New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-21
OVER 4 BILLION GALLONS.
NEW STORAGE RESERVOIR OF THE CITY
OF AMSTERDAM, y. YIN WHAT
WAS ONCE LAKE

-r,o Water Works Commissioners OF the city OF
Amsterdam. n y have just completed me con
,.-,,ction Of a large storage reservoir IN .Le ~
hills of the Adirondacks. some twenty mines
- saratoga uneoUaned IN size among the tru-
.5c,al reservoirs Of the State excepting 'loSe On
-. ,-auyorl, CITY watershed It Is one mile anu
= half long, three-q1arters of mile "lIe' 7'0
ETY. feet deep and has a storage capaSi'S %
: .oa o,a 400 gallons. Amsterdam has theieoS
-od 10 itself one of the finest reservoirs IN the
Cote has multiplied the storage capacllE V1 ~
,+erurorks system manifold. and has protected
.tself against any danger Of water famine ioI
years TO come - %
C7IenHild reservoir is located in the town OF
Providence Saratoga County. tWehtN-ohe mn
,,or-, of Amsterdam. It stands at an eleNalloH u
- f., zaa fea+ a hove sea level and 100 feet ABOVE
So c,+z, which il supplies 1T has been 1orlIeu y
the building Of an earth dam Win d ila7oil-
,,ora wall between two hills across the io"e ~
nj 2 plateau valley. having a watershed area u
.cr17e four and half miles. IT is eVloeliliE Pr
existing highland lake. restored 10 inoIe - -
,+s former size and beauty by articlay replacing
and raising a prehistoric barrier cut """S
rlacial action. The former lake prohaoiH 1oUi'u
r1tlet al point near the mlddle Oh 'iS -.
reservoir where dixie has been constructed inns
t~+rnate geological condition enabled the water
commissioners 10 secure large storage at
romparatively small expense.
,,a r,oars- of Water Commissioners by whose d.
,.r+ton the work was constructed is made Up as
-
wei secretary: Charles c. Yund, treasurer A
". Breedon, William A. Fisher. Theodore b. Van
serveer John I. Chrisrman. Charles A JeWett ana
frank H Mcconnell associate commissioners
James r. Smell superintendent
Two years ago the board directed its consulting
engineer s E. Babcock. of Utica. " y, TO make
the preliminary survey of the Glenwild reservoir
watershed and TO draw plans looking 10 a proper
Use of its opportunities. Shortly thereafter the
work OF clearing the site was left Smell Broth
~ In o. aoF1 :
mans the work of building the dam, dixie and APP
purfenances was undertaken by H. E Hooker d
Son contractors. of Rochester This work being
completed. the reservoir j. now an available rae
tor in the city's water supply On the engineering
staff were Harry +. Golden assistant engineer;
Michael ]. Coleman. Inspector and c. D. Bar
shoiomew
Consulting Engineer Stephen E. Babeoch. whose
engineering skill and knowledge OF hydraulic con-
struction is shown by the fun realization of his
storage calculations and the watertight nature Of
the dam construction, there being ID evidence
Whatever OF leakage even seepage in the rear
Of the masonry core wall. says Of the reservoir:
Glenwild reservoir is built on Steele Creek at "a
point where & sawnliIl and low timber dam origi-
many stood The enure watershed OF steele 3feeH
IS without human habitatiGn- The SOIL a glacial
walton is covered with a second growth forest
OF inferior spruce henllock. maple, beech and
uement The region formerly somewhat
JP51hch sN poplStea. having Settiemen,S at Aoun5
Eupportlng sawmis tanneTies and large glass
works. The fact that these settlements have de-
cayeo and ceased 10 exist demonstrates that this
region VIII not support human population now
mat the virgin forest is removed These condi.
nois therefore Inure 10 the benefit of the city of
1S,eIe ian and secure for il an ideal sathering
ooha Tor lis water supply with effective sanitary
protection against human contamination.
NY examination OF the watershed convinced me
nat me basin above the old Steele timber dam was
aU.E,eriy natural lake long since drained by the
hiils | Immediately saw that the lake could be
restored TO somewhat more than its original pro-
2o4r. he F1T- RIG
with an artificial one. To this end l designed an
earth dam with a masonry core wall the subse-
suent construction Of which proved to that an
saFh darn with rubbe core may be built, which
10" stands within nine feet OF the flow line, and
The dam built is 40 feef long being curved
- form The length Of its chord is 4eS feet and
.e Nefsea sine Of curve. being the distance from
me chord line 70 the centre of the curved dam.
al the base with a front slope of TO / and a rear
rII92e OF - 70 ! The water face Of the dam is
running from 10 inches to q inches deep and
aaersging 70 inches. The rear slope is seeded with
vigorous enduring sod The fap II the ID dam 0f is
wave action The sDiIiTav is q feet wide and
81 e'oIn Paved with thin quarry stone. set edge
eaanIel below the spiIlway is dry paved the bot
81 nc Tour feet up the sides with large stone.
- - teTagng bout two feet square with double rows
bs see1 Iling placed every p feet crosswise of the
''T7T I'm IL to prevent undermining and wash
~ ABOVE the flow lire and batters three inches
Below rs o0~n 20 base WIDTH OF II ieet i1ches
80 ., and thus carried down TO the bottom. The
80 is e55 feet high and is composed of broken
seslders. no stone being permitted exceed one
60 cubic foot ia size. being what Is known as
a. az man stone, all hand laid in place. The wall
= gfsuted with Portland cement and sand mortar.
h.Aso IN the proportion of one part cement to
N1rse parts sand. in is inch layers or courses
ne method by which water Is drawn from the
reservoir IL follows Three lines OF cast iron
Ilpe are carried through the dam at the level of
ne creek bed. The lower mud, pipe may be used
- Grain the reservoir dry. The other two connect
e means Of swing joint. the swivel Of which is
s4 bearing. with 3 inch riveted steel pipe hat
attends out 40 feet into the reservoir. The swing
Sht makes possible by slspending by a float
- permit the raising lowering the end to draw
seter at the elevation of greatest purity being
Arnaliy about eight feet below the surface.
Inc work Of constructing the reservoir has been
Vel and carefully done and reflects credit upon
ne Board Of Water Commissioners. UDnn the con
--rsctofs and the employees who did the work.
:. ne reservoir 4 model and UP to date in all
80 appointments and renders the waierworzs
etstem Of the city Of Amsterdam in point Of
sssscleney and supply OF the finest in this
part OF the country