New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-10

and covering three hundred acres, with steep.
rocky sides its bottom crossed and crisscrossed
fy railroad tracks which locomotives hauling
trains Of dump cars are diverging TO all points of
The compass. One rocky formation still stands iso-
lated. steam drills at work its top. The tops
OF derricks can be seen sticking UP the STOP
ing sides Of the excavation a dismantled build
ing with roof and four sides showing gaping holes
passes before the eye, there is glimpse Of a
mountainous heap of stone and a cloud OF dust
arising from a stone crusher and that is all the
observer the sees.
But II one goes down the bank beside the repair
shop in the northeast corner. where the reservoir
first fixes the attention and ciambering into the
basin, follows circuitous path over the railroad
track 10 a mound about in the centre Of the rough
circle, he VIII command a panoramic view OF the
entire reservoir.
This mound, snow covered now. but in the sum
mo- green with grass Is the top az the old Croton
Aqueduct. It practically divides the old reservoir
into TWO sections. the easterly and the westerly
The westerly portion is nearly completed. and IS
down 10 the bottom level. the walls thirty feet
high, being completed and al that remains to be
done Is the corcroting Of the bottom.
Il is the easterly and larger portion covering
IN extent Of two hundred acres, in which the thief
work is ROW being done In its northeast corner
Is the repair shop whore grimy faced mechanics
repair broken mechanism on locomotives boilers.
dump cars and the tools and appliances used in
TIE reservoir work
Between the repair shop and the stone cr1lsl-r
Is the hill q $4,000 tons Of broken stone piled
twenty-five feet n lis highest point representing
part 81 the labor OF the stone crusher This huge
crusher and grinder stands on the site OF the Old
Iacetrack grardstand.
To the right Of the stone crusher Is the rocky
nh already referred TO- its steep bank sluDing down
On one side 70 a railroad cut between II and the
Iock pile. The side facing the old alueduct mound
Is sheer A housed boiler stands on the brink Of
enc side and from network OF pipes leads TO tho
sUesn Drills This is the most stubborn piece of
iocAy stfta that has been met with by the blast
ts. Al its highest point there is stim fifty feet
@ sold rock 20 be drilled and blasted into food for
NE stone crusher II viii be year before constant
or'ing and blasting viii reduce this hill TO the re-
Quired level.
n the northeast corner the side 0: hill is being
toih down. giant steam shovel IS eating into
me earih, ard further along more steam drills are
g Nork Below them deTricks yanking great
tocks fr'm the hillside. whence dynamite has
thrown them. and a gang Of half a hundred men
IL plying pick and bar and shovel
~ every direction are groups OF men at work at
' steam drills loading rock and earth on dump
- Preparing blasts. fitting steam pipes swing
1s eelrlck arms unloading cars putting masonry
o. Nsee' digging AZ the bases OF steep banks.
80 IS small railroad system In this big basin.
O1'leeA standard gauge locomotives and three
o@ gauge locomotives. with their engineers
Aremen. are busy every day There are
@en'y-iive miles OF track for them to run over.
+~'' OF this being q spur running under the
sOHNe-aFe. bridge. over this roadbed the trains
I'm Bedford Park used TO convey racegoers 10
-s facetreck- There twenty-five huge iron
imp cars which throw their loads by IN auto
"''c oe'lco, and two hundred ard fifty fat cars IN
CONSTANT use. Thirty large steam drills needing
men 10 each and seven small ones are in use
'"'ty thousand tons OF rock a month has beer
- average amount blasted from the hills, and
's Is some indication OF the stubborn rcsistan e
"' TIE contractor has with, to say nothing
.i-Aes weather conditions making OF the
- impossible part OF the time and delays
- 70 occur from various causes in such a biz
Us''ak.g. Despite obstacles the excavating ha.
tSseeoea at the rae OF 5000 yards half rock and
neil earth a month
-Hig-lVe giant derricks some with booms :
lOhg' are employed in swinging stones an,
DoNes o. earth from place 10 another an,
- "ie used for guys and supports FOR these der
As i stretched out in a straight line would b
'' miles long. There are five miles OF PIPE
engines ~ Wine ~ ~
he sheht inkling Of the resistance met with Il
,L"s the rock that formed the greater part O
a. i@ee 10 be excavated may be obtained whel
r. "ouht OF steel worn out In drills Is given
- oate Il Is 5000 pounds. Over 100 6s3 tons O
nave been necessary TO the boilers furnish
rt power Tor various purposes and the locomotives
-, iheht so FAR used I'm the erection OF N
eng and core walls OF the westerly section an
aie wan Is 1888 barrels. and three time