fore.

[Illustration: View of Park Row, 1825.]

Destructive as the fire was, however, it called attention to the fact
that there was a woful lack of water in the city. Most of the water was
still supplied by the wells and springs which had been sufficient for
a small town, but were by no means so for a city of the present size. It
was now that the idea of bringing a large supply of water from without
the city was conceived. The plan was to build an artificial course, or
aqueduct, for water, from the Croton River, forty miles and more above
the city. Many thought that this was not possible, but then other
seemingly impossible things had been accomplished, so they pushed ahead
and commenced the building of this work. A dam was thrown across the
Croton River, forming a lake five miles long. The aqueduct extended from
this dam to the city. Sometimes it had to be cut through the solid rock;
sometimes it was continued underground by tunnel; sometimes over valleys
by embankments, until at last it reached the Harlem River where a stone
bridge, called the High Bridge, was built to support it. Through this
channel of solid masonry the water was brought into the city, and when
it reached the Island of Manhattan was distributed in pipes over the
entire city. This wonderful work cost $9,000,000, and took seven years
to build. When the water was first released from Croton River and flowed
into the new channel, rushing along for forty miles to the city, the
citizens rejoiced greatly. There was a celebration with parades and
illuminations.

[Illustration: High Bridge, Croton Aqueduct.]

It now looked as though there would be enough water to last no matter
how large the city should become, for there were now 95,000,000 gallons
a day available. But before another fifty years had passed there was a
cry for more water, But this time the people knew just what to do, and
another aqueduct was built from the Croton River. This one was carried
under the Harlem River instead of over it, supplying so much water that
it will doubtless be many a long year indeed before another will be
needed.

CHAPTER XXXIX

PROFESSOR MORSE and the TELEGRAPH

There lived in New York at this time a man whose name was Samuel F.B.
Morse. He was an artist and was interested in many branches of science.
He had founded the National Academy of Design and was Professor of the
Literature of the Arts of Design at the University of the City of New
York. This