New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-13
Catskill Aqueduct Opened;
Rain Cod Provides Setting
Rain Drenches Thousands as Mayor Turns on Big Foun
tain in Central Parks 900 Children in Water Pag-
cant Flee Downpour-Celebraton Continues Today

When New York began its three-day
Jubilee in honor Of the new $40, 100000
Catskill Aqueduct system yesterday. the
rain god proved to the throng in
Central Park that he had a sense Of
humor At the moment that Mayor
Mitchell turned the valve OF the new
fountain in the Central Park reservoir,
at Eighty-sixth Street, and just as the
water piped 100 miles from the Catskill
Mountains spouted up clear white
column more than hundred feet high,
he opened the flood gates Of gray
massed clouds and thousands OF people
were drenched with rain water. The
great water system, however, represent
ing with its tunnels and siphons one
Of the greatest engineering feats in
history, was formally opened.
Mayor Mitchell and other members OF
the Aqueduct celebration committee
hurried into their automobiles when
the rain began and sped TO the sheep
meadow, at Sixty-sixth Street, where
the main exercises were being held.
The pageant entitled 1.-THE Good Gift Of
Water" presented by twenty-five thou
sand public school children, was only
one-third finished when the rain and
the Mayor arrived. The children strug-
gled bravely for several minutes against
the downpour. Fairies and Spring
Flowers hoped sturdily about, al
though their pink cheesecloth draperies
chung dripping against their knees.
Then they abandoned the field, the last
to give up being the water sprites.
Edward Schmorr, the Sun God of the
pageant, with one despalrlnS look at
his rival enthroned in the lowering
clouds, took his halo in his hand and
fed. The twenty-five thousand children
followed.
Italians Present Gifts
Mayor Mitchell stood on the grand
stand and received a delegation OF the
Sons of Italy, who presented him
parchment volume in which was re
corded the thanks of the Italian citi-
zens of New York for the cordially
with which the city government re-
ceived the members Of the Italian
Royal Commission. Because OF the
condition of his throat the Mayor dld
not venture to make his address in the
rain, but asked Theodore Rousseau, his
secretary, TO read II.
MO
Italian blood to carry message 70 the
land from which they sprang,' he sad.
THAT is, that the land which was
rescued from barbarism by Christopher
Columbus now goes forward with un-
finching determination to night with
italy and Italy's allies against German
despotism."
The three days jubilee began at City
Hall at noon when Charles Strauss,
president of the Board OF Water Sup
Div. formally notified Mayor Mitchel
that the new water system was ready
for use.
Three hundred million more gallons
OF water daily will now be available,
he said.
the name of the city, declared II was
an engineering achievement almost as
great as that of the Panama Canal.
$4,000 Men Engaged; No Strikes
Major George B. Mcclellan, former
Mayor, under whose administration
work on the great Catskill water sup
ply system was begun seven years ago,
sat beside the Mayor. George Nc
Aneny, chairman OF the Mayors Cats
kill Aqueduct Celebration Committee,
and William Fcllowes Morgan, chair
man Of the City Hall exercises COM
mittee. and members OF the Catskill
celebration committee were on the
platform. Each speaker praised J.
Waldo Smith, chief engineer OF the
Board of Water Supply. and his staff
who have been in charge Of the work,
which engaged twenty-five thousand
persons for years without any labor
troubles.
Former Mayor Mcclellan then told
the story Of the aqueduct from the
time il was determined. fourteen years
ago, that New York's Croton water sys-
TEN was not adequate.
"You men and woman Of to-day" he