April 11/12, 2020 – LOST PHOTOS FOUND – HOW DO WE GET OUR WATER III

By admin

HOW DID WE AND HOW DO WE GET OUR WATER
PART III

LOST PHOTOS FOUND
Courtesy of the  P. Terrence Cultra Collection (c)
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Greetings from MOMO, The Healing Hound

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Weekend Edition  Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12, 2020 23rd in our FROM THE ARCHIVES series

HOW DID WE AND
HOW DO WE GET OUR WATER
PART III

By: Bobbie Slonevsky

It seems that no matter what the city did, the water supply could never get ahead of demand. In the 1840s and 50s, and again in the 80s, the population continued to grow at a frantic pace. In addition, industry needed water, the Fire Department needed water, and the more accessible water became, the more people used it—culminating in a reported demand reaching 80 gallons per capita per day.

Time for a commission—which, between 1885 and 1893, built a second aqueduct from the Croton watershed, as well as additional storage reservoirs. The New Croton Aqueduct, as it was called, was constructed a few miles east of and more or less parallel to its predecessor. It had three times the original aqueduct’s capacity, potentially delivering some 300 million gallons of water per day. And so acute was the need that it was prematurely placed in service in 1890 while it was still under construction.

It wasn’t officially opened until 1910, by which time a New Croton Dam and Reservoir had been dug in Westchester County. This was and remains the largest reservoir in the New York City water supply system. It is approximately nine miles long, and can hold 19 billion gallons of water at full capacity. It is now the collecting point for water from all reservoirs in the Croton Watershed.

The new conduit carried water from the new reservoir to the Jerome Park Reservoir in the Bronx, then out for distribution. For many years (until the Old Croton Aqueduct was closed in 1955), the two systems worked in tandem. Fortunately, though, even before the second Croton conduit was inaugurated, political leaders had absorbed the lessons of the past. In 1905, the State created the Board of Water Supply to study the situation and develop plans for expanding water sources in the future.

The die had been cast: water resources outside the city limits were fair game. And over the next couple of decades, New York City targeted both the Catskill region and the Delaware River.

Tune in tomorrow for Part IV

LOST PHOTOS FOUND
P. TERRENCE CULTRA FOUNDATION

In 2008 I  received a letter from P.T. Cultra that he had acquired a collection of hundreds of images of Blackwell’s Island from a person who had worked on the Island.  The collection that was sent to me was part of this major survey at the turn of the century. 
Enjoy this voyage thru the island community from years past.
A few of the photos look like they may have been reproduced on the reverse side.
ALL PHOTOS ARE COPYRIGHTED BY T. CULTRA FOUNDATION (C)

Hi FROM MOMO

Hi friends, 

I am fine and having an interesting time at Coler. It is a bummer not to be able to visit some residents because of this human disease.  I am spending my days walking around with my friends and making people smile.  At night I go out with the Hospital Police on a long “patrol.”  My favorite place is the garden where I can chase squirrels and run around like a pup again.

Thanks for all the goodies you have been sending the residents and staff. They are all appreciative of the refreshments.  My favorite treat is Pup-Peroni, hint hint.

You can see me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/momothehealinghound/

Time for a nap,
Momo

EDITORIAL

This weekend will be the first anniversary of Roosevelt Island’s largest social gathering. Yes, one year ago Saturday over 20,000 visitors crammed onto the island to look at flowers, cherry blossoms.

Bill Weiss and I were in the Visitor Center Kiosk all day selling any beverage and snack we could find. We had a great time with our visitors.  Yes, there were problems with traffic, trains, tram service and just a crush of peaceful people coming to admire our island!!!

In these days of social isolation, we can admire our trees alone, with a separated partner or friend. I am sure some “outsiders”  will visit too.  Welcome to our wonderful island.

I have had some wonderful responses from early Islanders and will publish their recollections on Monday.

Thank you,
Judith Berdy
jbird134@aol.com
212-688-4836
917-744-3721

Text by Judith Berdy
Thanks to Bobbie Slonevsky for her dedication to Blackwell’s Almanac and the RIHS
Thanks to Deborah Dorff for maintaining our website
Edited by Melanie Colter and Dottie Jeffries