COMMUNICATION 
OF THE 
WATER COMMISSIONERS, 
In Relation to 
E A Y IN G DOWN THE 
DOCUMENT No. 72. 
NEW YORK! 
BRYANT AND BOGGS, PRINTERS. DOCUMENT No. 72. 
BOARD OF ALDERMEN, 
MAY 4, 1840. 
Communication of the Water Commissioners, in relation 
to laying down the Distributing Pipes. Laid on the 
table and ordered to be printed. 
THOMAS BOLTON, Clerk. 
Water Commissioner's Office, 
New York, May 4, 1840. 
To the Hon. the Boards of Aldermen and Assistant Ai- 
dermen, of the City of New York. 
The Act of the Legislature under which the Board of 
Water Commissioners are appointed, appears to require that 
the Board should, from time to time, communicate such in- 
formation as they may deem important, on subjects connected 
with the object of their appointment; and under this view of 
their duty, they take leave to call the attention of your Hon, 
Bodies to the subject of the connecting pipes between the 
city and the distributing reservoir, and the laying down of 
distributing pipes throughout the city ; in the proper execu- 
tion of which, they consider the city deeply interested. Doc. No. 72.' 
710 
At the time of first entering upon our official duties, we 
were informed by our predecessors, that they considered their 
duties terminated with the reservoir at Murray's Hill; and 
our Engineers, who were the Engineers of our predecessors, 
informed us that they were never, as they consider, con- 
sulted as to the important subject we refer to. The Chief 
Engineer of this Department informs us, that with the ex- 
ception of one evening meeting (about eighteen months 
since) with a Committee of the Corporation, he has never 
been called upon, or consulted with, by any body, on this 
subject; and that at the meeting referred to, he disapproved, 
in part at least, of the plan proposed; and that the individual 
employed by the Corporation to lay down these pipes, was, 
however, directed to call on the Engineer of this Depart- 
ment, to confer with him, but that he never came, and that 
the above was the last interview, of a business character, he 
had with any one on this subject, except the present Water 
Purveyor, who called upon him in March last, and had some 
informal discussion in relation to pipes. 
We take the liberty also, respectfully to say that, under 
our views of our duties, as prescribed by the law of the 28th 
of April last, directing " that no item of expenditure should 
be charged against this Water Stock Fund, except the same 
is approved by the Water Commissioners," we have con- 
sidered it our duty to call the attention of our Engineers to 
this subject, and to examine the plans, and to make such sug- 
gestions to your Hon. Bodies, as the subject may appear 
to require. 
The extent of the subject, and its importance, will be rea- 
dily perceived, when it has been stated by our predecessors, 
that lines of pipes, to the extent of 165 miles, will be required, 
and as early as the Spring of 1842, according to the opinions 
of our predecessors, from which we see no reason to dissent. 
The lines of pipes now laid down, are in extent about 35 
miles, which are to be mainly abstracted from the length of 
line, believed to be required. Now by the progress made 711 
'Doc. No. 72. 
the last year, and understood to be making for the present 
year, it would require 14 or 15 years to complete the 
laying down of the distributing pipes, supposing the city 
to remain stationary. 
Whether this is a duty which is likely to be properly, eco- 
nomically, and seasonably executed by the Committees 
of the Corporation, which may, from time to time, be in 
power, or whether it be decided to have it executed by this 
department, are points to which we ask the serious conside- 
ration of your Honorable Bodies. 
We are the more led to express our anxiety on this sub- 
ject, from the fact that we are unable to learn that any thing 
has been accomplished, or even ordered or directed by the 
Common Council, towards laying down any distributing 
pipes for the purpose of supplying our citizens with wa- 
ter, or with a view toreimburse the city for the very large 
debt to be incurred for the introduction of water, or even 
to meet any part of the interest ivhich will be accruing on 
the same. 
We are aware that pipes, for the last six or seven years, 
have been under process of being laid down ; but they have 
been laid down, and wisely too, for the extinguishment of 
fires; and although, to a considerable extent, they will no 
doubt be used for supplying the inhabitants of our city with 
water, yet this was not looked to as the main object; and 
our predecessors, in their report of 1837, doubted whether 
the iron would admit of being drilled to draw the water; 
but whether that be the fact or not, these pipes have not been 
laid down, to a very great extent, in the parts of the city 
where the water is most required, will be most sought after 
and most readily paid for. To elucidate our meaning, we 
beg to enumerate the streets designed to be piped, during 
the present year, and ordered, on the supposition (as appears 
by the report of the Committee of the Corporation) that the 
water would be at least partially introduced in 1841. Your 
ordinance of February, 1840, directing the laying down of 
pipes for the present year, is as follows: Doc. No. 72. 
712 
" Broadway, from Thirteenth to Twenty-first street; Third 
avenue, from Thirteenth to Twenty-eighth street; Greene, 
from Canal to Amity street; Sullivan, from Canal to Amity 
street; Greenwich, from Charles street to the Ninth avenue ; 
Ninth avenue, to Twenty-first street; Second street, from the 
Bowery to avenue A; avenue D, from Houston to Tenth 
street; Ninth street, from the Third to the Second avenue ; 
Second avenue, from Ninth street to Houston street; Chap- 
pel, from Chambers to Canal street; Laurens, from Canal to 
Amity street; Allen, from Grand street to the First avenue; 
up the First avenue to Fourteenth street; Attorney, from 
Grand to Houston street; through Houston street to intersect 
the line of pipes at the corner of avenue D and Columbia 
street." 
Now it will be perceived, by reference to the reports of the 
Board of Assistant Aidermen, in February last, when the sub- 
ject of laying down pipes for the ensuing year was under 
consideration, and when the above streets were adopted as 
the proper streets to be piped, that not one word is said of 
these streets being occupied by a dense population, requiring 
the water, or of their being ready to pay for it. The fact ap- 
pears to be obvious, that the eleven miles of pipes, directed 
to be laid down during the present year, will be in the parts of 
the city having most of the good water, and which even sup- 
plies, to a considerable extent, the rest of the city; and that 
on many of the said streets there is but a sparce population, 
who would probably not purchase the water. This is cer- 
tainly the case in the Third avenue, up to Twenty-eighth 
street; in the Ninth avenue, up to Twenty-first street; and 
avenue A, up to Fourteenth street. If these pipes have been 
laid down for the extinguishment of fire, as we presume is 
the case, it but makes good our remark, that but little or 
nothing has been done with a view to revenue from the dis- 
posal of this water. If this motive had at all governed your 
Honorable Bodies, you would not, for instance, have left 
the dense population on all the north side of the town, from 713 
Doc. No. 72. 
the Battery to Greenwich, below Hudson street (and with 
hardly a well of drinkable water) up to this time, without a 
pipe laid down to furnish them water, when it may be intro- 
duced from abroad. The like remark might be made as to 
the east side of the lower part of the city, and also apply to 
the lower part of the city generally. For although the 
dense part of the city has either every third or fourth street 
(parallel or across the Island) been supplied with pipes; yet 
these, if suited for the supply of families, would yet leave, it 
is supposed, nine-tenths of the population, who would be 
glad to take the water, unsupplied with pipes to conduct it. 
This deficiency becomes more important as but a limited 
supply of pipes can be cast and procured in any one year, 
and for this purpose the order must be given the year be- 
forehand. 
We respectfully remark, that our citizens must soon be 
taxed, to provide for the large amount of interest annually 
to become due on the cost of this work (increased by accu- 
mulated interest during its progress) or some department 
must, with industry and economy, carry on this business of 
laying down the distributing pipes in those parts of the city, 
and those, at present, only, which require, and are ready, to 
take and pay for the water, and by this means liquidate the 
interest which from time to time will become due. 
If we urge this subject earnestly, it is from the wish to 
have the Croton Water Works made to support itself, and 
provide for the interest which will be accruing on its cost 
at its completion ; but it is respectfully submitted, whether 
it would not be preferable hereafter for the city to provide for 
the interest accruing during the construction of the work, 
rather than to take for such purpose the monies intended for 
its construction. 
In connection with this subject we beg leave further to sug- 
gest, whether it would not be expedient to lay a tax, or as- 
sessment, on each lot, fronting on which these distributing 
pipes are or shall be laid. Could our citizens object to pay Doc. No. 72/ 
714 
for, say 12| feet of pipe, to which their connecting or service 
pipe is to be attached ? This would amount to about $30 
per lot, and we think it would not be an onerous tax on the 
owner of the lot. The owners of the lots who petitioned 
first to have the pipes laid down, under this plan, might be 
first accommodated. It would settle all questions as to 
where the pipes should be first laid. The tax, or assess- 
ment, would reduce the water debt a million and one-half 
of dollars. 
We respectfully ask, whether, as it regards the part of the 
pipes now in process of being laid down, and contemplated 
to be used to supply the dwellings of citizens with water, it 
would not be expedient to lay down the cross service pipes, 
which come under the pavement, so as to prevent the pave- 
ment from being again broken up. 
There is also one subject certainly worthy of considera- 
tion, connected with these distributing pipes. The Man- 
hattan Company have already laid down about 14 or 15 
miles of pipes; these will be unproductive to that company 
when the Croton water is introduced into the city. They 
now present obstruction, to some extent, in laying down the 
Croton pipes. Is it not expedient to possess all the informa- 
tion, in relation to these pipes, that can be procured, so as 
to form an opinion if they can be used by the city for the 
purpose of distributing the Croton water; and what conside- 
ration, if any, would be charged the Corporation for the 
same ; provided the Corporation undertook to do the duty of 
distributing the water, which the Manhattan Company are 
by law bound to do, and which was the bonus, or conside- 
ration for their Bank Charter. 
We have said that the work should be done with economy, 
and this is certainly necessary, to prevent taxation for the 
interest and cost of the Croton Water Works. It is believed 
that all the improvements of the city, carried on by days 
work, and by Committees of the immediate representatives 
of the people, will, of necessity, cost the city a much larger Doc. No. 72/ 
716 
much more able to form an opinion, in relation thereto, than 
their successors will be enabled to do for some months to 
come. 
But whoever may perform the duties herein referred to, it 
appears to be highly desirable that the wishes of the Corpora- 
tion, whatever they may be, should be frequently and fully 
communicated to the Board of Water Commissioners,; so 
that by conference and union of the judgment of your Com- 
mittee, and whatever information this Board and their En- 
gineers may be supposed to possess, should be brought to 
bear on the subjects above referred to; and as the main and 
very arduous duties of the Fire and Water Committee of 
the Corporation relate principally to the extinguishment of 
fires, it is respectfully suggested whether a Special Commit- 
tee should not be appointed, having for its duties the consi- 
deration of the plans which the Water Commissioners might 
propose for supplying the dwelling houses, the shipping, 
manufactories, and cleaning the streets and sewers, and espe- 
cially the subject of revenue to be derived from the sale of 
this water. 
In conclusion, the undersigned respectfully submit these 
remarks, in the hope that they may be useful, and that they 
will be received in the same spirit they are communicated. 
All of which is respectfully submitted. 
SAMUEL STEVENS, 
ZEBEDEE RING, 
JOHN D. WARD, 
BENJAMIN BIRDSALL, 
SAMUEL N. CHILDS, 
Water 
Commis- 
sioners.. 715 
Doc. No. 72. 
amount than if done by contract, and directed and executed 
by departments. 
By contract our predecessors have done almost all the work 
executed on the aqueduct, and in the same manner we re- 
spectfully urge that the distributing pipes be laid down. 
We have gone the more fully into this subject, because it 
appears that our predecessors, who brought much honesty of 
motive, industry and attention to the subject of their charge, 
and to whom the city on these accounts are largely their 
debtors, construed the law under which they acted, as termi- 
nating their duties at Murray's Hill; and it is understood 
they were disinclined, and did not think it expedient for the 
Board of Water Commissioners to take charge of the subject 
of this communication. 
In neither of these particulars do we agree with our pre- 
decessors ; but whatever doubts may have been entertained, 
as to the law under which they acted, there can be none as 
to the law of April, 1840, requiring that no item of expense 
shall be charged by the Corporation to this Water Fund, ex- 
cept it shall be approved by the Board of Water Commis- 
sioners. 
We disclaim wishing for ourselves, or for any object, 
(other than what we consider the interest of the city,) to 
bring this business into this department; and if the Corpo- 
ration think it expedient to appoint a separate department for 
the execution of the objects herein contemplated, we will 
furnish such supervision as will enable us to judge of the 
reasonableness of the plans, the economy of the execution, 
and the propriety of the " items" charged in relation to the 
same. 
We do not, in this communication, advert to other subjects 
connected with the great and highly interesting works under 
our charge; deeming it advisable to defer, for the present, 
all other subjects, in the hope that the present Boards will, 
before going out of office, act on the one which has led to 
this communication; as we consider the present Boards