Original subtitles

Narrator: Hidden tunnels stretching To infinity

That allowed an american city To survive.

At the time, it was the most Expensive construction project

In the whole of the u.S.

Narrator: a sunken wreck, Which met a gruesome end,

Is reclaimed by the sea...

It's as if there's something Specific about this area

Which makes it lethal For shipping.

Which makes it lethal For shipping.

Narrator: And a concrete dome, bruised And battered, hides its secrets.

We have no idea how close We came to losing the war,

And this is testament To that fact.

Narrator: once, they were some Of the most advanced structures

And facilities on the planet,

At the cutting edge Of design and construction.

Today, they stand abandoned, Contaminated,

And sometimes deadly.

And sometimes deadly.

But who built them? And how?

And why were they abandoned?

-- captions by vitac -- Www.Vitac.Com

Captions paid for by Discovery communications

*

*

Narrator: From deep within a forest In northern france,

A concrete structure emerges.

A concrete structure emerges.

*

Selwood: It's an extraordinary sight.

There's a vast concrete dome Nestling in the green farmlands.

This place is total Science fiction.

Look at it. There's nothing else like it,

Look at it. There's nothing else like it,

And this, the shape of it Is just peculiar.

Did something plug into that?

It's just a strange-looking Edifice, really.

Meigs: What you see from outside is, There's some sort of entrance.

It looks like something That you would see

Maybe in a james bond movie, Some, you know, villain's lair.

Narrator: Hidden beneath the exterior, Dark, cavernous halls

Narrator: Hidden beneath the exterior, Dark, cavernous halls

Carved out of the rock burrow Deep into the ground.

Miles of tunnels leading in Every direction

Disappear into darkness.

Selwood: The great steel structures Underground

Supporting this facility says Something of incredible value

Was happening here, But what was it?

Nobody else had anything Like this.

These guys were at least 20 years ahead of their time.

These guys were at least 20 years ahead of their time.

Narrator: Who built this sunken structure,

And what has happened To cause such devastation?

The answer lies in the reversal Of hitler's fortunes

During the second world war.

The nazis suffered crushing Defeats on several fronts.

As the tides started to turn Against the nazis in 1943,

As the tides started to turn Against the nazis in 1943,

Hitler turned to his great New toy box

Of wunderwaffe, Wonder weapons.

Meigs: they wanted to do Something spectacular,

Something that would knock

The allies kind of back On their heels.

They were desperate for Some kind of dramatic,

Knockout punch.

Narrator: But allied bombers were doing Significant damage

To hitler's Industrial facilities.

Selwood: So he takes the decision to move The most important ones

Underground where they're built In subterranean factories.

Narrator: This is one of those factories Just outside

Pas-de-calais In northern france.

It had to be able to withstand The most intensive bombardment.

This building would've been A source of national pride.

This building would've been A source of national pride.

This is the complex that was Going to win them the war.

Narrator: Construction started in September 1943.

1,300 workers Labored day and night.

It was a massive undertaking,

As historian Laurent thierry explains.

The idea was to start With the roof

To protect the underground Galleries from bombings

So that they could install A launch-preparation room

Deep down.

The galleries were To accommodate

All the required items For this site --

Garrison, power generation, And air distribution.

Narrator: it was like A mini underground town,

The ultimate futuristic Weapon-development center.

It was where they would build Hitler's new wonder weapon,

It was where they would build Hitler's new wonder weapon,

But what was it?

These were something That had never been seen before.

They came supersonically with No sound and exploded in cities.

They took only 5 minutes From launch to impact.

This was a whole new kind Of warfare.

Narrator: This is la coupole, the nazis' Prized v-2 missile-launch site,

Narrator: This is la coupole, the nazis' Prized v-2 missile-launch site,

Code-named Bauvorhaben einundzwanzig.

It would produce and fire Long-range

Combat ballistic missiles,

Which could hit targets More than 200 miles away.

*

So this, it's a bomb shelter For bombs.

This is 55,000 tons Of concrete, 15-feet deep.

This is 55,000 tons Of concrete, 15-feet deep.

Just below me here is where The rockets were to be launched.

Narrator: much of the Development was top secret,

But what we do know is that

Once the missiles Were assembled inside,

They would be transported out To the launch pad and fired.

*

The v-2 rocket was basically Designed to instill terror

The v-2 rocket was basically Designed to instill terror

In the populations Of anywhere it hit.

Flies high up, practically to The edge of space,

And then comes screaming Back down faster

Than the speed of sound, No advanced warning,

And it delivers This massive explosive charge.

Narrator: So why was it important to the Nazis to build this site here?

La coupole was just 28 miles From the coast

La coupole was just 28 miles From the coast

Of northern france And the perfect location

To target england's capital -- London.

Hitler wanted the la coupole Facility

To be able to send V-2 rockets against london

At a rate of dozens a day.

This meant a site that could Store hundreds of rockets

And produce them Around the clock.

Narrator: all the components Of the missile would be stored

In a vast network Of underground tunnels,

In a vast network Of underground tunnels,

Ready to be assembled At the heart of the operation.

The construction zone is built On a vertical hierarchy

So that at every level There would be specialists

Adding additional elements

To the v-2 as it went through The construction process.

Narrator: But the nazi war machine hadn't Been completely successful

In concealing la coupole, And in march 1944,

In concealing la coupole, And in march 1944,

The first allied bombs rained Down on the concrete dome.

Would the concrete dome be Able to withstand the onslaught?

Narrator: In early 1944, allied planes Are trying to bomb

La coupole to oblivion.

Before it was able to launch A single missile,

It was the allies' turn to bring Out their superweapon --

An earthquake bomb Called "Tallboy."

Each tallboy bomb Weighed 12,000 pounds.

They were particularly effective Against massive

And hardened structures

Against which conventional Bombing was useless.

There would be a total of about 20 raids on the site

Until july 1944.

The british would drop 3,000 Tons of bombs onto the site,

Including 32 tallboy bombs During two operations.

Including 32 tallboy bombs During two operations.

Narrator: One landed just beside the dome

And buried the entrance To two of the tunnels.

All construction stopped,

And the site Was never completed.

La coupole was finally abandoned At the end of july 1944.

Today, the site is a ruin.

Gough: we have no idea how close We came to losing the war,

And this is testament To that fact.

If the germans had another year, This would've been complete,

Would have been pumping out 50 missiles a day.

Don't forget the u.K. Is 5 minutes away.

Fortunately for us, Time was not on their side.

Narrator: twenty-five miles From germany's capital,

Berlin, lies a building That looks almost palatial.

Berlin, lies a building That looks almost palatial.

*

Nusbacher: There are so few places In europe

That seem to still have the dust Lying on them in thick layers,

So few places where you Can see untouched history.

Narrator: it seems to be Perfectly preserved

Narrator: it seems to be Perfectly preserved

Until you take a closer look.

Gough: Plaster is peeling from walls.

There's a overriding air Of neglect

That just permeates the place.

Narrator: mummified animals Stretch out on the carpet,

Their final resting place, Their faces a rictus of death.

Everywhere is the sense Of quiet despair.

Everywhere is the sense Of quiet despair.

There's a theater,

The seats turned expectantly To an empty stage

And a swimming pool Long empty of water.

And that's not all.

In one of the rooms, There's a painted mural

With writing...

In russian.

In russian.

Gough: there's a statue of The former communist leader,

Lenin, standing defiantly In front of the building,

But this is germany.

What is the connection With the soviet union?

Nearby are several Smaller buildings,

Which are even More dilapidated.

The remaining window panes Are smeared with grime,

And vegetation is growing Through cracks in the floor,

And there's massive Gaping holes in the ceiling.

And there's massive Gaping holes in the ceiling.

It looks as though something Terrible may have happened here.

Nusbacher: You have to ask yourself,

"What happened To the kind of power

That can create So much impact

So recently and to have Disappeared so completely?"

Narrator: Who lived in these buildings?

What were they used for? And how is it connected

What were they used for? And how is it connected

To a covert Spying operation by the c.I.A.?

The answer lies in the hostility

That existed between the east And west during the cold war.

After the second world war, We, the allies, were determined

That we would Never allow germany

To threaten the world again,

And so we divided germany up, And we occupied it.

And so we divided germany up, And we occupied it.

Narrator: West germany was occupied By the americans, the british

And the french, and east germany By the soviet union,

Which began to fortify Its border with the west.

Gough: political and ideological Tensions soon escalated

Between the soviet union And the west,

And east germany Is on the fault line.

It was the iron curtain.

Narrator: But how is that connected To a destroyed ruin

Just outside berlin?

*

Narrator: In the late 1940s,

Tensions are escalating between The soviet union and the west.

Given its strategic importance, The soviet union needed

To maintain a military presence Here in east germany.

Firstly, to ensure there was An effective fighting force

Capable of taking on n.A.T.O. And secondly to ensure

Capable of taking on n.A.T.O. And secondly to ensure

That east germany towed The moscow party line.

Television announcer: Powerful and highly mobile Communist forces

In eastern europe number Over half a million men.

Well trained and well equipped,

They pose a continuing security Threat to all of europe.

Narrator: 350,000 of those troops were Stationed here in east germany.

The western group of forces, As it became known,

Was the largest army On foreign soil.

Was the largest army On foreign soil.

Corum: It was equipped with the latest Of the soviet military equipment

Because if things got down and Dirty and it came to conflict,

These extremely Well-equipped troops

Would be the ones To confront n.A.T.O.

Narrator: It's hard to imagine now,

But this was once The red army headquarters,

But this was once The red army headquarters,

The command and control center

For all operations In east germany and beyond.

But why build here at wunsdorf,

A small town 25 miles from berlin?

The town has been associated With the military

Since the late 19th century.

When the nazis came to power,

Wunsdorf was headquarters For the german armed forces.

Wunsdorf was headquarters For the german armed forces.

And once the war ended, The red army

Moved in as caretaker Jurgen naumann explains.

The military properties of The former vermont

Were still in superb condition.

You didn't have to build new,

You just had to move in, Make some modifications,

And I guess that's why here, Near potsdam, near berlin,

And I guess that's why here, Near potsdam, near berlin,

The high command was stationed.

Narrator: According to top-secret c.I.A. Reports,

It was where indoctrinated German officers

Would come On political assignments,

And high-ranking soviet officers

Discussed the probability of war With the west.

But how effective would they be At stamping out

Dissent closer to home?

There was a strike By construction workers

In east berlin,

Which turned into a widespread Revolt against the government,

But the soviets couldn't Allow their authority

To be undermined, So they send in the tanks.

Corum: people with rocks aren't Very effective against tanks,

And of course, the east German resistance is crushed.

Now they know they're living In a totalitarian state.

Now they know they're living In a totalitarian state.

The red army was in germany To control germans

And confront the west.

When those germans got Out of line,

The red army did not hesitate To destroy them.

Narrator: but if this were a Military headquarters,

Why are there so many Non-military facilities?

It wasn't just the armed forces Who lived there

It wasn't just the armed forces Who lived there

But their families, as well.

In the main building, there were Exhibitions, memorial rooms.

There were small cinema rooms

Where propaganda films Were shown,

A lot of history About the second world war,

In particular, About the glorious soviet army.

*

Nusbacher: The red army officers and their Families who served in germany

Were able to enjoy A high standard of life

Were able to enjoy A high standard of life

That was a lot like What they would have back

In the soviet union But even better.

Narrator: To the 75,000 men, women, And children who lived here,

It was little moscow.

For over 40 years, This was home to the soviets.

So why was it abandoned And left to rot?

*

Narrator: on november 9, 1989, The berlin wall fell,

And east germany was no longer Willing to put up

With an occupying army On its soil.

Nusbacher: The huge soviet infrastructure In east germany

Was enormously expensive To maintain,

And as the soviet state Collapsed at home,

And as the soviet state Collapsed at home,

The soviet presence in germany Had to be pulled back.

Narrator: It was only a matter of time Before the russian soldiers

Would be called back home.

And after a final military Parade on june 25, 1994,

The red army left for good.

Today, the red army headquarters Stands as a monument

Today, the red army headquarters Stands as a monument

To a fallen regime And is currently up for sale.

For so many years,

Germany was about to be Destroyed by a great cataclysm,

And the scars of that On germany are still seen.

All over germany, we see relics Of the enormous occupying

Powers who invested so much In germany and for so long.

Powers who invested so much In germany and for so long.

*

Narrator: 19 miles off malin head On the northernmost tip

Of ireland is a strange And confusing sight.

*

In the inky waters of The atlantic, 200 feet below,

Is a jumble of tangled metal.

Bell: Deep within the murky depths, Shapes slowly emerge,

And you start to get a sense Of what's going on here.

There's a propeller.

There's a hull.

There's a mass of rusty metal.

This is the grave Of a sunken ship.

*

Selwood: Other shapes make little sense On a boat.

There appear to be guns, Tracks, turrets.

There appear to be guns, Tracks, turrets.

As you look more closely, It becomes clear

That these are tanks,

But there's no explanation Why tanks,

Which should be on land, Are on the seabed.

Narrator: What's even more surprising is That these aren't british tanks,

But american sherman tanks.

Dozens of them.

It almost looks as though They're ready to go into battle.

The whole seabed area Around there

The whole seabed area Around there

Is actually A nautical graveyard.

There are ocean liners.

There are submarines.

It's as if there's something Specific about this area

Which makes it lethal For shipping.

Narrator: What happened to this ship?

Why is it carrying American tanks,

And how did it end up At the bottom of the ocean?

The answer lies in a forgotten Military campaign

Of the second world war -- The battle of the atlantic.

Selwood: during world war ii, As an island,

Great britain was Fundamentally dependent

On its allies for supplies.

The main supply line came across The atlantic

From the united states And canada.

In fact, it wasn't Just a supply line,

It was a lifeline.

The atlantic passage is the most Important way in which

The atlantic passage is the most Important way in which

Britain got its materials To defend itself during the war.

Hitler knew that one of The easiest ways

To hit The united kingdom hard

Was to cut off That all-important supply route.

Narrator: So hitler made it a priority To sink all merchant shipping

Going across the atlantic.

If he could strangle britain And cut her off from her allies,

He could force her Out of the war.

He could force her Out of the war.

But what connection did that Have to a sunken ship

At the bottom of the Ocean laden with american tanks?

This is the wreck Of the s.S. Empire heritage.

She started life as a whaler And was damaged by a mine

And put out of service in 1941, But that wasn't the end of her.

And put out of service in 1941, But that wasn't the end of her.

Selwood: The s.S. Empire heritage Was by no means

The cream of the merchant fleet, But all boats were needed,

So it was patched up And put into service

Between liverpool and new york.

Narrator: Each time it made the crossing To and from liverpool,

It would have To pass malin head,

One of the most dangerous Parts of the crossing,

According to geoff millar, Who has often dived the wreck.

Yeah, malin head can be a very Treacherous stretch of water.

Yeah, malin head can be a very Treacherous stretch of water.

There are very strong tides,

And we're open to the full force Of the atlantic ocean.

Next stop off malin head is America,

Which is thousands Of miles away,

So we've all had rough energy Coming in from the ocean,

Just waves, Constant seas, and storms.

Narrator: Could the s.S. Empire heritage Have capsized in a storm,

Or did hitler catch up with her?

*

Narrator: The s.S. Empire heritage, A british merchant ship,

Has just set sail Across the atlantic ocean.

The s.S. Empire heritage Was part of a massive convoy

Of almost 100 ships that Left new york in august 1944.

It was heading towards liverpool

With a heavy cargo Of war supplies,

With a heavy cargo Of war supplies,

Including 16,000 tons of oil and Almost 2,000 tons of deck cargo,

Which included sherman tanks.

Selwood: to counter the threat Of the german u-boats,

The royal navy came up With a system of convoys,

And the idea was that up To 30 or 70 merchant ships

Would sail under protective Guard of royal navy vessels.

Narrator: it was almost 3 months After d-day,

And the allies Were well on their way

And the allies Were well on their way

To turning the tide of the war,

But there was still A desperate need for supplies.

Although beachheads had been Established in normandy,

What was now required Was intense effort

To push all the way through France and down into germany,

And to do that, a lot Of equipment was necessary.

Corum: the allies cannot ship More materials,

Troops and supplies effectively To major continental ports.

Troops and supplies effectively To major continental ports.

It's months after d-day that They have large capable ports

Operating under allied control.

Until virtually the end of 1944,

Britain is still the great Essential logistics base.

Narrator: it took several days For the s.S. Empire heritage

To reach the north coast Of ireland.

She was on the home strait.

Although not complacent, There was a definite feeling

Although not complacent, There was a definite feeling

That the battle In the atlantic was over.

In effect, it had calmed Down from 1943.

And with the success of d-day,

There was a sense That shipping in the atlantic

Was freer than Formerly it had been.

Narrator: she was just 19 miles From malin head

When disaster struck...

A german u-boat Lurking in the inky blackness,

Just waiting for A convoy to pass.

Just waiting for A convoy to pass.

U-boats are one of hitler's Deadliest weapons,

And this one was fitted With the very latest technology.

Bell: It had a snorkel, so it could Stay submerged for much longer.

It hardly needed to surface, So it was very hard to spot.

It was also armed with The very latest torpedoes --

Acoustic torpedoes,

Which could hone in On the sound of a propeller.

Which could hone in On the sound of a propeller.

Two of these torpedoes smashed Into the s.S. Empire heritage.

Two torpedoes might not sink A battleship,

Which is heavily armored.

Merchant ships aren't armored.

It's going to sink.

This is a case where this Particular vessel

Got very, very unlucky.

The empire heritage was carrying 16,000 tons of petrol,

The empire heritage was carrying 16,000 tons of petrol,

So when the torpedo struck that,

You can imagine the fireball That would've caused,

And the sea would've Been in flames,

I mean, diving in the Oil-filled water just in flames,

And must have been horrendous, Must have been a horrible death.

I think it was approximately 70,000 merchant seamen

Lost their lives In world war ii,

Just unimaginable horror.

Selwood: When the s.S. Empire heritage Went down,

Over 100 of the sailors On board died,

Over 100 of the sailors On board died,

And many, of course, were very Young, even in their teens.

This was a sinking With a very real human cost.

Narrator: The s.S. Empire and her cargo Lay silently beneath the waves

Until 1995, when she was Rediscovered by divers.

It's a underwater monument To the valor

It's a underwater monument To the valor

Of tens of thousands of merchant Seamen in world war ii

Who made victory possible.

Victory would not have been Possible

Without all of those ships Bringing the supplies,

Bringing the men, bringing The material to britain,

Bringing the soldiers To britain.

And because of their sacrifice, The allies win the war.

*

*

Narrator: just over 40 miles From new york city

In westchester county Is the most extraordinary sight.

*

Meigs: You're walking along this simple Trail through the woods,

And there you see this strange Stone tower that's round,

And there you see this strange Stone tower that's round,

Doesn't have any doors Or windows.

It's very mysterious.

I mean, who built it? What's it doing here?

What's it connected to?

Narrator: these brick monoliths, Scarred by graffiti,

Punctuate the landscape,

Guarding a secret Yet to be revealed,

And that's not all.

A rectangular stone structure

Seems out of place In its urban setting.

Seems out of place In its urban setting.

Agrawal: if you went inside, You'd see wheels.

You'd see levers.

You'd even see what looks like A bit of a gate,

Which is operated by pulleys, But they're rusted

And they're corroded, So you can tell by looking at it

That they haven't been used In a long time.

Narrator: Hidden beneath is something More sinister -- a tunnel

Partially filled with water That seems to be unfinished.

You see that the tunnels aren't Brick-lined all the way around.

In many instances, they're just Almost, like, half-lined.

In many instances, they're just Almost, like, half-lined.

And then as you look above,

You can see That it's just the raw rock,

Almost like they left it As it was excavating.

Narrator: This tunnel stretches Into the darkness

And appears to go on forever, But to where?

At the end of the tunnel, There's a clue.

Water thunders down This stepped slope and above it,

Water thunders down This stepped slope and above it,

This imposing steel arch that Stretches right across a gorge.

But how are All these things connected?

Narrator: The answers lies In the problems new york city

Faced in the early 19th century.

Even by this early time, it was Already the u.S.'s biggest city

And its business And economic capital.

The problem that you have with New world cities like new york,

The problem that you have with New world cities like new york,

Cities that spring up And then rapidly develop,

Is that very quickly they use The local water system

Around them -- the streams And the rivers that are there.

We need water to live,

And if you can't supply that, That's a major problem.

Narrator: As the population of new york Exploded,

The water supply Became polluted,

Leading to disease Like the cholera epidemic

That ravaged the city in 1832.

That ravaged the city in 1832.

More than half of those infected Would die.

These diseases were A huge concern for people.

Even in very sophisticated, Rich, urban areas like london

Or new york, Epidemics would spread,

And they were Absolutely terrifying.

Narrator: and disease wasn't The only problem.

Three years after the epidemic,

The great fire destroyed Almost 700 buildings

The great fire destroyed Almost 700 buildings

At the very heart Of the city's commercial center.

Buildings Were made of wood.

They were very close together, So if one house caught on fire,

Boom, half your city Is up in flames in minutes.

Narrator: if new york was going To survive, it needed water,

But where would such A vast supply come from,

And how would they Transport it to the city?

And how would they Transport it to the city?

The local authorities decided To build an aqueduct.

And if they pulled it off,

It would be one of The most spectacular feats

Of engineering ever seen.

Narrator: the plan was to dam The croton river,

41 miles north of manhattan,

And build a channel to bring That water into the city.

It was one of the most ambitious Construction projects ever.

Meigs: the old croton aqueduct Was a megaproject,

Meigs: the old croton aqueduct Was a megaproject,

And to get this channel of water All the way into manhattan

Was really aggressive For the technology of the day.

Narrator: So how would it work?

Bell: the aqueduct would use The earth's gravity

To move the water From the reservoir

To the city along A gradual gradient or slope.

And the challenge For its builders

And the challenge For its builders

Was to maintain This gradual slope

Across a variety of terrain.

Jerram: you've got to go over Valleys.

You've got to go through hills, Through rock,

And all the way from source To the delivery point,

You have to maintain Or very close to that gradient.

Narrator: Not only that, the aqueduct Would be built in many sections

Along its 41-mile route, Each one, like this bridge,

Along its 41-mile route, Each one, like this bridge,

A major engineering project In itself.

And if these sections Didn't connect,

The water wouldn't Reach the city.

Writer and broadcaster jim meigs

Explains the challenges Its builders faced.

The aqueduct was really Built by hand,

By human and animal Muscle power.

Everything had to be Excavated by hand,

Hauled away by animals, And ultimately constructed

Hauled away by animals, And ultimately constructed

To carry all this water Without any modern equipment.

But in some places, They had to get through a hill,

And that meant tunneling Through solid rock,

And that's what we see In this section here.

They came in with hand drills

That they would drive Into the rock.

You can actually see the tracks Of the old drill bits

In a couple Of spots here.

Then they would stuff Those holes with black powder,

Blow them off, and that Would fracture the rock.

Blow them off, and that Would fracture the rock.

This was incredibly difficult, Dangerous work.

There was the threat Of cave-ins.

They were operating With explosive black powder.

There were all kinds of things That could go wrong.

Narrator: Its engineers were also worried.

That bad air might build up Within the aqueduct

And contaminate The water supply,

So they built ventilation Shafts into the tunnel,

And there are 21 still standing.

And there are 21 still standing.

These serve a number Of purposes.

First of all, they allow air To circulate through the tunnel

So you don't get Pressure buildup

In key parts of the system.

They also allow the water To aerate in some way.

It keeps the water fresh, If you will.

But they also served As access points,

So every third Or fourth ventilation shaft

Was also used as an access point Into the tunnel system.

Narrator: The aqueduct was one of the most Complex engineering projects

Narrator: The aqueduct was one of the most Complex engineering projects

That new york Had ever undertaken.

Would it ever be completed And supply the city

With the water It needed to flourish?

*

Narrator: In 1837, construction began On an aqueduct

To supply fresh water To new york.

It was beset with problems.

In early 1841, part of the dam Collapsed,

Flooding the valley And killing three,

And its laborers mutinied When their wages were reduced.

Meigs: You have to remember, when this Project was being built,

Meigs: You have to remember, when this Project was being built,

Everything was done By hand labor.

They required An army of laborers,

Many of them irish, Who labored in this absolutely,

You know, brutal task For several years

To get this huge piece Of engineering completed.

Narrator: when the aqueduct Crossed the valley,

The men had to move Thousands of tons of soil

And rock in hand carts to build An embankment to protect it.

And rock in hand carts to build An embankment to protect it.

And at its base, they built What's called a culvert,

As mavis cain from Friends of old croton explains.

It was built to protect The aqueduct

From the thrust of water From the many,

Many streams and rivers That there are in westchester,

So the culvert serves As a way of keeping the water

From weakening the stones Of the aqueduct.

Wherever there is a stream Strong enough to cause damage,

Wherever there is a stream Strong enough to cause damage,

There is a culvert.

Narrator: The aqueduct took five years To build

And cost around $13 million.

And at the time, it was the most Expensive construction project

In the whole of the u.S.

Narrator: Would the various sections Join together

And allow the water to flow Those 41 miles to new york?

On june 22, 1842, They would find out.

On june 22, 1842, They would find out.

Meigs: The aqueduct was an absolute, Overnight, immediate success.

Without the aqueduct, They wouldn't have been able

To expand The city the way they did.

So I'm standing right in the Main channel of the aqueduct.

This is where the water flowed.

On a normal day, it might be up To my knees

Or maybe up to my waist,

And behind me, You can see this big iron gate

That they would use to close off The flow if they ever needed

That they would use to close off The flow if they ever needed

To empty the lower Portions of the aqueduct.

Narrator: If the aqueduct was such a Success, why was it abandoned?

By the early 1800s,

Around 40 years After it was finished,

The aqueduct could no longer Meet the city's needs.

In a sense, the aqueduct was A victim of its own success.

It was such a boon to the city That it allowed new york

It was such a boon to the city That it allowed new york

To continue growing At this dramatic pace,

And the population of the city Was going up.

Pretty soon, they were using up All the water

From the old croton aqueduct.

Narrator: In 1885, they began to build The new aqueduct

On top of the old dam And reservoir.

Now the old croton aqueduct Is preserved as part of

New york's Industrial heritage

To save it From being forgotten forever.

To save it From being forgotten forever.

Jerram: You can see some of the hidden Gems that are there,

The chimneys, The air-ventilation systems.

As nature overgrows

And as we don't follow These paths very often,

Then they'll become more And more hidden.