The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-11-18

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THE oKsERAL PLAY DEsuRinEp.
Dams, generally Of stone m asonry viii be hr1iI<
= ~ near me outlet of each Of the lakes. 80 a.
g retain and control the waters stored there.n.
earthen dams VIII be bart at suitable places 10
form storage Reservoirs and gate Chambers and
pipes viii be made to draw on the water there
= rom as Il s required. A detailed descriptions Of
feet and the lowest 583 feet, Containing ID ali
5-Stis 70 yu gallons. Storing Reservoirs at d1f-
derent points increase the total supply to RI 1os-
1y.g-9 anording an estimated available How of
lnu9,NV gallons per day. The conduit pro-
posed approaches the state IIns near the head
q saddle River and ei13 miles distant from tie
From that point at an altitude OF $40 feet
aoofe tids CONDUIT can be laid along Saddle
hiser valley IN almost straight line al the way
to be located IN West Hobokeu having an alti-
tude OF about 20 feet above tide.
Ihe cost OF reservoirs IN the Ramspo dis tTfcf
may Be somewhat more than IN the Peauan-
mock, but the Jersey City conduit, with Ieas
pressure. running on even ground with no
river crossings. viii probably Be enough cheaper
70 more than compensate for the difference
There has been demand on the part &
prominent citizens that in any scheme for water
supply the city should become owner Of the
works The city can. as Newark has already
DONE acquire the reservoir at the State line and
the pipe line connecting Il with cur city reser-
THE NEW SCHEME LOOMS UP.
When Mr.. Torrey had finished Mr.. John
A. Walker asked what the daily water
consumption Of Jersey CITY was. and m
spector Leake replied that IL was ~ o00-
900 gallons. Then Mr.. Dear called Dr.
Gordon to the chair, and taking the
noor began TO forashadow the object q
Mr. Iorrey's elaborate paper. He asked
what the status OF the water question BE-
fore Jersey City was. and declared that te
was wrapped in mystery. The city
governments was afraid 10 touch the ma<-
Yer. aud Il that was so 1t was nnfortunats.
II Was the business Of the city govern
ment TO inform itself on what was going
on A tremendous blow, he declared.
bad been struck at Jersey City when
Newark made a contract with private
concern. which Mr.. Dear Characterised as
an act Of public treachery.
Gentlemen who thought that this ques-
ton can be handled as easy IS if WAS be-
fore Newark made it's contract were great
~ mistaken. A mighty octopus was
stretching its arms out over the State
sucking up the water Mr.. Dear himself
favored the building Of new waterworks
By the city II It could be done honestly.
which he very much doubted.
After Mr.. Dear had drawn as 1uoubri-
Gus picture as he possibly could OF our
water situation he began TO advocate that
Jersey City favor another synd1cate. 70
that the two could be set to quarrelinQ.
in hopes that the rogues would fall ont
and honest men would get their dues
Mr.. Julius Pratt, the newly elected
member OF the Board and the representa-
tive OF the Arlington Cemetery. spoke
next. He did not think the situation was
as desperate as Mr.. Dear supposed. He
said that he crossed the Passaic every day
close TO the Jersey City intake and he
saw the bodies of cats, dogs and human
beings floating in the water, not 20 mem
ton other loatbsome sights. He had had
his Office In this city eight years. vet he
had never dared to drink glass OF Pas
sale water.
Mr.. Pratt then took from his pocket 9
manuscript and read an elaborate sdvo-
cacy OF the Ramapo water scheme He
said two companies had been formed, one
Ia New York and one IN New Jersey. for
the purpose or making a pontracf with
Jersey City. He was authorised to pro-
pose that the Board Of Trade should ap-
point or approve Of q committee az cifi-
zenss who should take control Of
these two compenies a1ter they
had subscribed 70 Q ceFeasn announE
of stock within thirty days nnd w11hfu
fifty days made q contract with the CITY
Mr.. Pratt did not seem 70 realize the
baldheadedness OF his little scheme. but
he soon discovered his error and hazfsned
home with more exalted opinion Of the
acuteness Of the average Jersey City
citizen
MIR. Booraen thought the discussion
favored 8 contract with some water com
pany. But he said the Board did not
favor any particular contract II the city
could build its own works, we'll and
good; but he doubted that IT could We
must have new water supply, he said
and we should get It where we could get
IL the cheapest.
Mr.. James Flemming wanted to know
If the Ramapo shed could not be tapped
in this State He called attention TO the
fact that when il was proposed 70 take
the Ramapo water 10 New YORK the At
torney General declared that it could not
be done because its natural outlet was in
New Jersey. Mr. Pratt replied that It
would be impossible 70 bring the waner
from the State line to Jersey City By
gravitation, as the tall was not sufficient
for that purpose.
Mr. RiNGLE SURPRISES Mr.. PRATT.
Sinking Fund Commissioner jacob
Ringle walked into Mr.. Pratt and his
little scheme with nails In his shoss He
said that this agitation was out of place,
and told about the periodical agitations
II Some one came along with
water to sell and then the Pas
sale water was in terrible
condition The city would not buy and
the water got all right again Il re-
mained so until 1850, when someone else
came along with something 70 sell and II
became unwh0lesone again. Nobody
wanted TO buy and Immediately the Pas
sale became sweet and pure Nothing
was heard of It's impurify until few
years ago, when Bartlett came along with
mis- scheme.
And now here comes a new scheme,
continued Mr.. Ringle.
II beg" began Mr. Pratt, but Mr..
Ringle declared he had the floor and
would not be interrupted, and Mr.. Pratt
suddenly discovered that it Was train
time.
Mr. Ringle continuing said that all
the physicians said that Jersey CiEysz
water was good and wholesome and these
agitators were injuring the city He Gid
not think that IL was right for the Board
Of Trade to get together and agltate this
question. DR.. Quimby also walked inta
Mr.. Pratt. He said that he had bean a
physician over thirty years In Jersey City
and in all his practice he had yet 10 see =
single case Of disease produced by Passaie
water. the water had been anatyzed by
the hospital staff ana not single typhoid
germ had been found In II. The beauty
Of the Passaic water was its swift rum
ming which together with the sunshine
purified it.
The chairman then invited any member
of the city government present TO address
the meeting. This brought Honest
| John Kenny, Of the Board Of Finance. to
his feet. He said that he spoke not as q
member Of the city government. bat Is .
private citizen. and of he started to de-
| 1end the present Board of Finance and to
taffy Mr.. Ringle- He said that he cared
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