And in consequence, a report made by Alderman Samuel Stevens, in favor of the establishment of a well and reservoir in Fourteenth-street, whence water might be distributed, was accepted and acted upon. In that Report, Mr. Stevens says :

Various Institutions have been chartered for the purpose of bringing water into the city, but none have as yet evercomplied with the main object of their charter, so far as the public was interested and the Committee remark, that similar incorporations of ;

CROTON AQ.UEDUCT. 105

private individuals, whether they propose at their commencement to furnish pure and wholesome water, or pure and first quality gas, are soon found to have an eye only to the profits of their incorporations, and the public suffer under their monopolies. The water pipes of the Manhattan Company extend to such parts of the city, as they may deem advisable to put them, on the score of profit and the upper part of our city, ;

although not possessed of good water, have it, however, of a quality superior to that supplied by the Manhattan Company, and therefore they are unwilling, generally, to take the Manhattan water. The result is, that all that part of the city lying above Grandstreet on Broadway, or Pearl-street on the east side of the city, has not the use of the Manhattan water for the purpose of extinguishing fires. It has therefore become absolutely necessary for the Corporation, in some manner, to give to the upper part of the city, a supply of water for that purpose. The breadth of the island at Grand-street, is about two miles and does not mate- ;