New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-11-26
NEW AoUEDUCT PLANS.

NEW AOGEDUCT PLANS
The proposal'of the Board Of Water
Supply to construct a tunnel aqueduct
under this city for the Catskill water
deserves 10 be carefully considered by
the Board of Estimate and Apportion-
ment. and also 10 be rightly understood
by il and by the public The impress
sion seems to prevail in some quarters
that the original plans of the board did
not provide for distribution Of the water
ii the city. but merely for bringing IL
from AShOkan 10 the northern limits OF
the city and leaving it there That is.
we believe. an error. The original plans
were 10 bring he water by tunnel adue-
duct 10 Hill View reservoir. near Yonk-
ers. where connection would he made
with the existing distribution system Of
Manhattan. and whence also a now con
cuit, probably Of steel pipes. would pass
through The Bronx. under Hell Gate.
through the borouGhs Of Queens and
Brooklyn and under the Narrows 10
Richmond. All that was provided for
in the original plans aud estimates and
was clearly indicated on the official mans
OF ar least four years ago.
The present plan is To bring the main
distributing conduit from Hill View
straight down through The Bronx and
Manhattan by means Of deep tunnel
and thence build spurs 10 Queens. Brook
lyn ana Richmond. That arrangement
we are told, will shorten the route bv
about five miles and-what il much
more importani-will afford an increa sei
pressure Of about one hundred feet ad-
ditiOnal head. Whether il will increase
the cost Of the whole undertaking seems
10 he disputed point The opinion i
officially expressed that il will not. Int
that the work can be done without ex-
ceedlnG the original estimate of SIGt.-
e0Opp. while other opinions are that
il viii add some millions 10 the cost
Whether IN will require a longer 81. a
shorter time 10 complete these plans is
not disclosed. though we have hear ri
iniimations that il will take little
SEcrter time. because of the diminished
distance. or course. if there were rea-
sonable assurance that there would be no
Increase Of cost or Of time there would
probably be no objection 10 the change
OF plans
Even if there should he some addi-
tional cost. which is not imp0Ssjble and
perhaps not unlikely, il would be well
10 consider whether il might not be
worth while TO incur il for the sake of
the advantages 10 he gained esnecialv
IN the increa sed pressure and the more
substantial and enduring character of
the work, Beyond doubt. all unneces-
sary expense for this debt burdeped and
tax burdened city should be avoided ON
the other hand, it is poor economy To
ilnperil the complete success of a great
and Indispensable work by arbitrary
The Catskill water works
nre being constructed for all time
and they should he planned and con
strucied in manner worthy OF their
magnitude and their permanence. II
This change Of plan. even at some addi
tIonal expense, would really afford ~
much greater pressure and in other re
spects make the water system more per-
feet aud satisfactory. il may be tho
part Of wisdom and Of ultimate economy
10 approve il. particularly as il will i'm.
volve nothing but clean engineering
work by the Board Of Water Supply and
lis STAFF and will not be- subject Ia the
dissraceful political jobbery which has
marked some Of the land condemnation
proceedings in the Catskil region and
which has made operations in the Croton
q municipal scandal