The Jersey City news., 1889-12-20
The BLOCKED SEWERS.
Protests from the Third
District Citizens.
A NEW ORGANIZATION EFFECTED.
Today's Conference of All Parties
Interested in the Case.


and Fourth street sewers some twenty
years ago.
The evils resulting therefrom were de-
scribed in THE JERsEY CITY NEWS in re-
port of the proceedings of the Board OF
Street and Water Commissioners at
meeting some few weeks ago. The eff
forts of a delegation of Third district citi-
zens at that tmeeting resulted in the bring
ing about of joint meeting of the
railroad officials. the Boards of Finance
and Street and Water Commissioners,
which took place this morning.
In view of this meeting the association
,ast night deemed IL wise to act slowly.
The association was but recently organ
lied. Last night it decided to change It's
name and style itself the Third DlstrlcU
ment Association. Any property owner
in Jersey City can become member
DR.. J. N Quimby presided. Charles Nc
Cabe, the secretary, wasin his place. DE-
O'Callahan was elected treasurer. a col
lection of $35 was raised to pay for adver-
incidental expenses. The association
will meet regularly once week.
THE PRESENT MEMBERSHIP.
The list of members so far includes the
following names
street; Mrs. I. S. Miller, 4231< Monmouth
street; DR.. j. N. Quimby, No. 5S2 Jersey
avenues Thomas McCuliy, No. 433 and
446 Monmouth street; Thomas Robinson,
No. 425 Monmouth street: DR.. Thomas Z.
O'Callahan, No. 38 Erie street; Charles
Harris, No. 143 Brunswick street; George
Gruber, No. lbs Brunswick street; Daniel
Etting and William Base. corner Mon
mouth and Second streets; John Rugge,
corner of Monmouth and Fifth streets;
Thomas DAILY, corner of MONMOUTH
and Third streets; Thomas Rob9
inson, No. 425 Monmouth street. Among
the residents on Fourth street are w. "A.
Dickman, No 346 Justus Dippel, No.
339; John Scanlan, No. 344; John Carroll,
No 427; Charles P. MeCabe, No. 347;
Charles Kelley, No. $40; John Reynolds,
Ryan, No. 34l; Jacob ,;Vitterscheim,
No. 345; Herman Starle, No, 338;
William Nolan, No. $50; Edward
Gallagher, No. 427; Rudolph Schneidel-
hausen, No. 304; Edward Cox, No 357;
Mrs. Morton, No. 35l; Thomas Francis,
No. 354: John O'Brien, No. 355; Eugene
Sullivan, No. 364; Thomas Meake, No. 354;
Joseph Koehler, No. 352; Joseph Warren;
George Gaddis, No. 1853; George Heitman,
No S61; Thomas McCabe, No. S47; Will
lam Hapson, No, 342: !. Hapson. No. 342;
Philip Freitag, No. 363
Mr. Henry knoop. a recent recruit, al
luded to the Sixth street sewer nuisance.
''1'en years ago." he said, after legal
fight with the railroad company the city
connected the Sixth street sewer with
that of Eighth street in order to abate the
nuisance of stagnant water in the
meadows. The box sewer at the Provost
street end of the main sewer was ehoked,
as was also the meadow end, and instead
OF abating nuisance had only increased
it.'
legal opinion of the Second and
mitted by Lawyer James Fleming.
through request OF DR.. Quimby, and
read by the secretary. Among the manyi
suggestions and opinions expressed were
these:-
(which granted to the United Railroad
and Canal Companies the right and title
of the State to the land lying between
high water mark on the west and deep
water of the Hudson River on the east,
the centre of South Second street on the
north, and the centre OF South Seventh
street on the south to enable the COM
panies TO increase their depot and term
inal facilities at Jersey City] reserves to
the authorities with regard to sewers
across the cove property all the power
that was then vested IN municipal autho-
rites or that might thereafter be con-
ferred upon them. Under the charter in
force at the time of the passage of the
grant the Mayor and Aldermen of Jersey
City had full power to extend the sewers
across the new made land and assess for
the cost of building on the property
benefited.
LEGISLATIVE ERROR.
s''But the Legislature, which in its wis
dom blessed US with the present system
of government under which we have
wriggled and squirmed for the past
NV sod In tn,
which the power to build sewers was
given to the Board of Works with similar
inconsistency. vacated all the streets
before laid out on the land in Harsimus
Cove, through which sewers must run, so
that while with one breath the Legisla
ture gave j Jersey City the power to con-
struct sewers across this land in the rext
breath it took away the land Oh which
sewers could be built.
..Thus it would seem to place the people
in the anomalous position OF having
right without q remedy"
In closing. Mr., Fleming advises the
association to proceed under the act of
1868, and if the present powers of the city
authorities are inadequate, TO take steps
to secure such legislation as will effect
the extension of the main sewer to the
river front.
RIGHTS AGAINST NUIsANCEs.
LAWYER Stephen b. Ransom, who insti-
tuted 4 suit against the Board of Public
Works six wears ago and secured from the
courts an alternative mandamus compel
ling the Board to see that the company
continued the Second and Fourth streets
sewers to the water 'front.' but was baked
by the answer that the contract with the
railroad company for running one OF the
sewers around Henderson street to con-
meet with the other had already been
made, was present, and after hearing the
lengthy legal opinion OF Lawyer tlemlng
read, he said
agree with Mr.. Flemming's remarks
concerning the Importance and complica-
tion or the question. The city authorities,
even the private citizens. have right to
act arbitrarily in the Abatement Oh a NUS
ance that threatens life"
he CITED the New York authorities nght
with the electric light companies over the
deadly wires, aud Judges Van Brunt and
Bradyss decision relating to the rights oil
boards and citizens to arbitrarily dispose
ol dangerous nuisance without waiting
for The slow process of the law.
Inc same rule,n said he, "applieS
this sewer question. The matter re-
qulres bold treatment"
But MIR. Ransom did not agree with
Mr. Flemming with reference TO the
clty,s being required to purchase the
lands from the railroad company before
tcould continue the construction OF its
sewers to the water front. He read the
provlso contained in the law of 1868,
which gave the railroad company the