1366
 

THE ICONOGRAPHY OF MANHATTAN ISLAND
 

1799         "I ara wdl aware it wlU be said that it is not intended to take

Apr. the waters imraediatdy from the coUect, but to dig one or more
19 large wdla in ita vicinity, this in ray opinion does not dter the
principle—for the Collect raust either be the source of tbe springs
in its neighborhood or the efiect ot them. ... It may possibly
happen that a large weU may be dug near the CoUect and give
400,000 gaUons of water per day and not exhaust the source. It
the eiperiment be made I shaU be glad to find it true—I am afraid,
however, that there Is not rauch rationd ground for the hope.

"You are placed in a very ddicate situation, the powera you
possess were sought for by the Corporation, but the Legialature
thot tbem better confided to you—your decision on tbe CoUect
wUl deterralne tbe propriety of the appointraent; or the deaths
of thousands of useful citizens may arraign their pen de soin."—
Com. Adv., Ap 19, 1799.
10         Samuel Osgood, John B, Coles, and John Stevens, haring been

appointed a comraittee "to report to the Corporation ot the
Manhattan Corapany the best mode of procuring a supply ot
Water from sources in the ricinity of the city, k the probable
eipence thereof" (aee Ap 11), advertise tbat tbey "wiU very grate¬
fully receive any information on this important subject, which
any ot thdr feUow-cllIzens may please to coramunicate to them,
more particularly with respect to a proper spot of ground for
digging a well, and the qudity of the water, and how many gaUons
might probably be obtained every 14 hours."—Greenleaf s N. Y.
Jour., My I, 1799.  See Ap 12.

21          A fire breaka out on the west side ot Washington St., between
Cortiandt and Dey Slips, and consumes the whole block eicept
three houses. A newspaper report adds: "Several buUdings at a
considerable distance from tbe conflagration, were frequently set
on fire from the flakes carried by the strong westerly wind—one
of them reached even to the steeple of St. Paul's Church; and in
a tew moments the base of the Northwest Urn was in a blaze.
One of the workraen employed about the Church was immediatdy
let down by a rope from one of the upper apertures, and cut it
away, when the fire was soon extinguished."—Com. Adv., Ap
22, 1799; Conn. CouranI, Ap 29, 1799. See also Rutherfurd,
Family Records and Events, 189. The loss hy the fire was estimated
at $200,000, The Hat ot the buildings destroyed was published
later; it included houses in Greenwich, Dey, Washington, and
Cordandt Sta, Thoae in Greenwich St, were "two degant three
etory houses, belonging to John Rogers, Eaq., one occupied by
Lady Temple [widow of the late Sir John Temple], the other by
Gov. Cranford."—Daily Adv., Ap 23, 1799.  See Ap 22.

22          The common council decides to eiercise its option, granted in
the Manhattan Company's charter (see Ap 1), ot subscribing tor
1,000 ehares of stock In the company. At the same meeting It
grants $799.67 to William Weston "for his Services k Eipences
in surveying k reporlE on suppiyS the City with Water."—M. C. C.
(1784-1831), H: 535-36, 537.

"          Christopher CoUes wntea to the committee of the Manhattan

Company: "Bdng willing to comply with your request, ot furnish¬
ing you with notes rdative to the Water Works, I herewith lay
before you such memorandums as I can recoUect, aod judge may
be neceasary, for your consideration.

"Tbe well which was sunk in the place which I pointed out to
you last Saturday, was thirty teet diameter, at the inside, and
about twenty-dght feet deep, below the surface ot the ground;
the soil towards the bottom waa a very fine tunning sand; I sunk
this wdl until I had eight teet water; . . . This Water would
raiae a lather vrith Soap, and would wash wdl: As to the quantity,
the Steam Engine (whicb we once worked for twenty-four hours
without intermission) threw out two hundred gdlons of Water,
fifty feet high in a minute. In about an hour after it was set a
going, it would lower the Water two feet; but by continuing pump¬
ing, we could not lower it another inch.

"The Steam Engine had a Cylinder, of twenty inchea diameter,
and seven feet long; the Pump waa eleven inches diameter, and
the stroke sii feel;—the Engine raade ten strokes in a minute,
witb a consumption ot three or tour loads of hickory wood, per day;
many of the present inhabitants have seen it working [see Mr i

"An idea has been proposed, ot sinking a weU, and erecting a
Reservoir in the area, opposite tbe BrideweU and Poor House. I
cannot think this an digible situation, as it is doubtful whether
 

the Water will be good, aa raoat of the adjoining WeUs are brackish;
the digging in this place raay also be ^lore difficult.

"A smaU raatter would sink a Well at Rutgers's; but the water
which would be supplied to a Machine of any considerable power
in thia place, might almost as wdl be taken out of the East River.
Moreover, there is no high ground convenient for the erection of
a suffident Reservoir,

"With respect to Bronx's River, there appears to rae many
difficulties, . . ." CoUes alao makea propoaala tor engineering
and superintending the eiecution of the work. He estimates the
total expenae aa £34,520, and if this should be the case, "expects
for hia services . . . dghteen dollars per week for subsistence;
and the sum of three thousand pounds at the completion of the
work."—Report of the Manhattan Committee (printed by John
Furman, N. Y., 1799), 17-23.  For WiUiara Weston's suggestions.

In response to the advertiseraent of the Manhattan Com¬
pany's coramittee (aee Ap 20), EUaa Ring aubmita a plan for securing
the water from tbe Collect. He urges that the reservoir be erected
in the "Park," and estimates the eipense of the undertaking as
§100,000.—Report of tke Manhattan Committee (printed by John
Furman, N. Y., 1799), 29-37.

Trinity vestry resolves that $150 be distributed "among tbe
Persons who were raost active in extinguishing the late Fire at
the Steeple ot St, Paul's Church" (see Ap 2i).~-Trin. Min. (MS.).

It dso orders "That St Marks Church be consecrated on Thurs¬
day tbe ninth Day of May neit" (q,v.).—Ibid.

The common council rejects a petition of Aleiander Larab,
keeper of the debtors' "goal," In which he pleads that provision be
made for lighting, white-washing, and cleansing the jail, which
has not been done since the removal of the criminals from this jaU
to the bridewdl. Alterations raade in the sheriff's department,
under acts ot the legislature, have so reduced thia keeper's fees
that he ia unable to provide lighting, whlte-waahing, and cleanaing.
He points out the consequent dangers to safety and health.—
From the original MS. in metal file No. 18, city clerk's record-roora,
Endosed with the petition ia a letter from one of the imprlaoned
debtors addressed to Mayor Varick, endorsing the petition; also
"An Estimate of the present annual Disbursements for the Goal
of the City k County of New York, so far as respects the lighting,
white washing k deansing tbe same," This araounts to S535.
See alao M. C, C. (1784-1831), II: 53&-37.

The coraraon councU appoints a coramittee to report needed
improvementa in the system of extinguiahing fires.—M. C, C.
(i;!4-i83i), II: 537.

The common council orders payment to Jos, Newton ot S58.10
"for removing k putting up the Portraits in the City HaU."—
M.C.C. (i784-i83i),n;  537-

WiUiam Weston, in a report to the comraittee of the Manhattan ;
Company, recommends that iron pipes be used for the mains to be
laid "from the Reservoir to the Government Houae," down Beek¬
man St., and down Wall St., because, although more expensive
than wooden ones, they would be permanent. He estimates that
the "total expence of the work to he done this year, including the
cleaning out ot the Purap-weU, rebuilding it, forraation of tbe
Reservoir, fencing round the ground occupied by the Company,
building Engine house, firat coat and eiecution of the Steara Engine,
cast iron Cylinders and wooden Pipes, laying the same, opening and
fiUing the tienches, turn-cocks and Fire Plugs, wheel-barrows,
planks, picks, shovds, shears, and other necessary materials, in¬
cluding contingendes ot all kinds, . . . will araount to not less
than the sum of £14,535 eidusive of the purchase of the ground
for the Reservoir, Steam Engine and Wdl."—Report of the Man¬
hattan Committee (printed by John Furman, N. Y., 1799), 12-17.

Aaron Burr, Wra. Laight, and John Watts (see Ap 19) adver- ;
tiae that "Subacriptions to one thousand shares of the capital stock
of this company, wiU be recdved at the office of the company, at
the tontme city tavern, on Monday the twenty-ninth instant, from
sii until eight o'dock in the forenoon,^ and thenceforth dally, until
one thousand shares shall be subscribed.' No person wiU be
allowed raore than five shares, and those who have not heretofore
subscribed wUI be given preference.—Com. Adv., Ap 27, 1799.

Nicholas Roosevdt writes to John B. Coles, SaraudOsgood, and    ;
John Stevens that he wUl undertake to build "a Steara Engine,
capable of raising two million gaUons ot water, in 24 hours, to tbe
height ot 50 feet, ...  at the price of 15,000 Dollars; and find