New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-24
coyT4MlYIm0N or THE P1SSAIc RIVER.
HOW AN INCREDIBLY SMALL QUANTITY OF CAR
BnHC ACID AFFECTED 2O0.O00,00O GALLONS OF
,e Edifor of The Trtbnnc.


Bouc ACID AFFECTED 2O0.00o,0oO GALLONS OF
WATER.
TO the EditOr Of The tribune.
SIR: Referring to the items in your issues OF
January Is and IL respecting the contamination OF tho
waters OF tho Passaic River with ear
bolic acid the following facts may be
Of interest to your readers: The paper-mil
Of the Messrs Kngsand Is located on the Third River
n stream OF considerable magnitude, two miles from
whore il cmpties into the Passaic. From the latter
point 70 the pumping station OF the Newark water
Works ia Also two miles The volume OF water
m the Third River Is not less than 2OOOOOO gallons per
day and IN the Passaic $50 100000 gallons day.
The Mc.srs Klng7land. among other spcciatics cat
bollze paper by mmersion IN bath Of tine best liquid
carbolic acid o quality such ns IS u'cd In medicinal
preparations. III tho process OF mnnufactur"
there "a a small percentage OF waste paper No
paper has been carbollz0d since last june when
not over hundred pounds Of waste or torn paper were
placed HE loft OF the MILL where 1t remained until the
last OF December IL is well known TO chemists aud
many intelligent persons that carbolc acd Gcally
alcohol and not All acid evaporates rapidly when OK
posed TO To the OF smell there eyi
dence OF carbOic aid in this waste paper when the
Messrs. Kngsland decided, Ia December. TO work IL mp
again. Dust having accumulated on II. washing In the
mill pond was necessary
Afew days after this perccptible taste Of carhoc
acid was noticed by the people OF Newark not only In
the drinking water but also in tea aud coffee made with
boiling water m absolute fact, not ten pounds
Ia gaon) Of carbolic acid had been used in
this paper when treated. Certainly 80 per
cent had eyaporatcd, leaving over seyen
pounds 10 permeate 2OOO000O0 gallons OF
water portion OF which aerated by passing over
rapids and dams. through four miles OF !ivrr, seven
miles Of pipe and countless taps II would srem lncrrd-
lille hnd we the evidence OF chemists aud medical
men III Newark perfectly familiar with tho peculiar
by this narrative, but 20 remarkable scicntinc
fact deserves be recorded. or course Injurious
ha Al Yltnin
would contain more acid than Thousand gallons OF Pas
siic water Indeed beneficial elect should he felt Of
cnurse limited cxtent) III neurazing Paterson aud
Passac sewage, below which cities Newark aud Jersey
CITY obtain most Of their water supply.
Itisa we'll known fact that many OF tho residents OF
Newark carefully hitter the water before using;
one OF Ncwarks chief industries, aud beer manufac.
ture, materially aided by the impury Of the water
tnie and Lecrj consist OF 90 per cent ~
Passaic River water, unchanged by the addition
II IL matter Tor wondering comment that Newark Ter
sey CITY aud Orange had not long this gathered their
head waters Of the Passac and lts bnnchcs among the
hills Morris and Passaic counties WITHIN distance Of
forty miles Mature has provided nearly every required
facility for Tcservng vast quantity OF water near
miles to the great swamp" 9OOOncres In extent aud
feet Wide aud $50 feet high. A watershed OF sixty
square miles, bounded by MorIisIown Wendham
Stanley and Madison finds an outlet through
i,ns gorge. The average annual rainfall Is
crnf dam twrnty-slx feet high ana hundred icot
long across the gap in Long Hill would iii reservoir a
mile square In thirty days. supplying vOlu the
purest and sweetest water, by gravity. TO Newark
the enormous total OF 55,00o00o gallons daily
This would give the present population of
these cues 200 Raons each per day, or fur
nlsh hfty-nve gallons daily 10 million people
They would then have excuse for IInbIbuR beer
then carbide acid would be- taken In the regular wnv
incidentally. Paterson sewage would not be diverted
into Newark ana Jersey City water pipes. for domestic
use but would fluid nn outlet TO the sea through the
river. GEO. SIEPARD PAGE,
Stanley Morris o.. " j., Jan. 20, 1881.