New-York tribune., 1909-12-19


nrst contemplated. arose from a funda-
mentally erroneous view OF the prouosed
construction and were without foundation.
as the city OF New York will save at
least s2O.0O0,0o0 by the plan as now pro-
posed and an amount OF Inconvenience and
indirect loss which would be incurred In
the tearing up OF streets and other sur
race constructions 20 accommodate pipe
lines which cannot possibly be estimated
but which would certainly be a large ad-
ditionaI sum
PLAN NEVER PROPERLY OPPOSED.
This plan has never been opposed hv
any prominent engineering authority OF ex-
perience and repute, nor by any substan-
tiai interests OF the city or agents OF such
interests unmoved by q personal motives.
Ihe approval Of this completion OF the
original plan will enable ali contracts for
the entire Catskin additional supply as
contemplated and provided under the re.
port or October 9. 1866, to be completed
ana put IN progress Of construction at an
early date. At present practically all OF
the nlnety-three miles OF aqueduct are un-
DER contract, or will be by January / 1870
and in active process OF construction
Bids for the new Kensico reservoir are 10
De opened on the 21st of the present month.
and the contract will be awarded soon
after that date.
ny The end OF the current month, there
lore nearly the entire aquedlict. reservoirs
ana appurtenant structures for the addi
uonal Catskill supply will be under con-
struction. from the Ashokan dam down 10
and including Hillvisw reservoir ar the
hcrtheriy city limit, leaving only the deem
tunnel from the latter point down through
Manhattan Island TO the Borough OF Brook
lyn 10 be made ready for construction IN
t4e near tuture- The amount OF work ua-
DER contract will then be about $1,000 600.
Investigations connected with the deter
ninaton OF plans for the Storm King cross
ing OF the Hudson River are provrassine
II highly satisfactory manner. Shafts IN
both sides Of the river are sunk through
rock or excellent quality to their full pres
ent depth, that on the east side being about
900 teet down. The inclined boriuxs being
made from these shafts have now reached
practically the centre OF the river from the
east side, and within about hve hundred
rect OF that centre from the west side
Ihey pierce rock OF good quality
IL Is confidently expected that the bor-
ing from the west side viii reach the CEN
ire or the river in the rock beneath il with
IN snort time. A boring from the surface
OF the water at the centre OF the river has
been carried down 20 a depth of about seven
hundred feet. where a diamond drill Is now
at work. apparently within a short distance
OF bedrock. All data for the determination
OF the plans Of this crossing will soon be
complete enough 10 enable those plans 70
be made, thus permitting the completion OF
this part OF the aqueduct line before the re-
naming work on Il Is finished
With the exception OF the first contract
awarded, the contractor for which failed
OF the requisite financial strength to carry
on the work. the rate Of progress has been
equal TO that set forth in the engineering
estimates for the various parts OF the
work This is particularly true OF the
Rondout siphon or deep tunnel for carry
ing the aqueduct under Rondout Creek
where the contractor has exceeded the
highest rate hitherto made IN deep tunnel
construction
Furthermore. the aggregate OF the sums
for which the various contracts have been
awarded has been substantially under the
estimates OF cost. and in some individual
cases much under those estimates In no
case has contract been awarded material
ly over the engineering estimate Of cost. As
whole, no great public work in this coun-
try has ever been more efficiently or eco
nomically prosecuted than this OF the Cats
kill aQueduct and OF the reservoirs con-
rected with II.
FIRST WATER IN FOUR YEARS.
The first water from the Catskin regions
may reasonably be expected 10 be received
in the city within about four years
AT the recent hearing on the completion
OF the original plans for the deep tunnel
aqueduct through Manhattan Island to
Brooklyn the old objections against any
additional water supply for the rslief of
the city were brought forth and set I'D as
If they had not already been repeatedly
demonstrated TO be without any foundation
whatever. Among other things 1t was said
that If the preventable leakage OF water In
tie city OF New York could be stopped the
city would need no additional supply for a
long period of years to come. AS matter
of fact this whole subject OF preventable
waste OF water in the city Of New York
was thoroughly investigated in the most
detailed and complete manner IN 1ses by the
commission on additional water Supply
known as the urr-Herring- Freeman Com
mission. II was conclusively established at
that time that there was no reason to be-
lieve that this waste reached even Is per
cent OF the consumption Recent investiga-
tions in Brooklyn Indicate that this waste
may even be less than 10 per cent
1T has been further shown that If all
available effective means were brought to
bear upon this single feature of admins
tration OF the water supply and If they
could be employed in the most advantageous
manner possible, no material amount OF de-
crease could be accomplished within three
years, and possibly none at alb
1T has also been shown many times by
the actual statistics of consumption in
other cities that the amount OF water used
iu the city OF New York q head OF popuIa-
tion is less than that OF any other large
city in this country. except Boston, where
the consumption is practically the same as
that in New York. There is no substantial
reason. therefore. for supposing that any
relief whatever for the water supply OF the
city of New York can be accomplished in
efforts 10 check preventable waste. especial
ly when IL has been demonstrated that that
waste is remarkably small
'The available supply OF water from
practically all sources now employed by
the city is already insufficient to meet the
present needs of the city except during
years OF high rainfall. and with the exist
ing phenomenally rapid increase in popula-
ton even that availability viii be exhaust
ed within a short time. The most urgent
need for the city of New York at the pres
ent time is that of additional water supply
at the earliest practicable moment. and IL