556 



NEW YORK (CITY). 



The committee on March 7, 1883, besides 

 presenting the resolutions already given, made 

 a full report to the State Senate in reference 

 to the matter in their charge, in which the 

 following occurs : " We are of opinion, as 

 well from our own observation and knowl- 

 edge as from the statements made before us, 

 that the health, security, and growth of this 

 city imperatively require an increased supply 

 of pure and wholesome water, and that such 

 measures should be immediately taken by the 

 Legislature as will enable the city to secure 

 and provide such increased and sufficient sup- 

 ply at the earliest day practicable. . . . The 

 evidence before us leaves no doubt that the 

 Oroton water -shed is the best source from 

 which to obtain an increased supply of water, 

 and that the yield of water from this source 



DRIVING THE HEADING DRILLS MOUNTED ON A COLUMN. 



will be adequate to meet the wants of the city 

 for at least twenty-five years, or until the con- 

 sumption of water by the city shall exceed 

 250,000,000 gallons a day. This water-shed is 

 within the jurisdiction of our own State. It 

 has been more carefully studied and is bettor 

 known than any other, its water is pure and 

 wholesome, and a supply for a consumption 

 up to 250,000,000 gallons per day can be ob- 

 tained at less expense from this than from any 

 other source." In reference to the existing 

 water-supply for New York, the report goes 

 on to say that the present Croton Aqueduct is 

 in a condition with proper care to deliver 95,- 

 000,000 to 98,000,000 gallons a day, which it 



has done since 1874, but could not be safely 

 relied on to deliver more. 



The existing water-supply of New York is 

 drawn from the Croton river, a small stream 

 in Westchester County, about forty miles from 

 the city, and from natural lakes in the vicinity 

 of the sources of the river. The water is 

 brought to the city by means of the Croton 

 Aqueduct, which was completed in 1842. This 

 structure was built of stone, brick, and ce- 

 ment, arched above and below to form a sort 

 of ellipse resembling a horse-shoe in shape, 

 measuring 8J feet perpendicular and 7^ feet 

 horizontal. It slopes about 13 inches to the 

 mile, and has a capacity of carrying 100,000,- 

 000 gallons a day. Croton Lake, which is at the 

 head of the Croton Aqueduct, was formed by 

 throwing a dam across the river, and so raising 

 the water forty feet. Apart from Croton Lake 

 there are two other artificial storage-reser- 

 voirs, while the lakes form such reservoirs 

 naturally. They are known respectively as 

 " Boyd's Corner " and the " Middle Branch " 

 reservoirs. The capacity of all these reser- 

 voirs, artificial and natural, is 9,500,000,000 

 gallons. The aqueduct is carried to New York 

 city across Harlem river on the granite bridge 

 known as High Bridge. In Central Park is 

 the retaining reservoir, capable of holding 

 1,030,000.000 gallons, and just below this is 

 the receiving reservoir, which holds 150,000,- 

 000 gallons. A distributing reservoir on Fifth 

 Avenue, between Fortieth and Forty-second 

 Streets, has a capacity of 20,000,000 gallons, 

 and is 115 feet above tide- water. Besides 

 these there is a " high service reservoir " hold- 

 ing 11,000,000 gallons at High Bridge, con- 

 nected with which is a tower containing a 

 powerful pum ping-machine, forcing the water 

 into a tank holding 55,000 gallons at the top 

 of the tower. The cost of all these buildings 

 has been between $25,000,000 and $30,000,- 

 000, and the annual water-tax, which is used 

 for repairs, amounts to about $1,500,000. 



The committee held thirty-three meetings, 

 at which they had before them many eminent 

 engineers and citizens, and obtained a vast 

 amount of information and evidence concern- 

 ing the serious question in their charge. The 

 important result of their deliberations was the 

 preparation of an act for the creation of an 

 aqueduct commission, which was subsequently 

 presented to the Legislature, and was the basis 

 of an act finally passed by the Legislature dur- 

 ing 1883, known as the "Aqueduct act,' 1 

 whereby the Aqueduct Commission was cre- 

 ated. Following is a copy of the title and first 

 section of the act : 



An act to provide new reservoirs, dams, and a 

 new aqueduct with the appurtenances thereto, for 

 the purpose of supplying the city of New York with 

 an increased supply of pure and wholesome water. 

 The people of the State of New York, in Senate 

 and Assembly, do enact as follows : SECTION 1. The 

 Mayor, the Comptroller, and the Commissioner of 

 Public Works of the city of New York, and James 

 C. Spencer, George W. Lane, and William Dowd, 



