The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-05
ACRES OF DEAD FISH.

SENSATION ALONG TIE PAssAIC RIvEE-FrsH
TAKEN OUT px THE cARTLoAD.
Tens and tens OF thousands OF dead fish line tho
banks OF the Passaic River. Above aud below the
Dundee dam, the city of Passac the waters are
polluted For distance Of dozen miles above Patcr-
down to Dundee dam dead fish arc everywhere
The sharp turns and eddics OF the stream arc
crowded with Thorn Some estimate the num-
bcr among tho millions. Above Little Falls,
between Meads Basin aud the celebrated
Passaic Falls, the dead Hsh have been taken
out by the CARLOAD and used in trenches as fertilizer
An "ancent and 1sh-like Emc' sweeps for a consid-
cradle distance from the banks Near tho river tho
stencil is something beyond tho endurance Of even
Cape Colder. Fer o distance OF nfty feet anywhere
along tho shore OF Dundee Lake may count from
fifty one hundred dead fsh. Into turn of tho river
back Of Van Riper's place. thousands Of the Ash bad
been blown or driited, and for space Of
fifty feet square ono could hardly the water for
the floating fish, which might be gathered by the
load. The mortality among tho 1sh began about
week ago They appear to be mostly roach, yellow
bass aud suckers. The picEere coils and catfish either
sink when dead or are not affected. 1t is reported
that no Ash arc found poisoned above tho rcndrock
powder works OF Rand Il Co., q small creek
cmptying into the Passaic at Woods Basin,
few miles above Paterson, and this has led 10 the
the poisoning Of the fish. Mr.. }. r. Rand, OF this
company AT tho Office, No u Park row, this city,
smiled when told Of The theory, and seemed TO set
at rest by stating that the company had manufactured
worry little powder since last tall 1t not being their Gus
tom to manufacture largely III the wintor
This wholesale slaughter of tho fish OF tho Passaic
River Is exceptional event. No along It's SHORES
remembers the like phenomenon. Twenty or twenty
five years ago the waters OF the Passac were pure
that even the shad fishery was considerable. 'rh,s
was before the building OF tho Dundee dam Now no
snad are caught in the river tho impurities Of the
above Dundee dam 1t Is far worse below.
GENERAL HoxsEY's STATEMENT.
to innptf nttty nj
who has given this question special study Tho con-
dition Of the water he ascrbes to the poisonous
cry OF Reed Barry, the blcachery Of John
Watson, tho extensive establishment OF Locks
ing many acres shS refuse rom Il: Water Water
house shoddy mills, which turns into the channel
the nth o. thousands Of tons Of rags coorDg the
Works and osssra. s1'hs sAcady rosonss the aD,no
dyes tho spent chemicals OF beachcries aud tho over
flowing Of tho TINS tar from tho works Of the passac
Gas Light Company. arc more than sufficient 10 Kill
fish. The filth from shoddy mil alone sometimes
marks current thirty feet wide and loot deep for
mile, black as ink, and running with great velocity.
cast into the Passalc River BY those concentrated
manufacturing establishments most OF them using
dclcterous and highly dangerous chemicals, in some
OF which arsenic is important constituent, are
among the leading causes OF the mpuri.y OF the waters
below Passac city. These are seized upon by the re-
cedng tide and carried down the stream passing
the points in tho river ut Bellcve from which Jersey
City and Newark pump their water When Mt that
stream with the incoming tidc-the river being IN dry
weather merely an estuary, rather than rapidly run
ming stream by tho force Of It's own currcntand ms 1t
thus comes up IL Is loaded with a soothing Of
impurities coming from the sewage OF the city OF New
ark city OF 100000 inhabitants, largely devoted 10
manufactures, among which IS leather, highly lnju-
rious, charging the stream with animal substances
Thus s concentrated over the pipes from which Belle.
vIlc and Newark are supplied mass OF water
impure that it has caused tho death Of the
fish, The stream at that point Ia loaded with
the filth OF the manufactures OF Passaic
and the still moro abhorrcnt filth from the Of
Newark Heretofore nature, by hcr remedial powers,
by the growth OF vegetable matter and tho destruc
ton Of heterogeneous matter by the fish, which have
boon ovcTpowcrcd by tho concentrated and deadly
poisons which have been turned into tho stream,
has made the water fit for human use. IL
would, however, now LOOK as though the destruction
OF animal lilo in the stream was forcshadowng tho i'm
pending danger to the people NJ Newark and Jersey
CITY, who using this water becoming from year To
year dangerous and fearful IL has the theory
Of Professor Henry Wuriz an analytical chemist Of DIS
tinguished ability and reputation, now n resident Of
Hob ,kcn that the OF tho Passaic River Belle
willie. where Newark and Jersey City supplied, havc
heretofore beon kept III state ht Tor human use by
tho vegetable growth in the stream destroying the i'm
pures ofthe water by fish destroying It's heterogeneous
deposits IN summer and III winter by the more rapid
publication OF the water by oxidation.
Professor WurtZ testified in law case. within the
year past, at Paterson, that the time would probably
remote from the time at which ho tcs-
tityng-whcn the remedial powers oil nature would be
nm al n hc ont fncE nj mn finn