New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-07
Exercises on Completion OF
l20-Mile Water System
From Catskills Will Last
Three Days
Engineering Task Cost 5 49,
100000 and Took Ten
Years to Complete-Will
Serve City 50 Years

New York will begin 70 celebrate on
Thursday the completion Of the Catskill
aqueduct. The exercises will start IN
tho morning at the City Hall and will
continue for three days, including the
formal transfer OF the old Croton reser-
vor in Central Park TO the Park De-
partment, which will supervise It's
transformation into a permanent me-
mortal of the event
The new aqueduc. was completed
within the stipulated time, despite ire
mendous difficulties. During the ten
years It was under construction there
was not strike declared on any Of It's
sections. From Ashokan dam, in the
Cat.kills, 70 the furthest distributing
point on Staten Island the squeduct i,
100 miles in length. II starts at an altl-
tudc Of more than 500 feet and crosses
the Hudson River a. Storm King
Mountain more than 1900 feet below
sea level.
Il cost $4,000 900, but has stepped
between the city and the peril OF .
water shortage which has impended
more than once within a few years o.
the completion of the aqueduct. Al
ready, however, engineers are e1amin-
ing the Schoharie watershed, the mex,
TO be drawn upon by New York, the
development of which will cost more
than $20,000,000, but which will pro
tect the city from water famine for
half century to come.
Journey Takes Three Days
The Esopus watershed, from which
comes the Catskill water, covers 25I
square miles. IL yields a minimum OF
25O,OO0,000 gallons daily. The capacity
Of the Ashokan reservoir is l2S,COO,-
100000 gallons. Gravity takes ths
water from there to the city, any
single drop or bucketful taking three
days for the journey.
For ninety-two miles the water
passes through the Cstskill squeduct to
the northerly city limits. From there
il traverses the boroughs Of Manhattan
and The Bronx by way of an extension
known as the city tunnel, which is from
200 TO $50 feet below street levels, IL
goes under the East River 70 Brooklyn,
and is carried from there 20 Queens.
The conduit leading TO Staten isl land
/ passes uHGtE kUe DtAFcA behN
is the distributing reservoir on Staten
Island.
Kensico reservoir, with an availabls
capacity of 2e.000,000,000 gallons (or
sufficient 70 supply the city with water
for about two months has been builr
on the line Of the Catskill aqueduc.,
near Nalhalla, for the purpose o.
maintaining the supply Of the city
when the aqueduct north Of that point
may be temporarily out Of service.
Hill View reservoir, located within
the limits Of Workers and fifteen miles
south OF kensico reservoir, has been
constructed 70 regulate the flow or
water as between the aqueduct, where
it is relatively steady, and the city
mains, in which il varies from hour 10
hour II holds sOO,0O0,OOO gallons o.
water and has a depth OF 35i2 feet. It's
elevation of 29J feet determines the
head Of the Catskill supply.
Delivered Through Nineteen Shafts
The Catskill aqueduct Is either cir
cu!ar or horseshoe in section, with a
maximum height of l7i2 feet and q
capacity Of AZ least 500 600, 900 gallon
daily. IL will not be utilized 10 ca
pacity until additional watersheds IN
the Catskilr Mountains shall have been
developed at which time additional
pipe siphons across certain valleys
must be built, as present siphons limit
the capacity to about S75,0oo,o0o gal
Ions daily.
The Catskill supply is delivered TO
the street mains in the boroughs o.
Manhattan and The Bronx through
nineteen waterway shafts, and from the
Brooklyn terminal shafts large steel
pipe conduits have been laid in the
streets TO supply the boroughs Of
Brooklyn. Queens and Richmond.
The Ca.skill aqueduct is still IN
equal TO supplying all OF New York's
need-and waste. Including 100000
gallons daily, which is furnished BY
water companies in Brooklyn and
Queens, the daily consumption within
the city limits is 600000000 gallons
Consequently, Croton water Is still in
use. though. a. far as possible, IL has
been surplanted by the Catskill water
where the greater head OF that supply
would obyiate pumping About two
thirds OF the water used ~ from tho
Catskills and about onc-third is Gro
ton.
Elevation Determines Use
The uses to which the Cstskill and
Croton supplies are put are determined
largely by the elevation OF N. respee-
tive points from which they aov into
the distributing mains.
In the case Of the Cstskill, such =
point IS Hin View reservoir, with an
elevation Of 295 feet.
In the case of the Croton, such points
are jerome Park reservoir. the i35th
Street gatehouse and the Central Park
reservoir. with respective elevations OF
1874, l24 and ll9 feet
The "head" Of the Catskill supply (.
thus nearly two and one-half time.
that Of the Croton. sufficient 10 send IL
by gravity 70 all portions Of TIE
Bronx and Brooklyn and TO all build
ings of average height in other thar
the very highest portions OF the three
remaining borouahs. The grester
Z head" OF the Catsk.ll renders i. the
/ more valuable OF the two.
The Catskill supply is being used in
| Brooklyn, Queens ard Richmond. for m
+ this manner II has been possible 20 dis
/ pense with the costly pumping Of wa
( ter from the ground IN those boroughs
| and thus effect a large annual saving
/ now estimated a. about 100000 net
/ This will account for the use Of about
! $50, 100000 gallons daily of Cstskill wa
I ter. About 5O,OO0.000 mora are being
/ Used 70 supply the high ground in This
Bronx and thus eliminate some pump
[ ing in that borough. The remainder il
, available for Manhattan. and most OF
/ il will be used in the mercantile see
: ton in the lower part OF the island.
Reaches Sixty-6ve Pounds Pressure
Il will be possible to operate a sprink-
Ter system in lower Manhattan 70 the