[Frederic Shonnard & W.W. Spooner (1900)] At its next session (May 2, 1834) the legislature passed an aei authorizing the reappointment of water commissioners, ami direct-ing the commissioners to adopt a definite plan " for procuring such supply of water," with estimates as to the cost, which plan was to be submitted to the electors of Now York City for approval or re-jection, by majority vote, at their regular city election in the year is:;."). In the case of an affirmative vote by the people, the act pro-vided thai a sum not exceeding f2,500,000 should be raised as " Water Stock of the City of New York," bearing five per cent, interest. The old commissioners were reappointed by the governor. They made a thorough re-examination of the matter, concluding with the opinion that "the whole [Croton] river can be brought to Murray Hill in a close aqueduct of masonry, at an expense of $4, 250,000, " and that the revenue accruing from water-rates would " overpay the interest on the cost of the work." The plan was referred to the people of the city for ratification, and at an election held in April, 1835, they ap-proved it by a vote of 17,330 to 5,963. In December of this year New York suffered from a conflagration which far exceeded anything in its previous history. Seventeen compact blocks in the business center of the city were totally destroyed, entailing a loss of more than 554 HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY 118,000,000. This conflagration is historically known as the Great Fire of 1835.