New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-14
COTTON RIVER RESOURCES.
A TALK WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE
AQUEDUCT COMMISSION.
WATER ENOUGH FOR TWENTY YEARS PROB
Apry-rHr NEAREST ADDITIONAL SUP
PLY-rHE JEROME PARK RESERVOIR

In talking about the question OF the citys future
water supply General James c. Duane. president
OF the Croton Aqueduct Commission, said yester-
day. when seen at tho Office OF the Commission
in the Stewart Building:
"This Commission has no direct interest in any
plan for bringing water to New-York from any
place outside of the Croton Valley although as in
dividunls we naturally feel interest In any
plan that may be under consideration. II 1t were
practicable to go outside of the State. II would not
be a serious problem to get water enough ior
Greater NewYork for a long time to come. Inc
difficulty In that case. however. would be TO con-
troll the sources of supply In such way as 10
prevent them from being polluted. AS far as New
Jersey is concerned, l doubt whether we should
be allowed to get water from their rivers uhder
any for they feel that In time they
will need 1t all for their cities. The Housa-
tonic River would furnish with a large supply
but should have TO go into other states TOT IL.
That river has, suppose. watershed OF thou-
sand square miles and a large quantity couid DE
taken from 1t without interfering with any other
interests
"In this State the only nearby additional supply OF
Importance Is TO be had from the Ten-Mie RIVER IN
Duchess County That river drains an area or
perhaps 200 square miles. and while no accurate
surveys have been made. II is estimated we coud
get daily supply OF 100000 gallons from 'ha'
source. This could be delivered into the Cro'oh
Valley and reach New-York through the exisuhg
aqueducts As for the Croton Valley itself there
Is water enough there to last the city propapy
twenty years. without putting any great restric-
ton on the use OF It by the people. If meters
should be generally used. Of course the supply
would last much longer. But there Is decided
feeling among our people against the use OIL "a'o'
meters, and probably they will be resorted 10 only
in case of necessity. At the same time the IN
crease in consumption has been enormous since
tho completion of the new aqueduct IN 1917. be
fore that New-York used a little over 100000
gallons a day: now the amount carried through
the two aqueducts is about 2iooooco gallons day.
II the increase should 60 on at that ratio we
would have to go outside Of the Croton Valley
much sooner than I said.
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF SUPPLY.
"Tbere have been some estimates made regard
ing the cost of bringing water to these cities from
the Adirondack region; the Great Lakes have also
been considered possible source or supply
and further investigation is contemplated by the
Legislature. Either Of those projects would be
enormously expensive, costing possibly S5ooUUv
and 1t is doubtful whether the State will go to
such an expense for the benefit of the cities. even
II the cities arrange to pay for the water used 80
as TO meet the interest on the outlay and even
provide sinking fund to pay off the entire
amount in time.
at seems TO me- practically, that we will have to
look for an additional supply nearer home es-
peciay II We have TO provide water for Brooklyn
and the other parts Of the city after 1t Is en-
larged Brooklyn I understand. will need more
water soon There is water enough on Long ISL
and as am informed but to take 1t for Brooklyn
is to deprive the people Of the island OF what
properly belongs to them. and naturally they pro-
test Then TOO, all the water got out there mas
to be pumped two or three times. and that is a
costly way Of getting water to city.
II do believe any water could be furnished
to Brooklyn from the Croton Valley, but II Ten
Mile River were turned into the valley 1t would
be possible to run a pipe across the East River
from the reservoir in Central Park. Such a pipe
would not necessarily have TO be laid In a tunnel
A tunnel would be better. but 1t would add GOOD
deal to the cost pipe can Do a FOR it as VS.
done in carrying water to BlackweHs ana "aru
Islands, - ,,,. ,o
by the Aoueduct Commits ion. General Duane said:
1--WE now building the big dam near me noun
of the Croton River and also the reservoir IN
Jerome Park This reservoir IS needed as matter
OF precaution. in case anything should happen 70
the aQueducts and 1t became necessary TO smut on
the water from them. The Jerome Park reservoir
will hold about 2.OOO,oOooo gallons, The central
park Reservoir has a capacity Of a little over
100000 900 gallons. The two together would hold
enough water TO supply the city Tor hve or SIX
DAYS without drawing them down too low; II would
warned to be as spaTng as possible in the use Of
complete the Jerome Park reservoir. In such a
work In city there are always sure to be delays
of various kinds. from njunctions and other
causes, and 1t is hard to make any accurate esti-
mate
THE HUGE DAM ON THE CROTON RIVER.
"The new Croton River dam is now well under
way 1t was hoped to get ii finished by 1900 but II
is doubtful whether that will be done This Is the
dam that will take the place of the one proposed
at Quaker Bridge. which was good deal dis
cussed some years ago. 1t has been called the
all hnt .
properly speaking 1t is unfortunate that so much
ppnnostion 10 the construction OF such dam was
ernnnsed for If ought TO have been built fifteen
years ago 1t will be about 700 o leet long ana 'ne
total height will be upward OF 1 ,ee roc n Which
the foundations are laid ~ $500
There never was any good ground Tor the scare
over what would happen II 70 large dam-the
largest in the world-should give way There Is no
reason to fear its giving way; for such dam can
he built as strong as a smaller one. II Is simply
a question Of engineering. Then. again dam
never gives way all at once, and even II TINS one
would take to suffer much damage, except the
tracks Of the Hudson River Railroad And if the
into the Tappan Zee, do not imagine 1t would
cause much commotion $4,000
pounded by means of this great dam, and all the
water that now goes to waste VIII be saved. Last
month TO nj the new reservoir. With this reser-
vor completed shall be able TO impound To-
90 900 go gallons i'm tho Croton Valley, and II we
start In the spring with the reservoirs full there
will be plenty of water TO go through the year
with OF course We have 10 make our estimates
on the basis of dry season.
CORRODED WATER MAINS
There is point in connection with an In
crease in the consumption that good many people
take no account Of Many of the mains, especially
in the lower part of the city, have been down
forty or fifty years, and undoubtedly they are
badly corroded the inside That interferes
seriously with the flow of water through them.
The time will come when these mains VIII have
TO be replaced and as soon as thit ~ uone war;
will flow more freely in all this part OF the city
and more will certainly be used The new iS-incn
mains now being laid in Fifth-ave. Will give us
considerable relief. When they are Dnished there
will be no further need OF the FortySecond-St.
wav How much water is lost through leakage
from the old mains 1t is impossible 10 tell. but
probably IT is considerable -, -, l.,
existence since 1885, when II succeeded the C9i lo
mission previously created under the act OF ao ne