Kingsbridge 337 



basin, holding 773,000,000 gallons, was finished in October, 

 1905; but at this writing the eastern and larger basin is still 

 unfinished, and it does not look as if it ever would be finished. 

 The contractor, however, so it is stated, has received the 

 price for both basins ; and the city is in possession of an enor- 

 mous hole in the ground which it will either have to complete 

 on a new contract or leave as it is. The Catskill addition to 

 the water supply of the city, now in course of construction, 

 has done away with the necessity of this great reservoir unless 

 the city should determine to install a filtration plant at an 

 estimated expense of $1 1 ,000,000 in addition tothe$io,ooo,ooo, 

 or more, that have been paid for the land and the work so far 

 accomplished. The pumping station has a stand pipe three 

 hundred feet high, so that sufficient head is assured for the 

 tallest buildings in the city. The millions of cubic yards of 

 materials removed by excavation have been used in filling in 

 the valley of Cromwell's Creek and the meadows at Westches- 

 ter, the refuse having been carried by rail across Bronx Park 

 to the neighborhood of Westchester Creek and the Bronx 

 and Pelham Bay Parkway. The Legislature of the State at its 

 191 1 session authorized the use of the eastern uncompleted 

 portion for armory purposes for the State National Guard; 

 and in December, 191 1, it was proposed to use a part of it in 

 the southeast corner for the construction of store-houses, 

 shops, etc., for the Eighth Artillery District of the United States 

 Army. On January 23, 1912, plans were filed for the erection 

 upon this site of a million-dollar armory for the Eighth Regi- 

 ment of the State Militia. 



The reservoir is almost within a stone's throw of Fort 

 Independence and Fort Number Five; so that when the exca- 

 vations began, the workmen turned up with their tools several 

 cannon-balls, bayonets, swords, buttons, and other military 



