SH Archive 1842 Croton Aqueduct Tunnels and Reservoir

[KD Archive]

1889 Manual of American Water-works​

The Croton Aqueduct or Old Croton Aqueduct was a large and complex water distribution system constructed for New York City between 1837 and 1842. The great aqueducts, which were among the first in the United States, carried water by gravity 41 miles (66 km) from the Croton River in Westchester County to reservoirs in Manhattan. It was built because local water resources had become polluted and inadequate for the growing population of the city. Although the aqueduct was largely superseded by the New Croton Aqueduct, which was built in 1890, the Old Croton Aqueduct remained in service until 1955.

• The Croton Distributing Reservoir, also known as the Murray Hill Reservoir, was an above-ground reservoir at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It supplied the city with drinking water during the 19th century. The reservoir was a man-made lake 4 acres (16,000 m2) in area, surrounded by massive, 50-foot (15 m) high, 25-foot (7.6 m) thick granite walls. Its facade was done in a vaguely Egyptian style. Along the tops of the walls were public promenades, offering panoramic views. After construction was completed, it became a popular place to go strolling for residents of New York City; Edgar Allan Poe enjoyed his walks at this location. The reservoir held a total capacity of 20 million US gallons (76,000 m3).

...as a young teenager growing up in highbridge my friends and i did a lot of exploring in the bowels of highbridge and the aqueduct tunnels in the 60’s. i can still remember the secret passages that led into the columns of the foot bridge, one we named “The Pit and the Pendulum”the only way to the bottom was by a rope. as an adult i always wanted to revisit my exploring days but never got a chance...

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Joseph Anastasio says, "In the early 1800s, NYC was dependent on well water – which was rapidly becoming polluted. Unsanitary conditions lead to the spread of diseases which claimed the lives of 1 in 39 residents. This problem was addressed with the construction of a long gravity-powered underground Aqueduct. Built between 1837 and 1842, the ‘Old Croton’ Aqueduct is a brick lined tunnel that begins at the Croton Dam, 41 miles north of NYC. It slowly descended into the city – through the Bronx and into Manhattan where it ended at a reservoir located between 42nd and 40th streets, from 5th to 6th avenues. This land later became Bryant Park and NYC’s main public library."

Sources:

• Croton Aqueduct - Wikipedia
• Croton Distributing Reservoir - Wikipedia
• Croton Distributing Reservoir - Alchetron
• Croton Aqueduct: NYC's longest abandoned tunnel

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KD: This is just a tiny FYI. What kind of infrastructure capabilities, and requirements could produce a 30 mile tunnel between 1837 and 1842?

• This one here was in Boston - Beacon Hill Reservoir (c.1849 - 1880)

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[JWW427]

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Username: JWW427
Date: 2019-09-02 23:02:10
Reaction Score: 8

More. There's plenty more where that came from! Literally a super-conspiracy in its own right.
A truly megalithic and well-engineered project for the era. It's one of my favorite topics in our wild world of historical mysteries, USA version.
Dams, réservoirs, canals, and aqueducts are an historical smoking ballista in my parchment scroll.
The whole shebang seems deeply ancient, but Im not sure. My horse sense has reared up and split town though on this one, nostrils flared, hoofs afire.
The aqueduct and tower are still partially existing in Yonkers, as are bits & pieces of the aqueduct itself.
The Croton dam looks really interesting. I wonder if the dam's waterfall energizes the water electromagnetically for health. It does I believe, since running water is inherently so. Hmm, what could those pesky advanced ancients know that we modern Americans don't....nahhh, not much. We built the Hoover Dam. At least...I think we did. Did we?
The Croton Aqueduct State Park has the Lyndhurst mansion and pillar complex with two Griffins. Hmm...nothing too odd, I reckon.
Pretty rock solid stuff.
JWW


Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct

JWW

 

[Archive]

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Username: Recognition
Date: 2019-12-08 19:25:05
Reaction Score: 1

@KorbenDallas maybe you can catch some inconsistancies regarding connection to Croton Aqueduct. "Getting fresh and clean water to New York City was a major challenge in the early 19th century as the city rapidly expanded. The solution to the city’s water needs was the Old Croton Aqueduct. Construction started on this water transportation system in 1837 and water first flowed through it in 1842. The aqueduct moved water from the Croton River in upper Westchester county down into Manhattan. The water was stored in a receiving reservoir which was located where the Great Lawn of Central Park is now, and was distributed from a reservoir at the current site of the Schwarzman building. That reservoir was known as the Croton Reservoir.

The Croton Reservoir held 20 million gallons of water within its walls which stood 50-feet tall and 25-feet wide. Edgar Allan Poefrequently walked atop the reservoir walls to enjoy the view they offered of the city. When it became obsolete in the 1890s, it was torn down to make way for the new library building. It took two years and some 500 workers to dismantle the reservoir. The cornerstone of the library was laid in 1902. The Old Croton Aqueduct would serve as a vital water supply for New York City for nearly a century until a new aqueduct was built which remains in service to this day. Inside the New York Public library, you can still see pieces of the reservoir walls if you look for the rough stone between the stairs on the lower levels of the South Court, near the Celeste Auditorium."

Here are some resevoir pics:

 

[KD Archive]

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Username: KorbenDallas
Date: 2019-12-15 19:39:57
Reaction Score: 0

Here is an interesting Croton Reservoir photograph from the population perspective.

1897: Croton Reservoir on Fifth Avenue Easter

Source