The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-11
creek runs and just northeast Of the village

creek runs and just northeast Of the village
called Olive City.
Tho dam would b erected across the
gorge through which the Esopus runs.
As nearly "a can be ascertained 1t would
be fully seventy feet in height from the
bottom OF the gorge to tho apron Of the
dam.
To complete tho reservoir another dam
would be built short distance to tho aorth-
ward acroes tho old Beaverkn stream.
which rises on Touche Mountain, near
West Hurley and flows into the Esopus
q few rods below Bishops Falls. This
dam would prevent the escape Of tho water
Of the old Beaverkill stream and throw It
back over into the Esopus above the Bishops
Falls dam.
ITO plan provides for several other
smaller dams or escarpments around the
east and north borders OF the Lake to pre-
vent the water from escaping through
the watercourses not leading to the reser-
voir Several OF these would BE- at West
Hurley, six miles west OF Kingston, and
others near Samsonville where there might
be an escape into tho headwaters OF the
Rochester Creek and Pelars Kill, which
empty into tho Rondout Creek at Port
jackson and Accord, respectively
The lake to be formed by the building
OF these dams, but principally by the main
dam at Bishops Falls on the Esopus, would
cover the country from West Hurley to
within three miles OF Samsonvillle,
Ulster county. and would be- from about
a quarter Of a mile wide near West Hurley
to nearly, or quite. five miles wide from
Bishops Falls to BoioevilIe. Much OF the
land to be flooded from West Hurley to
Shokan consists of the great Beaverkill
Swamp, which no doubt was at some time
the bed of a lake.
About Snokan. Boicevile and as far
down as Bishops Falls the ground is clean
sand and gravel formation. broken by oc-
casoral Lodges of blue sandstone forma-
ton, in which there is a great deal OF ferric
oxide. The swamp ground is decayed vege-
tation and clay. The length Of the lake
to be formed from West Hurley to its ex-
treme southern extremity is variously
estimated TO be from fourteen to twenty
miles
In OVERLOOKING this ground hundreds OF
farms, fruitful orchards, valuable quarrles
of limestone, no less than dozen villages,
a section Of the Ulster and Delaware Rail
road from West Hurley to Boiceville, dis
lance Of fourteen miles, and more than
one hundred miles OF public and private
highways would be submerged by the water
Where the streets Of smiling villages now
stand there would he depth Of fully fifty
feet Of water. The villages are Olive Olive
Branch, a part Of West Hurley, Brooks
Crossing. Olive City, Brodhead's Bridge
part Of old Shokan. all OF West Shokan,
one Of the largest villages on the Ulster
and Delaware Railroad, and probably all
Of Boioeville, with at least twenty or thirty
hamlets in addition.
The water would be deepest at West
Shokan, where there il wide extent OF
Sat country. 1t is estimated that 1t would
aver the roofs OF the highest buildings
.-ere, part Of old Shokan. a mile south
and on a side hill, might escape submerg-
ing o, r,,,.
Part Of the country near Olive village
also etanos on wen elevated ground and
nay escape, but 1t would no doubt be an
island in the lake There would be another
island, high ground near Olive City. and
there may be several smaller islands in
other localities. But generally. II the plan
Is carried out, this great territory will be
one solid sheet Of water.
From West Hurley to Shokan the lake
would lie between the Touche and Tice
Ieneyck mountains with their wooded
and cultivated slopes on the west and the
Hurley Mountains on the east. On the
north the low foothills OF the Woodstock
Saskills would bound it, while on the south
the waters would lave tho foot OF High
Point. 800 feet In height.
On the extreme west beautiful coyes or
arms OF this body Of water would pene-
eate Traver and Watsons hollows and