. for instance. the East
and West Canada Creeks, the Schoharie Creek
and the upper main waters of the Mohawk
above Rome For lack Of the necessary surveys
The definite data as to Just how mucn storage
can be- erected on the Mohawk is not available
but as matter OF judgment. Mr.. Rafter thinks
that from 10000 100000 TO 10000. 100000 cubic
feet can be made the Mohawk. If necessary.
drainage areas which .now go TO the St. Law
renee River by way OF the Saranac River can
be turned into the Hudson River. while por-
ton of the Black River. which is now tributary
10 Lake Ontario. can be made 10 contribute 10
The storage the Hudson. This. however.
would involve such a turning OF rivers from
they are not naturally tributary that legal diff
fculties might arise which could only be al
layed by the payment Of large sums 20 the RI
parian owners OF the streams affected. AS
matter Of fact. the storage which can be made
on the Hudson and Mohawk is so large as TO
render unnecessary any such diversion of the
rivers which naturally flow into the ST. Law
renee. Lake Ontario or Lake Champlain.
Mr.. Rafter said yesterday that the Ramapo
River is tributary 10 streams which flow through
New-Jersey. and while of course the water
belongs to the State OF New-York. the equities
between States demand that this water shall be
left 10 the State Of ew-Jersey.
NEEDS OF THE CONSOLIDATED CITIES.
By way Of showing what can be done In the
way Of supplying Greater New-York and the
cities and towns Of the Hudson Valley. from
Saratoga southwark. with water from the up
per Hudson. Mr.. Rafter said attention might
be called to the following facts. He said: oo
IT has been shown that storage or 4opU.-
100000 cubic feet can be made in the upper
Hudson over and above the amount estimated
by the State Engineer as necessary for the
various navigation purposes already discussed
Taking the present use Of water In New York
City at 10000 900 gallons day. IT appears
ond Of water or of 2OOOO.OOO cubic feet day
would be sufficient to supply this amount. But
80 cubic feet a second amounts TO only 1.'iOO.-
OOOOW cubic feet a year. storage. therefore
OF OOOO000OO cubic feet would permit Of
furnishing TO Greater New-York and the cities
and towns of the Hudson Valley nearly six
times the amount furnished at present TO New
iork or 10 about 1900 cubic feet Of water
second, or S500000O gallons day.
AS 10 whether this large quantity Of water
can De delivered at New York. il may be re-
marKed that the elevation of the Hudson River
az Luzerne. the point at which water would
naturally be taken is about 600 feet above tide
water IL Is my opinion that a large conduit
Could ne located along the side Of the Hudson
River Valley from Hadley TO the vicinity Of
NeW-Iork without serious difficulty and at no
greater relative cost than that Of some Of the |
large water supply projects which have recently !
neen carried out in England and in some Of the |
continental countries. Manchester takes its !
water from distance Of 100 miles from Thrill |
mere among the Cumberland lakes. Birming |
nam Is about 10 take n water supply from a |
similar distance"