Moreover, various eminent citizens, among whom was Alexander Hamilton, were skeptical as to the practicability of raising the money necessary for the Bronx enterprise as a public policy. The movement ended in the organization of the so-called k' Manhattan Company,'' in which the city vested the sole right of procuring and furnishing an additional water supply. This company was empowered to draw water from Westchester County, but it contented itself with sinking a large well in the city and distributing its contents to customers. The enlightened project of Dr. Brown and Mr. Weston was, indeed, laid on the shelf for thirty years, during which New York, despite its greatly growing population and wealth, complacently continued to satisfy itself with water from its own bowels. There were occasional recurrences to the Bronx conception, but they had no practical issue. At last, in 1829, the community was aroused to action by the appalling

HISTORY

WESTCHESTER

COUNTY

increase of destructive fires, mainly owing to the difficulty of obtaining water. During the preceding year the fire losses in the city had aggregated f 600,000. A committee of the fire department, made a searching examination of the merits of the old proposal to utilize the Bronx water, and submitted a favorable report, which was approved by the common council ; and the latter body, in January, 1832, applied to the legislature for authority to borrow |2,000,000, the sum estimated as necessary to accomplish the object resolved upon. But the legislature discreetly declined to sanction the raising of such an amount " until it should be satisfactorily ascertained that the object in view, both as to the quantity and quality of water, could A certain apprebe accomplished by the expenditure proposed." hension was felt that the supply obtainable from the Bronx might in time prove insufficient.