New-York tribune., 1905-01-17
ADVISES s4,OOO,OOO PLAN.
WATER SUPPLY REPORT.
More CrotOn Sheds Needed at Once
So, 900, 900 Esopus Greek Scheme.

william H. Burr. Rudolph Herring and John
r. Freeman the special commission engaged by
the Board OF Estimate and Apportionment 10
report on the condition Of the city's wafer sup
ply and the best way OF augmenting II. yester-
day reported TO Mayor Mcclellan. advocating
an immediate expenditure of S4Oo0oO0 for va
rious dams and reservoirs in the Croton Water
shed. ard recourse 20 Esopus Creek at an ex-
pense of S91. 100000 for future supply. An
other recommendation was hat work on the
easterlv section oF the Jerome Park reservoir
be suspended. and that the two old Central Park
reservoirs be cut of and covered TO facilitate
the creation OF a filtration plant.
Two additional reservoirs are urged. one 70
be begun Immediately at Cross River. Croton
Watershed. at cost of about Sl,25o,0oo. and
the other. 70 be built simultaneously near Gro
ton Falls. to be ready by the autumn Of 1905
ar q cost of S2,50OOOO. The commission de-
olares that this expenditure Of Si.Oe00o0 IS
absolutely necessary for protection against a
water famine.
The report says in part:
The rainfall and stream flow for the last two or
three years have been larger than the average
ords OF the Groton River aow for many years.
While this has fortunately given 10 the city an
ger OF the shortage that is sure TO come. unless
additional sources or additional reservoirs are pro-
IN the Judgment Of this commission, there is no
sos s9op e1sTy @ 5SP 9e 9 me now Wase % coid he
saved that Would add more TO the available water
supply than the additional storage reservoirs
there dorot that in the engineering sense, it IS
feasible 10 install these meters about one hundred
thousand in numbcr) In less time and at smaller
cost than the proposed reservoirs.
This commission is convinced that the only safe
possible time Whether or not additional storage
Sooner fSey can he made resdv for use 9han The
F1shkin and Wappnger creeks should these be
Ss work as Ia be T6e Is begun a
danger OF water famine is to be averted.
In the report on the best means of getting an
additional supply from the Catskill Mountain
region. the commission recomemnds the build
ing Of ninety-seven miles Of deep aqueduct tun-
mel. 10 deliver three hundred million gallons of
water daily TO the city. at a probable cost of
$4,000 a mile. TO extend from Astoria TO the
Ashokan reservoir Various other lines are
proposed. 10 be made use of before the Catskn
Creek is drawn which would bring the total
cost to the city 10 S91O00,00O.
Some Of the more important suggestions in
this report follow:
The soOOOOOO0 gallon a day supply would be
brought from a great reservoir made by a dam on
Esopus Creek al olive Bridge 10 a distributing
reservoir formed by enlarging Rye Pond; thence by
two aQueducts to Morrlsapla- one Of which is con
unued 10 Astoria Distribution would be made by
ss-inch mains, tapping the aqueduct at Morrisan MIA
10 distributing reservoir IN Forest Hin Brooklyn
The total length OF deep tunnel aqueducJ from
Astoria 10 the Ashokan reservoir is q miles The
magnitude Of this part Of the work be realized
more clearly when IL is reflected that the toal
length OF deep tunnel construction OF the present
Croton aqueduct Is 29.S5 miles less than one
third of that OF The plan under consideration.
u is the unqualified judgment OF this commits
sion that the waters of Rondout Creek should be
taken for the high service supply OF the city of
HSew-York before Catslin Creek is drawn upon If
ever and that the aqueduct leading from the
Ashokan Reservoir 10 the city Of New-York should
be Of at least 4100aC00 gallons daily capacity, SO
that it NAV receive The waters of both Esopus and
RoudOuL cree ks.