New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-27
THE JEROME PARK RESERVOIR

mn JLhOME INN iAA<pA<bf CAAb-
There was a refreshing frankness in Mr..
DOugherty's letter about the Jerome Park Res
ervoIr, which we printed yesterday and there
were also some uncommOnly cold facts of much
significance and pertinence. Mr.. Dougherty
wrote with authority of things which he knows
about, and we suspect that he pretty accurately
exposed the Identity of the sable man and
brother concealed in the Jerome Park wOOdpile
His statement of the scandalOus delay that has
marked the construction of that reservoir exactly
acCOrds with and confirms what we have already
said in these columns, and his argument for the
need of the reservoir as a reservoir. and not
merely a filter bed commends itself to every
thoughtful mind.
The chief reason for ever making a reservoir
at Jerome Park was TO give the city enlarged
storage room for water within the city itself, to
assure us of a supply in case the aqueduct from
CrotOn Lake should be broken or clogged or in
any way put out of for time. AS a matter
Of fact. the aqueduct ought TO he occasionally
cleaned. and thus necessarily put out of use for
some days at time. The Jerome Park reser-
voir as planned would hold more than a weeks
supply, and that time would be sufficient for
cleaning the aQueduct for repairing it in
case of a break. But without that reservoir the
city Is dependent upon the tanks in Central
Park. which would supply it for only two or
three days. 1t is tudicious TO say that without
AT least a weeks full supply in storage at this
end of the aqueduct the city is in an undesirable
II not an actually unsafe. condition
The very reason that impeled the city TO be-
gin the work at Jerome Park therefore demands
the completion of that work on the original
plan. That should be rigidly insisted upon.
There is too much of this changing of plans and
using for one purpose something that was de
signed for another purpose No sooner does the
city create park at great cost than somebody
wants TO use ii for building sites and to make
another park somewhere else No sooner is a
| fine road made expressly as a driveway than
| somebody wants TO give it up TO a trolley line
and compel the construction of another drive
way somewhere else. If this Jerome Parl, site
should be given up a storage reservoir and be
| turned into filter bed il would be necessary tn
make a storage reservoir elsewhere We think
the sensible thing 10 do is to complete the
reservoir as reservoir and put the filter beds.
when they are needed elsewhere
of course there are some objections 10 that
from some points of view. If the present Aque-
ouct commissioners want TO remain perpetuaIly
IN me places which they have already filed
years too long If the Jerome Park reservoir will
nor hold water and so cannot be nut TO the uses
intended without largely rebuilding it, or If the
contractors have lost money on that mismana,,ad
WORK and the Aqueduct Commissioners I'm the
| KINDNESS or their hearts want 10 give Them a
chailce To recoup themselves on some big SIM
| piehehtary contracts, why then To serve sucb
ehus' ue andaclous scheme" of the commits
siohers may have reason for existence. But
IL is not reason which should convincinglv ap.
pear TO the taxpayers of New-York What should
directly and strongly appeal to them however
Is ahother point which Mr. Dougherty raised I'm
MS letter-namely. that this city is paving AZ
| Jerome Park q big prfce for somatbino ,,,h;oh 9.
Is not getting.
because OF the enactment of the eight hour
Id" AFTER the contracts had been made on a
zen hour basis the city agreed TO pay the
contractors bonus of $464 900 provided the
"orK was done under the eight hour law. and
was completed, the west reservoir by August /
1870 ana tne east reservoir by August /, 1901
Dul' according 10 the Labor Commissioner the
} cUn'raetors nave not obeyed the eight hour law
, although the city has paid S464 600 10 enable
'neu :" 40 So and certainly the work is not yet
, Completed, though the appointed date has been
, passed by year and half Thus the con.
} tractors appear TO have defaulted unon both