In the south east corner of Yorktown, is situated the great dam of theCroton Acqueduct, one of the most important and extensive works ever undertaken in this country. "The dam across the Croton, is placed where the river enters between the hills, after having passed for several miles through a more level country. The hill on the south side is composed of solid rock."t> The dam itself "is not of great length, but is one of the most ingenious works of substantial masonry any where to be found. The highest point of the structure is rather more than fifty feet above the natural bed of the Croton. By this elevation, the water is thrown back more than six miles, forming a beautiful lake of several hundred acres, containing about 100,000,000 gallons for each foot in depth for the surface. The water is drawn into the acqueduct by means of a tunnel cut into the rock, which constitutes the hill on the south side. At distances of one mile, a circular hollow tower is erected over the acqueduct, for the purpose of ventilation, these being composed of white marble, produce a very pretty effect. Every three miles is an

« Mr. Carpenter is a grandson of Richard Davenport, who held the property m 780. b Disturnell*s Gazetteer of N. Y.

396 *' HISTORY OF THE

apparatus for drawing off the water in case any internal repairs should be necessary," &c.*

" The whole quantity of land which the water commissioners have been compelled to buy on the forty miles of the works, amount to nine hundred acres, and the average price has been nearly five hundred dollars per acre."b