History of the Introduction of Water into the City

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HISTORY OF THE INTRODUCTION OF WATER INTO THE CITY.

THE BROOKLYN WATER WORKS.

As early as 1835, public meetings were held on the subject of a water supply. A committee of citizens, at the head of which was Judge Furman, was appointed to examine and investigate the sources of supply and the feasibility of introducing water into the city. No action of a definite character, however, then resulted, but the belief, based on scientific reasonings, was widely imbibed, that beneath the soil of the Island and at the level of tide water, there is a permanent, and, as many contend, an inexhaustable supply of pure and wholesome water. The theory in the general is, that the island being composed chiefly of loose gravel and sand, without any fixed strata of clay or other more solid material near the surface, the water which falls, instead of running of by streams, settles down to about the level of tide, where it meets with an absolute fulness of water, since all below must naturally be filled with the element down to the solid substratum beneath—at whatever depth that may be.

We next find that in 1845 and 1846, the supply was referred to a special committee of the Common Council, but without resulting in any action of a tangible or definitive character. On the 30th December, 1847, a special committee of the Common Council, consisting of Aldermen Bokee, Stanbury and Cochran, submitted a report in favor of a plan to tap the main spring, by wells for the purpose, in or near the city. The report was based on the calculation, that the rain which falls upon an acre of ground in this vicinity, is sufficient to yield, after deducting most liberally for reevaporation and the various absorbtions of vegetation, a clear surplus of 500,000 gallons per annum, which ordinarily would go to the supply of rivers, but on the Long Island, settles down through the soil and gravel, and might be tapped by deep wells.

In September, 1848, occurred the great fire, the great extent of the destruction produced by which was in the main owing to the absence of the necessary supply of water. This, and the rapid and large increase of premiums upon insurance which followed, gave a new impulse and vitality to the agitation for a water supply, which made itself apparent in the appointment of a committee by the Common Council. On the first of February following, the committee reported the draft of an act to enable the carrying into operation of their plan, which was forwarded to the Legislature, and by that body, on the 10th of April, 1849, enacted into a law. The act provided that the Mayor and Aldermen should appoint three persons to be known as "The Water Commissioners of the City of Brooklyn," who should hold their offices for three years, and whose duty it was made to examine and consider all matters relative to a supply of water for the city.

On the 18th June, 1849, Ald. Spinola moved with a view of commencing operations under the law, that the Board proceed to the election of Water Commissioners, but on the motion of Ald. Taylor it was resolved that all action should be postponed until after the next meeting of the Legislature, in order that certain amendments deemed necessary might be made to the law.

During 1850 but little attention was paid to the subject in the Common Council. On the 18th January, 1851, it was referred to a special committee to report what action was expedient to procure a supply of water, and on the 1st Febuary​ ensuing the committee reported, recommending an application to the Legislature for such an amendment of the charter as would give the Common Council further powers in the premises. This report was adopted. In June of 1851 the Water Committee was constituted a standing committee of the Board, and Ald. Marvin appointed Chairman thereof, and towards the close of the year the committee submitted a report of progress, with a general outline of a plan of supply, prepared by W. H. M'Alphine, Jr. This plan adopted the streams on the south side of the Island as a source of supply, to be conveyed by means of a conduit and pumped up into a reservoir to be constructed on Prospect Hill of a capacity of 60,000,000 gallons, and from thence distributed throughout the city. Accomplanying the report is an analysis of the quality of the water, made by Dr. Chilton,¹ which exhibits the following results.

	No. of grains fluid, solid
	matter in 1 gal
Baiseley's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	2,645
P. Nostrand's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	2,452
J. L. Nostrand's (or Simonson's) . . . . . . . . . . .	2,005
Croton (New York city) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	6,650
Schuylkill (Philadelphia) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	4,260
Cochituate (Boston) surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	1,230
'' '' 62 feet under surface . . .	2,210
Hudson River (at Albany) . . . . . . . . . . . .	6,320
Mohawk River (at Cohoes) . . . . . . . . . . . .	7,880
Patroon's Creek (used for Albany Water
Works) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	4,720
Thames River (at London . . . . . . . . . . . . .	28,000
New River (supply for London) . . . . . . . . . .	19,200
Hampstead Water Works (for London) . . . . . . . .	40,000
Well in St. Paul's Churchyard (London . . . . . . .	75,000
'' St. Giles, Holborn, '' . . . . . . .	105,000
Artesian Well at Grenelle (Paris) . . . . . . . . .	9,560

The Committee promised a further report more in detail, and on the 8th of June, 1853, they submitted their final report. The source of supply recommended, is found in the streams which enter the ocean on the southern side of the island, commencing with Jamaica Creek and ending with East Meadow Creek—the first being 13 miles from the Fulton ferry, and 9 2-10th miles from the pump well proposed to be erected in the vicinity of Prospect Hill, and the last 25 miles from the Fulton ferry and 21 3-10ths miles from the site of the proposed pump well. The supply which each stream would furnish, is thus estimated:

	From Pump	Daily sup-	Aggregate
	Well	ply.	supply
	Miles	Gallons.	Gallons.
Jamaica Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	9.2	5,000,000
Springfield Creek, West
Branch . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	11.0	1,600,000	6,500,000
'' '' East
Branch . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	12.1	260,000	6,750,000
Hook, West Branch . . . . . . . . . . . .	12.2	4,000,000	10,750,000
'' Middle '' . . . . . . . . . . . . .		500,000	11,250,000
'' East '' . . . . . . . . . . . . .	14.2	2,000,000	13,250,000
Pine's Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	16.2	2,000,000	15,250,000
Parsonage do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	16.7	10,000,000	25,250,000
Millbound do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	19.0	2,000,000	27,250,000
East Meadow do . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	21.3	5,000,000	32,250,000

While this action was being taken in the City of Brooklyn, the citizens of the then neighboring municipality of Williamsburgh were not inattentive to the importance such a subject obtaining a sufficient supply of pure and wholesome water. The agitation of the question in that community resulted in the incorporation by the Legislature, on the 16th April, 1852, of the Williamsburgh Water Company, with a capital stock of $250,000 for the purposes of securing for that city a good and sufficient supply of pure and wholesome water. The project entertained by the Williamsburgh Company, of which Mr. O. W. Houghton was the President, was the sinking of wells and the pumping of water therefrom into reservoirs, or collecting it from the ponds and streams on the north side of the Island: but upon invesitagtion, the idea of obtaing​ a supply from those sources was abandoned. The wells, upon experiment, were found insufficient, and the natural obstacles in the way of reaching the ponds, too serious to be overcome except at immense cost.

On the 8th of June, 1853, was incorporated the Long Island Water Company, which absorbed and succeeded the Williamsburgh Company, with a capital stock of $3,000,000, and empowered to furnish a supply of water from the streams on the south side of the Island, to Brooklyn as wall as Williamsburgh, should they be able to succeed in negotiating with the corporate authorities of that city for that purpose. The private company, under the presidency of Nicholas Dean, Esq. for many years connected with the Croton Aqueduct Department in New York, lost no time in securing, in advance of the Brooklyn Common Council, much to its mortification and chagrin, the most prominent streams which were relied upon as sources of supply for the city.

On the 3rd of June and​ act was passed by the Legislature providing for the submission of the question to the electors of Brooklyn, and the Common Council designated Monday, July 11th, as the day upon which the vote should be taken.

The canvas was a most active an​ animated one, the public journals teeming with discussions of the plan. The election was held on the 11th of July, with the following result:—The whole number of votes cast was 9,045, of which they were given "For the Water Plan," 4,008—"against the Water Plan," 5,037. Majority against the Water Plan, 1,029.

The Water Committee of 1854—of which Ald. John A. Dayton was Chairman, and who from the outset had been one of the most zealous and enthusiastic and advocates of introducing a supply of water into the city—as early as February, asked and obtained consent to emyloy​ an engineer to aid them in their investigations of the subject, and to prepare such plans as they might agree upon. On the 13th of March the committee reported a plan which they prepared, with estimates and surveys made by General Ward B Burnett, Civil Engineer, who had also made the surveys and estimates for the Long Island (late Williamsburgh) Water Company. This plan adopted substantially the same sources of supply as were proposed before—the location of the reservoir being changed from the prospect Hill to Cypress Hills—and contemplated the construction of works adequate to the supply of twenty millions of gallons daily, with a capacity for an increase to forty millions. Two engines were to be erected capable of pumping ten millions of gallons daily, eighty miles of pipe were to be laid, and eight hundred hydrants provided for the then wants of the city. The whole expense of the works, including engines and pipes, was estimated at $4,025,000—to which there was to be added $45,000 for land, title of the Long Island Water Company, and other expenses—making total expense an estimated, $4,500,000. The committee was authorized to negotiate with the Long Island Company for a transfer of the title of the ponds in their possession to the city. As before remarked, the Long Island Water Company had forestalled the Common Council in their action, and secured possession of the principal streams, and of the proposed site of the reservoir on Cypress Hills, and their title to the land was first to be extinguished before the city could avail itself of those sources of supply. For this purpose, the committees, in their plan, recommended the appropriation of $150,000. It was resolved also that the Legislature should be petitioned to amend the Water Act of 1853, so as to empower the Common Council to have the works constructed by contract or otherwise, and also increasing the number of Water Commissioners from five to six.

On the 27th of March the report of the committe were adopted. On the 11th of May, a plan to be submitted to the electors for their adoption or rejection, was agreed upon by the Common Council, and the first of June fixed upon as the time for taking the sense of the people on the subject.

The election was duly held on the 1st of June, and the result was as follows:—Whole number of votes cast, 9,105, of which there were "For the Water Plan," 2,698—"Against the Water Plan," 6,402. Majority against the Water Plan, 3,704.

On the 1st January, 1855, the act consolidating the cities of Brooklyn and Williamsburgh and the town of Bushwick, into one municipal government, went into full operation, and with the addition of territory and population thus made to the old City of Brooklyn, commenced a renewed agitation of the water question. In February, the Legislature amended the charter of the Long Island Water Company, and changed its name to that of "The Brooklyn Water Company." This corporation had but a very brief existence, however, for on the 12th of April, 1855 was incorporated "The Nassau Water Company," with authority to purchase all the property, effects, &c, of the Brooklyn Water Company. The capital of the Nassau Company was to be three millions of dollars, the company being empowered to increase it to six millions if deemed necessary, and the Common Council was authorized to subscribe to its stock, to an amount not exceeding one million three hundred thousand dollars, and to issue bonds of the city in payment thereof. The Nassau Company, it will be seen, was the lineal descendent and legitimate successor in the direct line of the Williamsburgh Water Company.

The Company promptly organized, and at once petitioned the Common Council to authorize a subscription to its capital stock to the amount proposed by its act of incorporation.

On the 24th of September, the Water Committee, of which Ald. Wardwell was Chairman, submitted a report in effect, agreeing to the proposition of the Company. On the 15th of November the report of the Committee was finally acted upon in the Common Council, being adopted by a vote of 27 to 7.

In April, 1856, a committee of citizens endorsed the project of the Nassau Water Company, and appointed a committee to confer with the Common Council. On the 5th of May, the Water Committee of which Ald. Bennett was then Chairman, after a conference with the citizens' committee, submitted a report. They recommended that the city should immediately subscribe the sum of $1,800,000 to the stock of the Nassau Company, upon the basis of which the work could be commenced at once, and prosecuted up to the next session of the Legislature, when an application could be made for power to raise the necessary funds to carry on the works to their completion. They also reported that the Nassau Company proposed to contract with H. S. Welles & Co. for the construction of works, at a cost not to exceed $4,200,000 of the capacity for the delivery of 20,000,000 gallons daily. The directory of the Nassau Company had retired from their position and the following named gentlemen, whose names had been approved by the Citizens' Committee, were elected to fill their places, vis: John H. Prentice, William Wall, Daniel Van Voorhis, James Carson Brevoort, Nicholas Wyckoff, Thomas Sullivan and Nathaniel Briggs.

On the 4th of June, the Common Council took final action on the Report of the Committee, and after a careful scrutiny of the contract and specifications, approved of the same, and adopted resolutions to that effect.

On the 31st of July, the work was formally commenced. On that day, the Common Council, the Water Company and a large number of citizens, proceeded to the site selected for the Reservoir, and in their presence, ground was broken with the usual and appropriate ceremonies—the first shovel full of earth being thrown up by George Hall, Esq, Mayor. Addresses were delivered, and the warmest congratulations exchanged, that the consummation so long desired, and for so many years so assiduously labored for—the supply of Brooklyn bountifully with pure and wholesome water—was so near realization.

On the 11th of February, 1857, an act was passed vesting the rights, interests, and property of the Nassau Company in the city, and constituting its directors a Board of Commissioners to supervise the construction of the works under the contract entered into with Welles & Co; it being provided that no alteration increasing the cost of the work should be made by these Commissioners without the consent of the Common Council. Provision was also made for the issue of additional 6 per cent bonds by the city to the amount of $2,900,000 to make up the $4,200,000 which the work is to cost, and also such further amounts as might be necessary to pay the interest on the bonds already issued. The interest thereafter, it was provided, should be met by taxation and the income of the works. It is under this act that the work has been prosecuted, and the successful completion of which, as to its great object of furnishing an ample supply of water, the citizens are about to celebrate.

This brings us to the present time. Mr. Kirkwood, the Chief Engineer, has obligingly furnished the Compiler with the annexed description of the Works, with the progress that has been made in their prosecution, and a map accompanying.

The supply of water, to be delivered by the works now in progress, will be derived from the brooks entering Jamaica bay, whose waters at different points of their channels have long been ponded for milling purposes. Such of these ponds as can be conveniently applied to the present works have been purchased, and are being prepared for that purpose.

These are Hempstead Pond on Hempstead Creek, Simonson's Pond on Valley Creek, and Nostrand's Pond on Springfield Creek. Two other smaller steams not hitherto ponded will also be connected with the present works; these are Clear Stream, and a branch of Hook Creek.

All these streams, with the exception of the last mentioned, have been gauged by the various engineers that have been connected with the surveys and plans of the water works, and the aggregate measurements have always exceeded a rate of twenty millions of New York gallons daily, as available in the lowest stage of their waters.

The water from the streams is as nearly as may be alike in character, being drawn all of it from the same extensive deposits of sand, which on this part of the Island is called the Hempstead Plains.

The water is soft, pure and pleasant to the palate. It appears to be as soft as the Croton Water, and stands clearer in the glass. The present supply is gathered from about 30 square miles of the plains above mentioned, which acts as an immense filter bed for the rain-fall of this region. During a period of 31 years this rainfall has varied from 32 inches to 53 ½ inches, annually.

Hempstead Pond, which forms the eastern terminus of the present works, is situated (by the line of the works) 19 3 10 miles from the City Hall, Brooklyn. The open canal commences at this pond and extends westwardly 7 ½ miles to Jamaica Creek. At half a mile from its point of commencement, it receives from a branch canal the waters of Pine Creek; at 3 14-100 miles it receives in a similar manner the waters of Hook Creek; at 4 miles in the same way the waters of Clear Stream; at 5 miles the waters of Valley Stream; at 6 miles the waters of Springfield Creek; and at 7 1/2 miles by a small branch conduit, the waters of Jamaica Creek.

At this point the open canal terminates and delivers the collected waters of the streams above mentioned, into a covered conduit of masonry.

The conduit extends thence westwardly 4 84 100 miles to the Engine House, situated at the foot of the southern slope of the Cypress Hills ridge.

The canal and conduit are of dimensions sufficient to admit eventually of the delivery in 24 hours (with 5 feet depth of water) of 40,000,000 of gallons of water; 20,000,000 of gallons daily is the amount provided for under the contract of H. S. Welles and Co, now in progress.

Each of the ponds aforesaid is to be cleared of all muck and vegetable deposit, and to be new dammed and sluiced to secure and control the delivery of its waters.

The engine house which is situated 12 4 10 from Hempstead pond, is of size sufficient to receive four large pumping engines of the Cornish or any other make; and of capacity each competent to deliver ten millions of gallons easily in 24 hours.

The pump well, within this building, is also of dimensions sufficient to meet the same requirements. Coal sheds and other conveniences are attached to the building.

The grounds belonging to it are ample for any extension of these that may be required.

The contract of Welles & Co. includes but two of these engines; sufficient, probably, to meet the demands of the next ten years. One of these is now under construction at Hartford, Connecticut, and is to be errected this season.

From the Engine House buildings, two lines of 36 inch iron pipe, each 34000 feet long, will extend northerly to the Ridgewood Reservoir, which is situated on the ridge of hills forming the backbone of Long Island, extending from Flatbush to Greenpoint. Through these pipes the two pumping engines will force into the Reservoir the water delivered by the conduit from the ponds.

The water of this Reservoir, when it is full, will stand 167 feet above the surface of the water in the pump-well of the Engine House, and 170 feet above mean high water of New York harbor.

The Reservoir is constructed to have 20 feet in depth of water and it will contain 167 millions of gallons when full.

From the Ridgewood Reservoir, only one line of 36 inch pipes will issue at present for the supply of the city of Brooklyn—other lines can be added as occasion requires. This line will pass (northerly) down the Myrtle Avenue Plank Road for three quarters of a mile; thence it will diverge westerly into Cooper avenue, and so on into Broadway; down Broadway to DeKalb avenue, down DeKalb avenue to Vanderbilt avenue, where this line of 36 inch pipe, five miles in length, changes to a 30 inch pipe.

The 30 inch pipe continues the pipe line along DeKalb avenue to Fulton avenue; thence along Fulton avenue to Joralemon street, up Joraloman street to Clinton street, and down Clinton street to Hamilton avenue.

From this 30 inch main, a 20 inch pipe passes down Adam street to Plymouth street, Bedford avenue to Rutledge street, to connect with a 20 inch pipe in Broadway.

A 20 inch pipe will also be laid from the DeKalb avenue main to the point where the Engine House will be established for the Prospect Hill Reservoir, and thence to the Prospect Hill Reservoir.

At the intersection of DeKalb avenue with Broadway, a 30 inch pipe line branches from the 35 inch main, and is carried northerly along Broadway to Union avenue, changing to two lines of 20 inch pipes—one down Union avenue to North 2d street, and the other down Broadway to First street. The 20 inch main from Rutledge street joins this pipe, and thus connects the Eastern and Western Districts.

From the mains above mentioned smaller pipes branch off, of 12, 8, and 6 inch diameter, through the various streets, and complete the pipe distribution of the entire city with the exception of such new streets as have but few improvements upon them as yet.

The pipes provided for in the present contract, and now being laid, will measure in all 120 miles.

Following the line of the 86 inch main above described, the City Hall is distant 6 miles from the Ridgewood Reservoir, and 19 3 10 miles from Hempstead Pond by the line of the works.

The Ridgewood Reservoir is in the same way distant 18 miles from Hempstead Pond.

The water in the Ridgewood reservoir will stand 102 feet feet above Montague street, at its intersection with Clinton, 118 feet above Atlantic street, at its intersection with Court street; 106 feet above Sands street, at its intersection with Adams street; and 154 feet above Hamilton avenue, at its intersection with Clinton street.

All the different works above alluded to are at this date (June 1858) in progress of construction, and some of them far advanced towards completion.

The secondary Reservoir, which is to be built on Prospect Hill, will have a distinct pipe distribution to meet the wants of the high ground in that neighborhood which the Ridgwood Reservoir cannot control.

The water of the reservoir will stand 20 feet higher than the water of the Ridgwood Reservoir; the supply will be derived from a branch of the 35 inch main, as already alluded to, whence it will be pumped by a subsidiary pumping engine.

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