New-York tribune., 1903-03-04
HUDSONW FOR CITY.
This additional Supply Predicted By
Engineers-To Be Filtered.
TO COME FROM ABOVE PoueHkEEPsIE

The additional water supply for this city Will
come from the Hudson River between Pough-
keepsie and Hudson. This il the prediction
made by city engineers who have been ordered
by the Commission on Additional Water Sup
ply to investigate how far the tide flows north
ward. This is easily ascertained fact, as the
city of Poughkeepsie gets its water in part from
the Hudson few miles north Of the city line
It was learned last night that by the middle OF
August the Commission on Additional Water
Supply will have out from fifteen to twenty sur
veying parties, and that the greater number or
these win conf1ne their work to the Hudson
River between Poughkeepsie and Hudson, with
the idea of gathering exhaustive data for the To-
cations Of covered aQueducts and pumping sta
tionS.
The commission has eliminated from consid-
Grafton all sources of water supply not wholly
within the State of New-York This decision
has a vital bearing the general question. as
It pushes aside the question of the availability
of the Housatonic and Ten Mile rivers, partly
in Connecticut, and the Delaware and Ramapo
rivers. It is said by engineers who are under
stood to know something about the preliminary
work OF the commission that it has been de-
cided that it will be unwise seriously to con-
slider as future water supplies any streams
which touch other States than New-York for
the reason that there are grave doubts about
Connecticut New-Jersey State officials being
willing to surrender any part Of their water
courses. In commenting on the subject last
night The Tribune's informant said:
William H. Burr, Rudolph Herring and John
r. Freeman comprise the Commission on Addi-
tionaI Water Supply. They were appointed by
the Mayor and the Board Of Estimate and APP
portionment, which at the same time set aside
for their use 100000 There is another unex-
pended fund of 10000 available in part for the
work Of the commission. All Of this money Will
be used this summer, as the commission now has
its plans made for pushing the work with great
rapidity. While the commissioners are unable
themselves to tell what they are going finally
to recommend, it is a safe guess that they re-
gard the Hudson as the most feasible source OF
water supply for this rapidly growing city
Moreover, they are confident that the Hudson
will afford supply Of water for the next hun
6red years The commission is now making up
its preliminary report. What it contains only
+be commissioners themselves know to GER
tainty.
IAN ensireering party is out now with In
structions to find the distance up the HUDSON
that salt water finds its way. This TIDE HINT Is
known TO be a few miles north OF PougnKeepsle
That is where the city eventually Will take It's
water from. sending it southwark in covered
masonry aqueducts to pumping stations MUCH
nearer the city. From these pumping stations
the water will be forced into great reservoirs
and thus made available for handling as needed
hv the city. Part Of the scheme is to have
system of great reservoirs in the AdironoacNs
TO reinforce the Eudson's flow during the not
summer months when the river is low
.ssome of the commissions engineers Will make
G thorough inspection OF the Catskills' parttcu-
larly the Esopus Creek and the watershed at
the beadwaters of the schoharie Creek. BY
tunnelIing under the back Of the watershed at
the headwaters of the Schoharie much OF the
water from large area can be diverted to the
Esopus Creek valley. As the Catskiil water
,pould have 10 be piped across the Hudson II Is
doubtful il the final judgment OF the cohHllS-
sion favors going to the CatsKiiis at all.
1.-The water taken from the Hudson VIII nave
o.. undergo filtration before it can be used with
safety. Possibly in time the sewage from Al
bany and Troy will have to be kept out OF tne
river. although on account Of the natural dliu-
ton this may not be necessary for many years.