The New York herald., 1871-01-10
THE WATER FANNIE IN JERssY CITY.

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Correct Theory Of the Accideot-Thc Works
Not TO be In Full Operation Till Next Week.
&c greater calamity, scarcely, could befalI Iarrcc
communities, iixs those Of Jersey CITY ana Ho.
boken. than such an accident as occurred on the
evening Of the 3lst OF December, ten days
ago. at the Beevie Water Works. The
truth OF this Is abundantly demonstrated by the I'M
mense and scarcely conceivable amount OF incon-
venience, misery ana absolute suffering which
the good people of the communities cited have been
are are now subjected to. The HERALD has already
informed the public OF the nam features OF the acci
dent and its very serious concomtanl results but in
order TO get at 'the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth" In the matter HERALD re-
porter visited
THE SCENE OF THE DIS AsTBR
yesterday afternoon. The works are located on the
northern bank Of the river Passatc, directly opposite
the quiescent village Of Belevllle noted as being
once halting place Of General Washington during
reyolutionary times. Iney are too, within ston's
throw OF place tnat not long since was the cyno-
sure Of the entire re ding pubic-Herveys laundry,
where lveth and worketh. but reignetn not Charlie
Ming and his sixty odd fellow "heathen Chtnee."
THE WORKS,
rather the machinery occupy n large, handsome
brick building, ircntlng lane running parallel with
lar engines, each about $50 horse power. Entering
the building the reporter lound
THE OIIlEF ENGINEER,
Mr.. William kearnev, VINO was up to his eyes
In steam and OIL, and repairing tools in The
rairs being made TO the machinery. Glancing at
the reporters card handed nm his eyes caught the
talisnlanlc word "aEkALp,m and ne ne dropped every.
newspaper scribe. view OF rne broken stand.
pipe was Grst taken. 1t lies In two huge fragments
position measured 1es ieet inches in height
and about feet in diameter. IL stood on
a sohd square brick support which in turn had u
solid stone foundation. The support Is fort, five
feet HI h lrom the base. The pipe proper was
sructed OF ABOUT tnreeeighth inch sheet iron. had
b. en- In use ever since July, 1873, and is considered
by some experts rather poor quality of iron. 1t
was through this the water was forced up from the
Passalc to
situated about 5000 ieet distant on elevated ground.
From the engineers books Ii appears that on the
day oi the accident the temperature was fol.
lows:-At seven O'Clock IN the morning,
twenty-tbree degrees: meridian, thirty mine
the evening, thirty-elght degrees. On the
dav previous at the same hours the thermometer
stood nine twenty and twentS-four degrees. This
Kearney, was not sufficiently cold TO freeze the
water IN the pke sulcient TO cause II, under ordi-
nary circumstances, to give way. The
FIRST INDICATION
that anything was wrong was observed about noon
on the 3lst when the engines worked heavily and
after time stopped altogether After dark the pipe
topped over with terrific crash. There ice In
It aeout nine inches hes tnck cnging to the sdes for
Iieved that this during the day iell away, ana,
crowulng doWnNardS In mass Swelled the NAM
MON tuDe and when the reaction came
with the milder weather the pipe snapped
and fell as stated. Mr.. Kearney claims that the
accident Is not III any way chargeable TO the negll-
gence OF the employees, as had been alleged In some
NEWSPAPERS, but was clearly unavoidable.
Nothing could be accomplished with the
PUSY FIRE ENGINES,
so other engines have been procured 1t is expected
tnat tie machinery OF the WORKS WIZ be seryiceabe
i'll day or SO.
THE NEW STANDING PIPE
Is all eady on, but 1t Will notbe Imposition before the
beginning OF next week. IL is the sane weight as
the other and plump three-eghths Am inch thick,
warranted best IRON. large lorce oislnen are now
busy erecung an immense derrick, with slide, 10
place IL in position.
THE EXCITEMENT IN JERSEY CITY
and IioboSen, lar rom abatiDg on the Increase.
ln wards oil the lower section OF Jersey City
as the First, Second. Seventh and parts of the
Tnlrd Fourth ana Fifth--lltte water was to be
had yesterday al the hour fixed Tor turning 1t on
conveyed IN casks. A meeting of the Police Com
missioners was held, ana IL resolved TO appoint
an extra force IL
SEVENTY SPECIAL POLICEMEN
to guard against incendiarlsnl. Should fire break
out during this water famine The result must be very
serious. Tue few pumps and wells available would
be OF very little service. IL becomes necessary then
To adopt
EXTRAORDINARY PRECAUTIONS
against nres. The directors OF the State Insurance
Company and several other insurance companies
held meetings yesterday, and the Fire Commission.
ers may be said TO be N perpetual session. No.nlng
whatever Is heard from the Water Commissioners,
who inclined TO hide their heads from an ndtg-
nant community. One wholesome result OF this
famine VIII be the consignment OF every member OF
the Water Board to private life. The people have
had ample experience OF such politicians.