Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 6, no. 133: October 1, 1870

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ECdRD AND BUILDERS' GUIDE. Vol. VI. NEW YORK, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1870. No. 133. Published Weekly by THE HEAL ESTATE RECORD ASSOCIATION. TERMS. One year, in advance...............'.......$6 00 All communications should be addressed to C. "W. SA"V"K!ItIT, lOB Broauway. cok. of Pine Street. THE CEOTON WATER. The severe drought about -^vMch the AA'hole country is complainiag, and Avhich has-caused more sickness along many of the rlA^er toAvns than has been known for years, has been hardly noticed in this city, and for the first time in years no complaints have been made about a scarcity of Croton. Last year, when there seemed to be no necessity, New York Avas nearly frightened out of her wits by the orders of the old .Croton Aqueduct Department, which went so far as to prohibit the use of water for sprinkling the streets, thereby caus¬ ing serious annoyance and damage to thousands of our merchants. The following letter from the chief enguieer of the Croton Aqueduct ex¬ plains why we have been subjected to no such trouble during the past season:— On returning to the city after an absence of three days at the upper sources of the Croton river upon official business, I find that a state¬ ment has appeared iu one or more daily news¬ papers charging Mx, Tweed, the Commissioner of Public Works, Avith receiviag from the city treasury $250,000 for water rights to furnish an additional supply of water to the Croton aque¬ duct, -which rights he had bought for $25,000. The statement is, within my knowledge, untrue and unjust to him. I believe it is known to many that I became engineer of the Croton aqueduct in May last, by appointment of Mr. Tweed, with Avhom I Avas very shghtly acquainted, and Avithout solicita¬ tion on the part of myself or my friends. Upon assuming the duties of the office he directed me at once to make a thorough examination of the sources of supply of Avater, and report it to Mm, with the suggestion of measures which might be necessary to prevent the possibility of a defi¬ ciency, such as was threatened during the last year, and which would have left the city practi¬ cally Avithout water if the drought had lasted for forty-eight hours longer than it did. I found that a dam had been partly completed across one of the confluents of the Croton river -with a view to reserve the Avaters which passed through it in floods. It was not in a condition to be used during the present season, and, in¬ deed, if completed, could furnish no supply until the autumnal rains should fill the reser¬ voir made by the dam. I also ascertained that the water of several lakes in Putnam county might be drawn into the Croton river and fur¬ nish an adequate supply for the city during any drought that might reasonably be expected. These were so situated that connection Avith the Croton could be prepared with great rapidity, and their purchase could be effected at a reason¬ able price. . I reported the facts to Mr. Tweed. An examination was at once made to ascer¬ tain whether there were any moneys under the control of the department which might 43e used for the purpose. It was found that there were none. Mr. Tweed thereupon directed me to make the purchase of any such water rights as I deemed necessary to insure the city a suffi¬ cient supply of water; to do it as cheaply as I could, and he would furnish the neqessary means to pay for them and turn them over to the city at the price paid whenever the proper legisla¬ tion could be procured for their purchase. I accordingly made the purchases and had the waters turned into the Croton river above the Croton dam. The qu.intity supplied from these sources has for several Aveeks varied from thirty to sixty millions of gallons per day. Without it the city Avould for some time past have been left without} water. The water taken is of the very purest to be found anyw'here. Most of the lakes are chiefly supplied by springs, and then-waters are of very great purity and transparency. The purchase •at $25,000 I .suppose refers to that of thoAvater rights of Lake Gile.id. I made the purchase, received the money from Mr. TAveed to pay for it, and took the deed in Mr. Tweed's name and left it for record in the Clerk's office. He never saw the lake, did not, and I believe does not now know who owned it, and I know he never saw the deed. It Avas purchased at what I believe a reasonable price and with a vie-w to sell it to the city at the same price, and the result of the purchase is that the city is now suppUed with such an abundance of Avater, as it has only had for many years past during wet seasons. Edward H. Tracy, Chief Eugineer of the Croton Aqueduct. September 27, 1870. THE PUBLIC DEIVE. In the thirteenth annual report of the Board of Commissioners of Central Park there occurs the f olloAving :— In regard to the work of regolating and grad¬ ing the pupHc drive from Fifty-ninth street to One Hundred and Fifty-fifth street, hopes are entertained that almost or qrdte the whole line of the road wiU be regulated and considerable portion of it open for pubhc travel on or before January 1, 1871, but the gTeat extent of the work, which is almo&t five miles long and one hundred and fifty feet A\dde, requiring for its regulation the excavation and removal of more than 350,000 cubic yards of rock and earth, and the finding and filling in of about 300,000 cubic yards of material in addition, necessarily requires rdtich time. An average force of over 740 men has been engaged on it during all working days of the year 1869. In addition to the amount of regulating and. grading which has been done, curbstones have been set, foun¬ dation road-bed has been prepared, and tempo¬ rary sidewalks laid in a large portion of the space between Fifty-ninth street and Seventy- ninth street. A large portion of this avenue hes along an ancient and much used road, and every reasonable effort has been made to avoid incommoding occupants along the line Avith the processes of the work, and constant exertion has been made to insure the progress of the s8Avers, gas and water pipes, by the authorities having charge of these respective works, while the work of Excavating and filling was in pro¬ gress. With respect to extending the city above the Harlem River into Westchester County, in ful¬ filment of the duty thus prescribed, the board has commenced and is rapidly progressing Avifch surveys over about three-foui-tiis of the terri¬ tory inchided in the terms of the law. It is in¬ tended that these surveys shall be comprehen¬ sive, accurate, and in sufficient detail to serve as a rehabie basis for all future work of a ma¬ terial character required within this territory. A careful examination of the sufficiency of the existing High Bridge to sustain a carriage-way over it has been made, and also a preliminary examination of the sources of water supply that are to be relied on for the loAver part of West¬ chester County. -Under the provisions of the law, the sum of $10,000 was certified by the board to the Super^risors of the County of New York as necessary to be raised in the City of New York towards defraying the expenses of surveys, etc., in relation to bridges, tunnels and other improvements across and in the Harlem River and Spuyten Duyvil Creek, and such sum has been received by the board from the Comp¬ troller of this city. The sum of $20,000 was also, and by the same authority, certified to the Supervisors of Westchester County as necessary to be raised in that county towards defraying the expenses of surveys in that county. EEPORTED IMPORTANT BUSINESS CHANGES. NEW TORK CITT. Bangs, Merwin & Co., book auctioneers; Andrew M. Merwin deceased. Curtis & Co., liquors, sold out and dissolved. Flint & Co., commission, dissolved. Goldbhrg, M.& S., fancy goods, dissolved; M. & E. Goldberg con-fcinue. Prosser, Thomas & Son, boiler tubes"; Thomas Pros- ser deceased. Preston & Edwards, produce commission, dissolved. .Smith, Clark & Co., brushes. MECHANICS' LIENS AGAINST BUILDINGS IN NEW YOEK CITY. Sept. 37 Baxter st., w. s., rear of No. 20. Michael Newman agt. Mr. Find- lay............................... 148 00 28 Broadavat, yv. s., Nos. 1223, 1225 and 1221. Andi-ew L. Osbom agt. Thos. Theall..................... 650 00 24 Eighteenth st., s. s.. No. 34 W. Louis A. Dean et al. agt. Ewen Mc- Intyre........................... 64 50 23 First av., w. s., Nos. 58, and 583 E. Bernard Muldoon agt. S. S. Schul- hofer............................. 132 56 23 Fiety-third st., n. s., Nos. 19 and 21 W. I. A. Hance agt. Cornelius ^ O'Reylej'......................... 194 27 S3 Fifty-first st. and 9Tn av., n. e. cor. John Darrow agfc. John Schmidt.......................... 786 25 26 FlFTX-SECOND ST., N. S., 5 HOUSES com. about 340 w. Isfc av. Michael Cowen agfc. Michael Murray....... 40 00 26 Same premises. Patrick McHugh agt. M. Mm-ray................... 18 00 26 Same premises. P. J. Perrtman agt. same......................... 33 00 26 Same premises. James McElrot agt. same........................ 60 GO 26 Same premises. Hugh Meehan agfc. same........................ 45 00 26 Same premises. James Collins agt. same........................ 30 25 26 Fifty-second st., s. s., 3 houses com. 175 e. 11th av; Mullen & Beecher agt. John B. Ledaire.......500 00