New-York tribune., 1912-02-25
Engineers Working Hundreds of Feet Below Surface
Fear No Foe Except Possible Enormous Vein
of Water, Which Might Prove Troublesome.

shafts located. for the most part. in the
parks and at street intersections. The
tunnels are being driven from the bottom
of these shafts in two directions. so that
the tunnels driven from adjacent shafts
meet, thus forming one continuous tunnel.
Connections TO the present watermains
will be made through the shafts, pressure
regulating devices being installed TO con-
troll the enormous pressure Of the water.
From the terminal shaft in Brooklyn there
is being laid a large iron pipe 10 Queens
Borough and one down through Bay Ridge,
across the Narrows to Silver Lake reser-
voi-, in Staten Island. which is about to be
built as a part OF the new Catskill system.
The only approach to this type Of dis
tribution system for water supply Is the
six-mile section OF our present Crotoh
aqueduct between Dupwoodie Heights,
Yonkers. and the l35th street gate house.
which tunnel was constructed in a similar
manner. and which has been so satisfac-
terry in service as to warrant adaptation Oh
the method to our present needs.
WHY SYSTEM WAS ADOPTED.
A summary OF the reasons which finally
led to the adoption of the pressure tunnels
was, given to the Tribune man by L. White.
division engineer OF the Board Of Water
Supply. as follows:
/. That the plan provides for the delivery
Of all the Catskill water.
. That Il will serve all the boroughs
equally according to their probable future
needs
2. That the estimated cost OF the work
under the proposed plan is s25.0oo.ooc. The
original partial plan now replaced was es-
timated in 1895 to cost s10,224.oOo. and that
therefore. the entire plan, as now contem-
plated calls for an increased expenditure
Of only $l5,Oo0o0
T. That the estimated cost OF the delivery
OF the full capacity OF the Catskill aqueduct
through steel pipes 10 all OF the borougns
OF the city is about l7.OOO.0CO.
Fifth--That the plan now proposed 10
seen from the above figures 20 be much
cheaper than any other plan which has yet
been proposed.
Sixth-That about twenty-five millions
OF gallons of pumping to the Brooklyn
high service can each day be saved and
that about seventy-fve millions of gallons
OF pumping to the high service in Man
Hdttdn anu lie bIOIlN can alSo bN N"e'
day saved. That the annual cost OF this
pumping is about 100000, and that tdis
saving is equivalent TO an investment OF
about sI0.O0O.000
Seventh-That private pumping In all
the boroughs amounting TO about thirty
millions of gallons daily. and COSTING
about $1,000. 900 each year, can nearly all
be saved. and that this saving to the peo-
pie OF the city is equivalent TO an invest
ment of about $4,000. 1000
Eighth-That the height TO which de-
livery under the plan proposed Will pe
made will be approximately one hundred
feet higher in the Borough OF Brooklyn
than under the original partial plan, anu
that this delivery will be made TO an ee'
walton ESQ feet above tidewater.
Ninth-Thst the proposed plan will pro-
vide n much needed connection between
the main water supply systems Of the Two
larger boroughs and that thus an inter
changeable use OF the waters from tne
north and those from the east is rem
dered possible as occasion may require OF
necessity demand.