New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-22

The approximate cost OF building dams and
nqueducts and Of purchasing the right Of way.
On order 10 obtain 120OooOOO gallons a day from
the Moodna and Popolopen creeks. according TO
nIr Freeman would be SOS $4,000. Such supply
would be free from any interstate complications.
il would be beyond the grasp OF the Ramapo
Clique. and would furnish water free from the
pollution OF the sWamps of the Waikiki Valley.
Such a supply would be about equal TO that at
present consumed by the Borough OF Brooklyn.
The water OF the Central group is regarded as
Gar superior IN quality to that OF any other
region within the same distance OF the city. Its
various watersheds are situated in the Catsldns,
:n Greene. Ulster and Sullivan counties. and ag-
sregate SsS square miles According TO the COM
mission on additional water supply, appointed by
Mayor Low consisting OF William H Burr, Ru-
dolph Herring snd John r. Freeman. this region
can store AO00o.o00OoO gallons. nearly three
times much secured in the Croton Valley.
The Rondout watershed. which is about seventy
five miles from the City Hall. has OF
81 square miles and can supply 100000 gallons
a day. The Esopus Valley is 255 square miles
.n extent with estimated water supply OF 255.-
oooeo gallons daily. The Catskiu watershed which
Sc furthest away OF all has OF 40 square
miles and about the supply OF water the
Rondout- The whole region. It IS estimated, would
be able supply the 5ooOOoO0o gallons day which
will be necessary for the city within the next
twenty-five years. T'hs construction OF the
hundred miles OF hqueduct necessary TO tap this
region. however. would COST alone 100000 and
accordingly render the water Of the Catskills
expensive shan that OF the southern region
of the Dutchess County districts which the Legis-
.hture has ba-T5caded against the city. Yet the
water IS 50 much moro nearly pure and abundant
rhsn many experts believe. that Il would be uiti-
inateIy more economical to 90 70 the Catskills
for the needed additional watersheds The land
.ftsek wosld be less costly than IN Rockland
Orange rctchess county II IS chiefly aeri-
cultural, snd few manufactures are dependent
the streams.
The Esopus VALLEY, which contains TIE most
abundant source OF water IN the Catsl1ills lies
on the southeasteTiy slope OF these mountains ana
Es IL contains no limestone. its waters are I'M
usually soft Esopus Creek empties into the Hud-
son az saugerties after having flowed aortherly
and parallel with Tho Hudson from point back
of Kingston At Olive Bridge about thirteen
miles from Kingston. there is a site for larger
reservoir Tor storage purposes IN a municipal
water supply than has ever yet been constructed
with the exception Of the new Croton reservoir
This reservoir. as planned. has been called the
Ashokan, and would an area OF about six
Thousand acres, little less than one-haif thar
behind the IIew Croton dam. and would yield $50
Sc.co gallons e day. S0.e0aOoo less than the
maximum capacity Of the croton reservoir
To tie north OF the Esopus watershed IS that q.
echohsrie Greek, IN the heart OF the catskills
which has total drainage area Of 22s SQUARE
ndlas. and an estimated daily yield of 10000 600
gallons Il Is a mountainous district OF eteep
wooded slopes that Il would afford a large run
on lts high elevation gives IL an abundant rain
enll' and. according 10 the Burr-Herring Freeman
commission, II would afford a storage site FOR
R,oocoWo gallons or six-seVenths that OF the
pew croton plant The schoharis system. however.