The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-24
CITY GETS HALF OF
WATER IT PAYS FOR
Application Is Made to Go
Ahead With Development
Of SchOharie Plans.
PART OF ASHOKAN DAM

The Board Of Water Supply made ap-
plication yesterday 20 the Board Of Es-
innate for authority to go ahead with
the development Of the Schohar!e water
shed. This Is n part Of the new water
system OF which the Ashokar lam and
the Ca,skill aqueduct are the outstand-
ing features.
Dam and aaueduct are nearly ready
for the delivery of water to the city.
but whereas their capacity Is 500. 600. 900
only the Esopus Creek supply. which ia
capable Of producing ESQ., 900. 900 gallons
daily. Under the original plans ap-
proved BY the Board of Estimate in 1905
the Esopus Creek and the Rondout and
6choharie creeks were TO be developed
for the production Of the 500. 000. 900
gallons which tho aqueduct Is capable OF
taking care Of daily. In other words,
900 has a system built for 500. 00o. 900
gallons, but only $50. 900 900 are avail
able.
Charles Strains, president OF the
Board OF Water Supply. says that ex-
tsnStve preliminary investigations during
the last seven or eight years have dis
closed u unfavorable underground
conditions in the Rondout region that
the engineers are unwilling to recon-
mend that work be donc there accordinr
90 the original plans. on the other hand,
similar Investigations rave shown that
the Schoharie watershed under proper
development will produce 100000. o0o
gallons a day. or as much as was origi-
nally expected from both the Schoharie
and Rondout creeks.
THE estimate Of all expense says
Mr.. Strauss, 'to cover the cost Of con-
etruction and for all Incidental charges
connected with the project Is s2e.11o.-
400. This Is $500. 900 less than the
original estimate for the development Of
the Rondout and S~choharie watersheds
for all equal quantity OF water and s1+.-
o02, 600 less thar would be the cost OF
the development OF the Rondout and
Scloharie watersheds as disclosed by the
underground conditions now known 10
exist.
THE plan proposed will locate the
dam across the Schoharie Creek at GtI-
hos. the reservoir running approximately
i've miles southerly from hat point and
connecting there with a tunnc running
under the S~handaken Mountain. approx
,nately sixteen and two-third miles long,
Wv WIZ u ~ WV ~ NV .TN
pus Creek. to be carried to tho Ashokan
Reservoir. The top OF the dam at Gil
boa will be 1865 feet above the stream
bed. its length will I've 1000 feet and
the available storage OF water will
amount TO 0 1000. 900. 900 gallons. Ac-
cordinR to the engineers estimates II will
take seven years 10 complete the work
after the Anal approval OF the plans. and
allowing one year for the preliminary
formalities and the preparation and let
ting of the contracts this additional sup
ply Of 100000 900 gallons daily would
not he available until about the year
1874
After estimating the Increases In the
population of the city 10 show the neces-
sity fOr acting promptly on this matter
Mr.. Strauss says:
This water supply Is expected 10 pay
hack TO the city every dollar invested
In IL. Careful calculation of the actual
amounts received from the sale OF water
enables us TO estimate the gross revenue
suits. at Sl3.&99 ,03s.2J for the total con-
sumption. Upon the basis of 3 per cent,
as now fixed by the Sinking Fund Com
mission for the retirement OF the capital
Investment within fifty yea RS. our tables
show that the operation of the system
will be conducted with a denci: gradu-
ally reducing until the year 1920,
when. for the first time, we shall meet
surplus earnings OF s292,344.S5. which
decrease gradually from year to year
until In 1925 these surplus earnings will
'each In excess Of S2,634,526.I5."