New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-20
Engineers Consider Solid Masonry
for Jerome Park ReserUOar.

There is a strong probability that the core
walls in the Jerome Park Reservoir will be re
placed with solid masonry reaching to Iock
foundation. The change Will cost about S4uo'-
600. Another change that probably Will nave
to be made would give a thicker concrete
floor to the bed of the reservoir The present
plans call for a three inch concrete lining or
flooring for the reservoir. This. in the opinion
of Chief Engineer Hill of the Aqueduct Com
mission and of Chief Engineer Mclean, OF the
Finance Department is inadequate It is un-
derstood that both Messrs. Hill and Mclean are
inclined to favor an eight inch lining for the
bottom of the reservoir. This change will in
yolve an expenditure of about $4,000 and the
end Is not yet.
The work on the Jerome Park Reservoir is In
a most unusual condition on account Of diff
ference of opinion about the stability OF the
walls and the concrete bottom. Tribune re-
porter was informed yesterday that before the
reservoir is finished II will prove to be the most
expensive one in the world and that it is doubt
full if it will hold water satisfactorily at that
THE MOST EXPENSIVE LecATION.
There are fundamental difficulties surround
ing the construction of the reservoir that make
the situation a most unusual one" said The
Tribunes informant. ITO begin with. the To-
cation of the reservoir is about the most expen-
picked out containing a sandy bottom. Some OF
the engineers maintain that this is quicksand
and that 1t is useless to complete the reservoir
walls on the present plans. Several sections Of
the main wall rest on a sandy foundation. There
is sand to depth of twenty feet below the bot
tom of the wall. before the rock is reached. The
rock is of porous character, without regular
strata and there is q strong probability that If
the wall is put clear down to this rock the rock
Will prove to be porous ANA the water will get
through. If the sand proves to be quicksand the
wall will have TO come out anyway A commits
sion consisting of J. J. Croes Edwin Smith and
Elnathan Sweet several years ago reported that
the wall on the sand would answer the purpose.
With the approach of the completion of the con-
tract by Mcdonald & Onderdonk there has
been criticism of those sections of the walls that
rest on the sand. Recently engineers put down
wells on either side of the main wall of the dam
where it rested on the sand. When the water
was pumped out of one of the wells it was no.
ticed that the water also fell in the other we'll
indicating that the ground is porous and that
apparently water oozed from well 70 the
other under the wall.
Not long ago the Aqueduct Commission
seemed 10 get nervous over the question Of the
trustworthiness of the walls, and prevailed on
the city officials to call in the Commissioners
on Additional Water Supply, William H Burr.
Rudolph Herring and John R. Freeman. Chief
Engineer Nicholas Hill. of the Department of
Water Supply, Gas and Electricity, and Chief
Engineer Lewis of the Board Of Estimate and
Apportionment, were likewise drafted into SER
vice Some of these engineers will be In con-
ference to-day and a series of exhaustive well
tests will Immediately be begun. These wells
Will be driven on both sides Of the walls. which
rest on sand and water Will be forced down into
them and pumped out of them, while at the
same time observations will be made tc ascer-
tain if the water probably passes from one well
TO another through the sand
MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION MAY ACT
The Merchants Association has looked with
an unfriendly eye ct the work of the Aqueduct
Commission in connection with the jerome PARK
Reservoir It is understood that the association
Win at once question the need of thickenlng the
concrete in the bottom of the reservoir II Is
said that Mcdonald & Onderdonk have large
ouantitv of rock on the spot ready for crushlhg
for concrete work It is asserted by the con-
+ractors that the loose rock they have on the
Ground would not be used in the concrete Work
10 a large extent.