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IN ASSEMBLY,

January 8, 1834.

REPORT

Of the Commissioners, under an act of the Legisla ture of this State, passed February 26, 1833, relative to supplying the city of New-York with pure and wholesome water.

THE HON. THE SPEAKER

SIR,

New-York, December 31, 1833.

OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY.

The undersigned Commissioners, in compliance with the provi sions of the act of the Legislature, passed the 26th of February 1833, herewith transmit their report, which you will please lay before the Honorable the Assembly.

We are, very respectfully,

Your obedient servants,

STEPHEN ALLEN,
SAUL ALLEY,

CHAS. DUSENBERRY,
WILLIAM W. FOX,

BENJAMIN M. BROWN.

[Assem. No. 15.]

1

REPORT, &c.

To the Honorable the Legislature of the State of New-York:

The Commissioners appointed pursuant to an act of the Legislature of this State, entitled "An act for the appointment of Commissioners in relation to supplying the city of New-York with pure and wholesome water," passed 26th February, 1833, and in obedience to the directions of said act,

RESPECTFULLY REPORT:

That viewing the subject as the Commissioners do, of the utmost importance to the city and State of New-York, they have bestowed all that reflection and attention to its details which their limited time and capacity would admit.

In order that they might be enabled to ascertain with the greatest accuracy the practicability and expense of supplying the city of New-York with a sufficient quantity of pure and wholesome water, both for present and future use, they engaged Canvas White and David B. Douglass, esquires, civil engineers, to make separate and distinct examinations of the Croton, Sawmill, and Bronx rivers, in the counties of Westchester and Putnam, together with their several tributaries; and to furnish the Commissioners with a map and profile of the country, and their opinion of the quality of the water, the supply that might be depended on in all seasons, and the practicability of conveying it to the city at an elevation of sufficient height, that would preclude the use of machinery, and answer all the purposes contemplated.

The engineers were also instructed to designate the best and most feasible route for conducting the water, the most fit and proper manner for constructing the conduits and reservoirs, the probable amount of damage that would be sustained by the proprietors of the water to be taken, and of the land it might be necessary to occupy in constructing the required conduits and reservoirs, together with the total amount of cost to the city for completing and putting into operation the whole project.

The Commissioners are sorry to state, however, that their anticipations that they would be enabled to present to the Legislature the separate opinion of two practical engineers, have not been realized, by the receipt of a report from Mr. White, who states, under date of the 30th October last, that his previous engagements on the Raritan and Delaware canal, together with the frequent and heavy rains during the summer months, which caused an unexpected flooding of the works, has demanded so much of his unremitted attention as to prevent him from fulfilling his contract with the Commissioners. A statement of the causes, which prevented Mr. White from complying with his engagements, has been furnished the Commissioners, and is annexed to this report, to which they beg leave to refer.

It is, nevertheless, with great pleasure that the Commissioners are enabled to present to the Legislature a full and ample report from Mr. Douglass, with a map and profile of the country in which the rivers, lakes, ponds, and springs are situated, capable of supplying this city with an abundance of as pure and wholesome water as any country can boast of.

The following abridgement of the report alluded to, will present a brief view of the conclusions arrived at by the engineer.

Two routes are proposed for bringing the waters of the Croton, and its tributaries, to the city of New-York, which are termed by the engineer, The Inland or Sawmill river Route, and The Hudson river Route.

ter.

First, the Inland or Sawmill River Route.

It is proposed to form a basin, or confluent reservoir, at a point near Mechanicsville, in the town of Bedford, county of WestchesThe position chosen for this reservoir is 268 feet above the tide-waters of the Hudson, and forms a natural basin of solid rock, requiring very little embankment or artificial work to complete its

structure.

To this reservoir the following streams may be brought by means of iron pipes of large size. First, the Muscoot river, at the distance of three and one-eighth of a mile, which will afford a supply of 3,628,800 gallons per diem. Second, the Cross river, at three miles distance, and giving 9,124,400 gallons per day. Third, the Beaver dam and Broad brook streams, producing, 4,963,480 gal

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