The New York herald., 1874-08-20
TIE PASSAIC EXPEDITION.

The Jersey City Authorities Moving at
Last-dayor Traphagen and His Cara
van On the March-FOulness and Filth
in the Water supply.
There is some prospect OF relief at last for the
patient and long-sufering people OF Jersey City
and uObOken They have been compelled TO sWal
low mouJhiuis OF hltny water drawn from their
hydrants to the peril of whole families. 1t has
been shown in the HERALD that even q physician
was attacked from drinking this water one
morning and was confined to his house Tor
several days. The warning OF eminent
chemists like Professor Wurtz OF the
Stevens Institute, created such alarm that
the city physicians directed their attention to the
case, and they endorse IN the strongest terms the
conclusions arrived at by the chemist Yet the
sluggish Board OF Health made not move, while
loud complaints went up from every quarter OF the
two cities.
Mayor Traphagen resolved at last to visit the
reservoir at Belleve and see Tor himself the
dltiOn OF the water on which so many thousands
have to subslst. Yesterday morning he set out
accompanied by Chief Engineer culver, Dr. Loch-
ner, City Physician, and representative OF the
HERALD. The first stopping place was the bridge
where the pipes cross the Hackensack River, and
where the leak occurred some weeks ago. The pipe s
now thoroughly repaired On tae west side the
rusty chains, devised by the wisdom (?) OF the OLD
Water Board to hold the curved JOINTS together as
they descend into the river, have been removed,
and good, substantial braces of iron supply their
place. While leaks were discovered here and
there in the iron pipes not single leak has yet
been discovered in the new iron and cement pipe
on which the city has to depend mainly in case OF
emergency.
Arrived at Bellevine the party inspected the
massive machinery that draws the water from the
river almost at the base Of the building, iorces
it into the stand pipes, located in a tower
o feet svi IN height from which It passes
about mile distant and thence to
the distributing reservoir at Jersey G,y One
work. The former draws up 800 gallons at every
stroke, or about 100000 gallons day, While the
that is, 600 gallons are supplied daily to the
reservoir that leeds Jersey CITY and Hoboken. An
| examination was then made of that part Of the
r1ver in which the conduit enters, and here was
| something to disturb ones palate. Masses OF dlth
se o the pnm rs
| were so fixed however, that dead animals
or masses OF weeds cannot t pass through put they
day. food tide was sweeping along, and the
sewerage matter of Newark was swept with 1t.
AS the filthy current moved along so muddy that
| no object could pe detected in 1t below depth OF
three or four inches thick scum here and there,
! resembling coal tar Indicated the proximity OF
factories. The banks on Ell her SIDE are lined with
outhouses III the very neighoorhood OF the reser-
vOir. Mr.. kearney, the engineer OF the establish
ment says that within the space OF two years
| there has been most surprising change in the
quality OF the water. The people were getting the
! benefit of the Newark sewerage at mood tide.
This was bad enough, out hardly worse than scour-
| lngs cI factories and the sewerage deposits sent
down from Paterson and Passaic at ebb tide
1t was far from pleasant to lapse into reflection
on the subject, so the party started Tor the Bloom
field plane OF the Morris Canal. three miles dis
fant. After passing through delightful section
OF country dotted with handsome residences, the
plane was reached. To the upper level OF the
! canal the boats are drawn on an inclined plane
! out OF the water below by water power. There is
q superabundahce OF water on th!s plane From
the entire water shed OF the PaSsaic TO this point
Hopatcong sends out its crystal waters. The over
! now itself from the head OF the plane as the party
| saw 1t Is sufficient IN Mr. Culvcr's opinion 30
| supply Newark and Jersey City. The water level
! is ia feet above tide water. The level at tn o
Belevllle reservoir is 154 feet. and IN the Jersey
| City reservoir l26 feet. Bloomfield plane being,
therefore, twenty feet higher Than Beiieviie, the
present source OF supply a gravity supply OF pure
water could be obtained from the former oy Jer-
sew City and Newark. It would be necessary
merely tolay pipe three miles in length from the
plane TO Beilevile.
Tne Mayor here asked what were the chief ad-
yantages in favor Of the proposed supply. Mr..
Culyer replied that the supply would be ree IRON
all drainage, and would be ample for ell time for
Newark aud the municipalities OF Hudson county.
The level Of Lake Hopatcong twenty-five miles
water. The fall from Bloomfield to Bellevle
is twenty teet and from Belleye to Jersey
City thirty feet. The same level cannot be found
on the watershed of che Passalc as at Bloomfield
tn the Rockaway River be reached. Mr. Culver re-
CARDS it as a great mistake that when Jersey City
was erecting the works at Belevile, IN 1852, IT die
sdooo offered by the Morris Canal Copan
The cost OF machinery alone (which has been more
than five times that amount) would thus have
been saved and the necessity OF changing the sup
Mayor Traphagen win embOdy his views on tht
question in "a report TO be presented TO the BOart
Of public Works and to Mayor Perry, OF Newark