New-York tribune., 1901-08-10
OF COURSE RAN4PO HAS OPTIONS.
MIR. BIRDSALL THINKS CONDEMNATION
CLAIMS FOR CATSKILL WATER
SHED WOULD BE LIGHT.

Water Department officials said yesterday that
there was doubt about the city's future water
supply coming from the Schoharie, Catskin and
ksopus watersheds, at cost of fully a00OG00G, as
noted in The Tribune yesterday.
According to the report Of John e. Freeman.
civil engineer made 10 Controller Coler in 1900 the
well known Ramapo Company has options On many
thousands Of in this territory which. begin
ming with the Esopus watershed. starting about
eighty miles from the City Hall. extends 70 the
Catsdll watershed about hundred and twenty
hve miles from the same place. The four water
sheds In this locality with their territory, are ac-
cording Mr.. Freeman. 5 follows: Esopus. 2i2
square miles. Schohare. l05 square miles Batavia,
IS square miles. and Catskiu. 40 square miles Be
sides these are the watersheds known as the East
Branch Delaware watershed. with 16 square
miles and the additional watershed at Prattville
with 70 square miles.
Experts on water supply. besides those employed
by the Water Department say that II Will prob
ably take about s. 100000 mile 10 take this sup
ply That would anywhere from NOOOOO.OC0
10 N25.OO0.00O for the work Where this money
would come from no one seems 10 know.
Chief Engineer Birdsall. who Is engineering and
advising the surveys, sa4G yesterday:
There seems to be 9 Eas and cry this mornins
and that IL will again try 10 get IT'S grasp on Ile
city II Is ridiculous Hamapo hao soIle ONE, opIIo 49, u
IN that locality, but they were or such sinai
amounts that they are not worth talAlns S6 aoou' ~
Some years ago the Itamapo company PAID Slo Ior
the privilege of making surveys OF various PLIl
q
and probably some have been renewed, out they
are not worth talking about In case Ihe corIIl!S-
sion should be appointed 10 condemn the land, none
OF these claims could be larger than SlVO ana l
don't think they would even reach that aIloI unit
You can oe sure that Ramapo has no options that
would interfere with the citys acquiring the prop
erty. -.
proprtation for water supply out OF the deDl lull
and thi~ has 20 be passed again by the next lesls-
latilre This was a constitutional aIEeud dIIenl IN
ls.s q will come before the people, and nottlnS
car be done In the matter OF acquiring these water
sheds IN the Catskills until lsu5 OIlsiiilll4y l
thought that the supply Of 2o9Uoo@ salons AZ
Ten Mile River would give New York tAoukh
water for a lifetime That was before consoIiaas >
tioD and the water ClcialS then LeVer dreamed OF
consolidation. II take the new watershed We
will have "a supply of 100, .'n.t'H gallons q Gay
This would give water supply also 70 Brooklyn
and Queens a. well Manhattan and The Bronx
II r. Limburrer. OF Hoadley. Lauteroach
Johnson. counsel for the Ramapo Water Company
when asked about existing options on watershed
property IN the CatskuIs owned by the Ramapo
company. said.
Many OF these options are stiI in force. the pre-
else number I cannot just now tell ne city mas
The right TO condemn and acquire these options
under legal proceedings, but the ftarapo company
does not intend be robbed OF its options without
just compensation