The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-22
WHY NO HIGH PRESSURE MAINS
Ut TAKES MANHATTAN SOME
TTME no GET STARTED.

Doubt About Location Of New subways Said
to BE the Reason for the Delay-AtA Amy
Rate, . Q IL Gone and We Haven't
Got the Mains Yet on This Island.
The San Francisco fire has served to
draw attention TO the fact that the auxil-
larry high pressure water service which
was planned for this city has not yet been
laid down, although the money for the pur-
pose was appropriated more than a year
and a half ago. The need for such q service
was pointed out by Mayor Mcclellan in his
1905 message TO the Aldermen, when he
wrote:
.aThe disastrous oonflagrations occurring
last winter in Baltimore, Rochester and
Toronto, together with the large fires in
our own city, emphasized the need Of more
adequate distribution Of water for fire pur-
poees. Recommendations were made and
appropriations we're obtained last year
for an independent high pressure service
at Coney Island, and in the river front,
high office building and dry goods dis
tricts. At Coney Island there was to DO
one central station and provision made for
utilizing either salt or fresh water. The
river front, high Office building and dry
goods districts in this borough will have q
main station and a reserve station, and also
provision for either fresh or salt water
The Coney Island system has been COM
pleted and is now in operation, but work
on the installation Of the auxiliary service
designed for Manhattan has not been be-
gun, so far as the laying Of the mains Is
concerned. That part OF the borough
below Fourteenth street Is to be equipped
with the high pressure pipes. The dis
triot was divided into three sections and
for putting down the mains were ad-
vertised for some months ago. The bids
were opened about six weeks ago, but
no awards have been made. The con-
tracts for the pumping stations have been
let and the work Of construction Is pro-
oeeding.
When Commissioner Ellison Of the De-
partment of Water Supply, Gas and Elec-
tricity was asked yesterday to explain
the delav in beginning work on the mains,
he said: Because Of the large number
of streets which will have to be opened
there Ia an enormous amount Of prelimi-
nary work to be done in the way Of mapping
out where and how the mains shall be laid,
SO az to interfere least with the traffic while
the work ia being done. Then there has
been difficulty with the officials Of the
Borough Presidents departments in ar
ranging for the issue Of the necessary
permits TO tear up the streets. and that
has led to further loss of time"
Mr.. Ellison said, however, that he in
tended to push forward the settlement
OF all these preliminary details 80 that the
work could be begun with as little further
delay as possible.
That was all Mr.. Ellison would permit
himself to say, but it has been generally
understood at the City Hal that the real
cause Of the delay has been the desire OF some
OF the city officials that the work of putting
in the new system should be held back
until the routes of the new subwavs have
been approved by the Appellate Division.
The building OF the new subways will ne
oessitate the changing to a large extent
OF the existing mains on the streets under
which the, subways will pass. In order to
guard against any possibility OF shifting the
new mains when once laid, some Of the
heads OF the government haye been waiting
for the final determination OF the new tunnel
before going ahead with the pro-
jected high pressure water service plans.
The Appellate Division lie expected to
pass on most of these routes before May 1.