New-York tribune., 1900-08-26

sorts Of mineral water and they insist on the
springs being situated in a beautiful surround
ING country II there were not fine rolling hills
WIN shady grove aCccEnpaninents, or the totally
ainerent scenery Of the mountain range, they
would not believe that the water was good. Yet
me water which always responds TO a pressure
q the taps in their homes comes from as beau
Ifud stretch Of country as IS to Zoe found about
any Of the famous watering places The scenery
Is made up u a combination of rolling hills and
squatty mountains, with forests scattered about,
and every valley is beautiied by a silver stream
N the more noticeable stretch Of ripped lake.
The mountain cast TO The scenery is given by
rugged bluffs OF bare rock which spring up on
either side Of The VALLEY. The green hiIlsides
ecnnect them, and show evidence Of past culti-
walton, which is now at an end. because the
great city needs the area for water supply Dur-
poses and IS willing and able TO pay more for
z than II was worth for agriculture The for
estS taken separately, are little more than small
woods, which conceal many perpetual springs,
from which the water, forced out from cracks
1 the rocks, finds its way in small streams to
the big lakes and little rivers in the valley bot
tom This water IS cool. Iimpid and refreshing,
and there are no swanps with the accompany
ing rank weed growth poison il.
For twenty years from the time the city first
began TO draw water from this district the
natural nuctuating flow OF the Croton River
supplied the needs Of the city. Increased CON /
sumption made it necessary TO provide for stor-
ing up the water Of floods. 10 be used during
periods Of small flow A typographical survey
q the entire CrotOn watershed was made and
sites were selected for the location Of storage
reservoirs IN carrying out this work greaf
changes have been made in the district, and
greater SIN viii be the changes Of the next few
years The first storage reservoir was located
al Boyds Corners in Putnam County, and was
completed N 1872 While the reservoir was in
course Of construction arrangements were made
10 draw the water from several natural lakes TO
supp'y the deficit IL case Of long continued
droutk. q in 1870. Since that time other stor-
age reservoirs have been built and several
natural LAKES made available
CAPACITY or STORAGE RESERVOIRS.
The storage reservoirs are divided into two
planes with reference TO the elevation above
tide water. Three Of the reservoirs are under
four hundred feet elevation, as follows. Cor
aeu Dam now constructing. with a watershed
Of 1S0-95 square miles and capacity Of GOOD
100000 gallons; Titicus, with 80 miles Of
watershed and 7,167 ,00O00 gallons capacity
ard Middle Branch. with POSI- miles Of water
shed and 4.004. .0O0, 900 gallons capacity. There
are four reservoirs with elevation varying
from 400 rC $50 feet above sea level, follows:
Sodom and Big Brook, 1892 square miles Of
watershed and OOPS 00O-D00 gallons capacity;
Musc00t, 1892 square miles Of watershed and
TGy0p0O0O0 gallons capacity; Carmel, 1881
square miles II watershed and 9o)OOJO0o0
gallons capacity; Boyd's Corners. 2I-43 miles Of
watershed and 2.727. 900 900 gallons capacity;
natural lakes, included in other watersheds
2S10U0000J gallons capacity. The total area Of
the watersheds emptying into these reservoirs is
800 II square miles. and their aggregate capac-
ity Is =: 135 OO0Ce0 gallons The water from
the higher level reservoirs may some time be
sent 70 Manhattan by gravity through an in
dependent conduit from SOdOm Dam
IN addition 70 the CToton watershed supply a
considerable amount Of water Which comes from
the Bronx watershed must 1 E taken into con-
siderati0n. L was first proposed 10 Lse Bronx
water in l79S, but il was not until the scarcity
Of wafer during the droughts Of 1876 and 1877
that the project was actually taken up and sur
veys made. The plan included the construction
o. dams al the foot Of the Rye lakes and across
the Bronx River near Kensico Station and the
Byram River near the State line, well q
conduit line from the KeusicO reservoir TO VIII
iamsbridge. The total amount Of available
storage secured III this way is estimated as fol-
lows:
Byrzn pond s-5i - %
Bran lsUy0yyO
IT, IL