USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I > Part 149
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On February 11, 1857, a law was passed by the Leg- islature vesting the city absolutely in all the contracts, property and rights of the Nassau Water Company. Under this law the seven directors became a Board of Commissioners to construct the works, and organized as such Board on July 9th. The same officers and en- gineers were chosen.
By the fall of 1858, the pump well at East New York and the conduit to Baiseley's Pond had been completed, and the Ridgewood Reservoir was ready to receive water. A great part of the pipe distribution had been laid in the city, and the contractors, by using a small pumping engine, raised water into the reservoir. On the 4th of December the water was let into the inains, and first used on December 16, in extinguishing a fire
at corner of Myrtle avenue and Schenck street. The work east of Baiseley's Pond had been delayed, the chief engineer recommending the building of a brick conduit in place of the open canal provided for in the contract. The Board, recommending this change, sent a commu- nication to the Common Council, with estimates of the additional cost, but no attention was paid to it. By a law of April 16, 1859, the Water Commissioners were empowered to expend $500,000 more on the work. This was rendered necessary in order to extend the pipe dis- tribution, and to build a brick conduit instead of the open canal. On April 21, Daniel Van Voorhis resigned his position in the Board, and was succeeded by the Hon. Conklin Brush. On May 21, the Board accepted a proposal of Welles & Co. to change the open canal east of Baiseley's pond into a closed conduit at an addi- tional expense of $450,000.
The law of April 16th also provided for the appoint- ment of a Board of Permanent Water Commissioners to take charge of the works after completion.
On July 1st the constructing Board appointed William B. Lewis and Daniel L. Northrup as Permanent Water Commissioners, and the Mayor, and Common Council, shortly afterwards appointed Gamaliel King, and John H. Funk, thus completing the new Board according to the provisions of the law.
On November 10th, the transfer of all the works in use, with reservation of the right of access to the same for their completion under the contract, was made by the Board of Construction to the Permanent Board. The works were virtually completed by May 26, 1862, but the Constructing Board remained in existence till the pass- age of the act of May 11, 1865, one portion of the work -the extension of distribution-remaining under their control till that time. The work on distribution was performed by the engineers of the new Board, though it was necessary to have the extensions authorized by the old one. Mr. Kirkwood, the chief engineer, closed his connection with the Constructing Board on January 2, 1862. To his great energy, ability and integrity, the success of the Brooklyn Water Works is, to a great extent, due. To the Constructing Board the city of Brooklyn owes a debt which can never be paid. Without pay they devoted their time and energies, for several years of their lives, to the successful carrying out of this great undertaking. At times they worked un- der conditions of great embarrassment and perplexity.
The Common Councils of 1858 and 1859 did not seem to be disposed to favor the completion of the works. That of 1859 ordered an investigation, causing much annoyance to the chief engineer, but resulting in satis- fying the public, if not itself, that the work was being carried on in a proper manner.
The total expenditures by the Board of Water Com- missioners for Construction was $5,284,626.71.
The Permanent Board of Water Commissioners or- ganized with Gamaliel King, President, and D. L.
588
HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.
Northrup, Secretary, and appointed John S. Stoddard chief engineer. He held the position till 1862, and was succeeded by Moses Lane, who was first assistant engineer on construction, under J. P. Kirkwood.
Mr. W. B. Lewis was succeeded in 1862 by Peter G. Taylor, as Commissioner; and John H. Funk in 1864 by W. A. Fowler.
The Common Council, at its last meeting in 1865, authorized the Water Board to lay a new distributing main. As far back as July, 1862, James P. Kirkwood, chief engineer of the Constructing Board, sent a com- munication recommending the laying of this main, in order to insure a full head in the city, with the increas- ing consumption of water. A communication was sent by the Board to the Common Council, but no action was taken. The necessity of laying this main was urged by the Permanent Board in its annual reports to the Common Council, but the work was not commenced till 1866, and completed in 1869. It is 48 inches in diameter, and extends from the Ridgewood Reservoir to Court street, a distance of a little more than 63 miles. The cost was about $1,000,000.
From 1864 to the passage of the act of April 2, 1869, reorganizing the Board of Water and Sewerage Com- missioners, and placing under their charge the repav- ing, repairing and cleaning of streets, the Board con- sisted of Gamaliel King, President ; D. L. Northrup, Secretary ; Peter G. Taylor, and William A. Fowler. Under the new law, Messrs. W. A. Fowler, D. L. Northrup, Thomas Kinsella, and A. M. Bliss, were appointed Commissioners. On resignation of Thomas Kinsella, E. G. Lowber became Commissioner. In 1869, Moses Lane resigned the position of chief engineer, and was succeeded by Col. J. W. Adams.
The act of April 2, 1869, was amended in 1870, pro- viding for three, instead of four, Commissioners, and Messrs. Fowler, Lowber and Bliss held over till the passage of the act of April 28, 1872, creating the Board of City Works.
In December, 1867, authority was given to the Water Commissioners to contract for, and erect, a new pumping engine at the Ridgewood Engine House, The contract was given to Messrs. Hubbard & Whit- taker, of the Burden Iron Works, April 13th, 1867, for the sum of $129,750. The engine to be furnished with 5 boilers, and to have the same capacity (15,000,000 gallons in 24 hours), as the engines Nos. 1 and 2, at the engine house. The engine was completed, and in operation in the fall of 1869, and has given perfect satisfaction.
In May, 1869, a communication was sent to the Com- missioners by Col. J. W. Adams, Chief Engineer, calling attention to the increasing consumption of water, and the necessity of immediate action to obtain a larger supply by extending the works. James P. Kirkwood was employed as consulting engineer, and surveys were made in the fall of 1869. The engineers
reported, January 1st, 1870, recommending the con- struction of a storage reservoir in the valley of the Hempstead Stream, of an area of 231 acres, and a cap- acity of 1,055,000,000 gallons.
The plans were sent to the Common Council, and approved by resolution of December 12th, 1870. On February 18th, 1871, an act was passed by the Legis- lature, directing the Permanent Board of Water and Sewerage Commissioners, to construct the storage res- ervoir, at an expense not to exceed $1,400,000. The con- tract was given to the firm of Kingsley & Keeney, work was commenced in 1872, and the reservoir suffi- ciently near completion to furnish water to the city in 1874.
From its inception, great opposition was shown on the part of many citizens to the building of the storage reservoir. Charges of fraud were freely made against the commissioners, engineers, and contractors. Public meetings were held, investigating committees of the Common Council appointed, consulting engineers em- ployed, and charges preferred against W. A. Fowler, President of the Water Board, who was suspended, tried by the Common Council, and reinstated in his position.
Final payment for work done was refused the con- tractors, who commenced an action against the city, and by the decision of the referees, Hon. John A. Lott, Thos. H. Rodman, and George H. Fisher, August 4th, 1877, recovered the full amount due under their contract. Some $168,000 of the sum awarded could not be paid the contractors, except by an act of the Legislature, as the fund, $1,400,000, authorized to be expended by the city, had been exhausted. This amount has not been paid to Kingsley & Keeney to the present day.
Under the act of April 28th, 1872-already men- tioncd-creating the Board of City Works and the amended charter of 1873, by which the name of this branch of the city government was changed to the Department of City Works, Messrs. Lorin Palmer, R. M. Whiting and W. A. Fowler became Com- missioners. Lorin Palmer remained commissioner till July 2d, 1875, and was succeeded by Gen. J. B. Woodward. R. M. Whiting was succeeded by Thomas W. Adams, May 12th, 1875; and W. A. Fowler by John W. Flaherty, May, 1877. Gen. Woodward resigned December 3rd, 1875, and Gen. H. W. Slocum was appointed in January, 1876. Thomas W. Adams held the position till November 3rd, 1877, when George C. Bennett was appointed. Gen. Slocum re- signed January 30th, 1878, and was succeeded by F. S. Massey.
Messrs. Flaherty and Bennett were charged with malfeasance in office, tried, found guilty and removed May 16th, 1878, and succeeded by W. H. Hazzard and Jacob Worth. The decision under which Messrs. Flaherty and Bennett were removed from office was afterwards reversed by the Supreme Court.
589
DEPARTMENT OF CITY WORKS.
On June 16th, 1880, an aet was passed, ereating " single heads " to most of the departments of the City Government, under which John Freneh was appointed commissioner, and was succeeded, Feb. 8, 1882, by Rip- ley Ropes, who holds the position at the present time.
Col. J. W. Adams, who succeeded Moses Lane as Chief Engineer in 1869, held the position till 1877, when he resigned, and Robert Van Buren was appointed in his place. Robert Van Buren resigned in 1879, and Col. J. W. Adams was re-appointed, holding the posi- tion till 1880, when Mr. Van Buren again succeeded him. This important offiee, with its manifold and arduous duties, is ably filled by Mr. Van Buren at the present date.
In 1880, it was found that, owing to the extreme drought, great danger of a seareity of water was to be apprehended. To protect the city, it was determined to sink wells, 50 feet in diameter, with a depth of water of about 20 feet, at Springfield and Watts ponds, and to remove the muek and vegetation from these ponds. Watts pond is situated near the village of Valley Stream; and Springfield pond, a short distance from the village of Springfield. The ponds were purchased and thoroughly eleaned, wells sunk, and engine houses, en- gines, boilers, &e., ereeted in the Fall of the year. The water was pumped through a foree-main into the con- duit, inereasing the daily supply to the eity some 5,000,- 000 gallons. These works, deriving their water from a drainage area never before utilized by the eity, have proved of very great value. The cost of this addition was about $100,000.
In 1872, pumping machinery was ereeted at Smith's pond, near the village of Roekville Centre, for the pur- pose of saving to the eity a portion of the water which was necessarily allowed to run to waste on account of the construction of the storage reservoir. Early in 1878, Smith's pond was thoroughly eleaned, a very large amount of muek and vegetable matter being re- moved. In 1881, a well, 50 feet in diameter, was sunk at this place. A minimum daily supply of about 4,000,000 gallons is now obtained from this pond.
On August 2d, 1882, a contraet was entered into with the Davidson Steam Pump Company of Brooklyn, for two pairs of compound condensing engines, to be in operation at the Ridgewood Engine House by August 1, 1883, and to deliver 15,000,000 gallons of water into the Ridgewood Reservoir each 24 hours. The ereetion of these engines had been rendered necessary by the greatly inereased consumption of water. During the months of maximum consumption (the winter and sum- mer), it has become necessary to run the three engines at the Ridgewood Engine House almost continually. This ean only be done with great danger to the eity; for a serious accident to one of the engines would ne- eessitate a short supply of water. The contraet also ineludes a new engine-house, chimney, and eight boilers. The work is far advaneed.
Between the Ridgewood Engine House and Baise- ley's pond, a distance of about 4,8% miles, is located a large extent of drainage area, from which the eity, in the past, has obtained no water. In 1882, proposals of plans were advertised for, to furnish water from this seetion. Several parties presented plans, and a contraet was entered into with Andrews & Co. to ereet works of a capacity of 5,000,000 gallons per day, which amount of water they have guaranteed to furnish the eity daily for one year.
The works are now completed and in sueeessful opera- tion, but have not been accepted by the eity, as the time of probation has not passed. They have located two stations north of, and elose to, the main conduit, one at Spring Creek, about one mile north of the Ridgewood Engine House, and the other at a point about half a mile west of Jamaica Creek. They have ereeted at each of these stations an engine house, two engines, each of a capacity of 2,500,000 gallons pumped into the conduit in 24 hours, boilers, chimney, &e. They have driven at each station a gang of "driven wells," consisting of 100 2-inch iron tubes, from 40 to 100 feet into the ground, through the water-bearing strata. These tubes are in two parallel rows, about 15 feet apart; and each tube is connected at its top, by a eross pipe, with a 12-ineh pipe, which runs between and par- allel with the rows. Midway between the ends of the rows of wells the engines are connected by a suction pipe with the 12-ineh pipe, and when in operation draw water from all the wells at onee. This novel and in- genious way of obtaining water from the earth must prove of very great value in furnishing a water supply to eities and towns, in many seetions of the country. where the geologieal formation is of a proper character.
For a number of years, great difficulty has been found in furnishing a sufficient supply of water to the Eastern Distriet of the eity. This has been owing to the main pipe not being large enough to carry the needed quantity of water. This year, pipe has been purchased and a contraet entered into with Mr. J. P. Cranford, to lay a 36-ineh main. The work will be completed this fall, or possibly next spring.
The minimum daily supply of water furnished the eity by the works, as built by the Construeting Board, was 20,000,000 gallons; the additions which have sinee been made, including the contract of Andrews & Co., have increased the supply to 38,000,000 gallons ; still the great growth of the eity in population and manu- factures, demands that much more water shall be ob- tained. On several occasions, during the past four years, the City has been on the verge of a water-famine; and it has only been by eolleeting the water on such portions of the drainage area, within the lines of the original works, as had not already been utilized, that such a calamity has been avoided. To obtain the in- ereased supply which the eity requires, necessitates the extension of the conduit to the eastward and the taking
590
HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.
in of more streams. For this extension, a party is now in the field making surveys and preparing plans.
Summary of Statistics of Brooklyn's Water Supply .- The total cost of the Brooklyn Water Works up to May 30, 1883, has been $11,743,393 22.
The original works, as built by the Constructing Board, were as follows:
SUPPLY PONDS.
Water Area.
Capacity of delivery per day at the lowest stage of their waters.
Aeres.
Gallons.
Baiseley's Pond
40
3,275,898
Simonson's Pond.
8.75
2,000,763
Clear Stream Pond
1.07
784,750
Valley Stream Pond
7.78
2,541,335
Pine's Pond. .
8
2,760,847
Hempstead Pond.
23.52
8,239,947
19,603.539
The Main Conduit .- Length, 12.39 miles ; capacity with 5 feet depth of water near Jamaica Creek, 47,000,- 000 gallons in 24 hours.
The Branch Conduits .- Length, 2.23 miles.
The Ridgewood Engine House, and two pumping en- gines (Nos. 1 and 2) and 36-inch force mains; capacity of each engine, 15,000,000 gallons into the Ridgewood Reservoir every 24 hours.
The Ridgewood Reservoir .- Water area, 25.58 acres; capacity, 161,000,000 gallons.
The Prospect Hill Engine House .- 1 engine ; ca- pacity of engine, 3,750,000 gallons into the Prospect Hill Reservoir every 24 hours.
The 36-inch Pipe Main and Distribution Pipe in the City .- Total length, 126.916 miles, with 800 fire hy- drants. The works that have since been added are:
The Storage Reservoir .- Water area, 258 acres ; ca- pacity, 1,000,000,000 gallons (constructed to supply the city with 10,000,000 gallons per diem for 100 days.
Smith's Pond, Pumping Station and Well .- Area of pond, 24 acres; capacity of two engines, 6,000,000 gal- lons into conduit in 24 hours; diameter of well, 50 feet; supply, 4,000,000 gallons in 24 hours.
Watts' Pond, Pumping Station and Well .- Area of pond, 8 acres; capacity of two engines, 4,000,000 gal- lons into conduit in 24 hours; diameter of well, 50 feet; supply, 2,000,000 gallons in 24 hours.
Springfield Pond, Pumping Station and Well .- Area of pond, 12 acres ; capacity of two engincs, 7,000,000 gallons into Reservoir in 24 hours ; diameter of well, 50 feet ; supply, 3,000,000 gallons in 24 hours.
Baiseley's Pumping Station .- 100 driven wells ; ca- pacity of two engines, 5,000,000 gallons into conduit in 24 hours; supply, 2,500,000 gallons in 24 hours.
Spring Creek Pumping Station .- 100 driven wells ; capacity of two engines, 5,000,000 gallons into conduit in 24 hours; supply, 2,500,000 gallons in 24 hours.
Two Pumping Engines (Nos. 3 and 4), with 36-inch Force Mains at the Ridgewood Engine House; capacity of each engine, 15,000,000 gallons into the Ridgewood Reservoir every 24 hours.
The 48-inch Pipe Main and Distributing Pipe in the City .- Total length, 231.106 miles, with 2,170 hy- drants.
YEARS.
Average daily eon- sumption of water miles of water- in gallons.
pipe laid.
Average No. of Taps in use.
Annual Re- ceipts from Water Rates.
1859.
1860.
3,292,890
136.598
9,302
256,400.49
1861
4,064,123
145.552
12,856
239,355.52
1862
5,021,250
157.482
15,105
303,295.93
1863.
6,490,750
165.622
17,145
362,749.80
1864.
7,932,850
171.742
18,935
386,416.08
1865
9,233,350
176.794
0,382
419,106.32
1866.
10,905,450
183.798
22,244
462,619.04
1867
12,348,100
199.583
24,888
528,537.83
1868
15,710,700
213.929
28,183
617,986.32
1869.
17,630,400
237.729
32,097
582,656.05
1870
18.682,219
258.489
35,930
642,769.36
1871
19,353,689
277.854
39,760
884,580.14
1872.
22,711,751
290.765
42,906
971,414.98
1873.
24 895,955
308.764
45,876
931,821.56
1874.
24,772,467
322.800
49,791
910,884,07
1875
27,170,949
327.535
51,102
895,202.71
1876
28,104,514
332.035
53,083
887,333,43
1877.
30,342,912
338.324
54,879
900,967.31
1878.
30,500,871
343.391
56,685
995,205.27
1879.
32,912,149
347.735
58,293
940,631.09
1880.
30,744,591
351.723
59,880
977,703.30
1881.
32,731,499
354.960
60,568
814,256.56
1882.
34,616,831
358.023
62,286
951,189.30
VAN BRUNT BERGEN, C. E., (compiler of the preceding His- tory of the Water and Sewerage System of Brooklyn), son of the late Hon. Tunis G. Bergen; born at Bay Ridge, L. I., in 1841 ; graduated at the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute in 1859 ; in 1860, entered the Renesslaer Polytechnic Institute at Troy, N. Y., graduating in 1863, with the degree of Civil Engineer ; in 1864, was appointed rodman on the Brooklyn Water Works; in 1865, was made Assistant En- gineer in charge of constructing a district of sewers; in 1866, '67 and '68, Assistant Engineer in charge of laying the 48- inch water main from the Ridgewood Reservoir to the corner of Clinton and Atlantic streets ; also in 1868, made surveys and estimates for the enlargement of the Ridgewood Re- servoir; in the early part of 1869, Assistant Engineer in charge of laying 36-inch force main from Ridgewood Engine House
to Ridgewood Reservoir; in the latter part of 1869, and in 1870, in charge of surveys for increasing the daily supply of water to the city from 20 to 30,000,000 gallons, (made surveys and estimates for the Storage Reservoir in the valley of the Hempstead stream, and for an extension of the conduit from Rockville Center to East Meadow Brook, near Freeport); in 1871 and '72, in charge of the Water Purveyor's Department of the City of Brooklyn ; from 1873 to the latter part of 1883, First Assistant Engineer in charge of the construction and maintainance of all works connected with the supply of water to the city, and also of the repavement of streets ; and at present, First Assistant Engineer in charge of all work in the Engineers' Bureau of the Department of City Works. Mr. Bergen is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
1
123.916
$133.733.33
The Prospect Hill Reservoir .- Water arca, 8 acres ; capacity, 20,000,000 gallons.
Total No. of
Nom of Hazzard
591
DEPARTMENT OF CITY WORKS.
WILLIAM H. HAZZARD .- It is interesting to study the life of a man who has become prominent in any honorable call- ing, and to trace the growth of his natural bent, from its first appearance, on through the varying phases of his career. until it has surmounted all obstacles and brought him to success.
William H. Hazzard was, hy nature, an artificer, mani- festing a taste for building in his early years, though sur- rounded hy circumstances unfavorable to his favorite pur- suit. Born April 8, 1823, the son of Stephen H. and Mary, on a farm six miles from Lewis, in Sussex county, Delaware, he was one of a large family, and orphaned when eight years of age hy the death of his father. He continued to live on a farm until he was thirteen, acquiring a stock of health and strength which has been of greatest service in his later life ; while his observation and judgment hroadened under his boyhood's experiences. He then removed to Philadelphia, where there was opportunity to gratify his taste for a mechan- ical calling; he, therefore, apprenticed himself to learn the huilder's trade. A proficient at twenty-one, he sought the larger opportunities that New York afforded; and in Febru- ary, 1847, he became a resident of Brooklyn. In those days the city limits on the east did not extend much beyond the old City Hall, whose foundations were then rising, and Holy Trinity Church was in course of erection. Mr. Hazzard soon entered upon his career as builder, which proved to he long, husy, and prosperous. He early ohtained a reputation for unflinching integrity, energy, enterprise, and fair dealing, that made him a favorite and successful contractor. He huilt many of the large stores along the East River, among them the Fulton, Watson and Harbeck's, Columbia, Ward's, the New York Warehousing Company's, the German Ameri- can, and others. His greatest achievement in this line, which alone would place him in the front rank of builders, was the erection, in 1880, of Dow's Stores, the largest grain stores in this country or the world, having a capacity of two and a half million bushels. The huildings cover a space of . one hundred feet front by twelve hundred in depth, with a height of eighty-five feet, and are surmounted hy three great towers as much higher. This immense work presented a number of difficult problems in its construction, which the huilder's skill wrought out satisfactorily. But Mr. Hazzard's
reputation does not rest upon these large works alone. His services have been in demand for the erection of some of the finest dwellings in the city, notably that of Mr. H. B. Claflin, in Pierrepont street, hesides others on the Heights and on the Hill ; also an elegant house in New York at Fifth avenue and Sixty-ninth street. Another of his large works was the erection of the Brighton Beach Hotel in 1878, in the space of eighty-eight days, and the large addition subse- quently made in sixty-six days.
With the lapse of years, the increase of his business de- manded the assistance of his son, whom he associated as his partner, and the firm of William Hazzard & Son is one of the heaviest in their line. His last work in the way of build- ing was in connection with the New York Produce Ex- change ; the huilding committee invited him to superintend the laying of the foundations for that immense edifice, which he placed. after his own plans, with excellent results and entire satisfaction.
In his husy life he has found no time for the pursuit of politics, even had his liking been in that direction; but, in 1862, was prevailed on to accept the nomination for Super- visor hy those who knew his ahility, worth, and integrity ; was elected and held the office two terms. In 1879, without his knowledge, he was nominated to the Board of Public Works, and confirmed ; his appointment gave to that body a well qualified, efficient, trustworthy member. Soon after, the Board was legislated out of existence, with pay for the unexpired term ; which Mr. Hazzard, with characteristic honesty and sense of justice as rare as praiseworthy, turned over to the city sinking fund. In 1882 he was elected Presi- dent of the Brooklyn City Railroad Company, taking the position July 1st, since which time he has continued to dis- charge the exacting duties that devolve upon the executive head of Brooklyn's largest railroad corporation.
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