The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-05-09
Progress of the Work on the
Pequannock Pure Water
Reservoir.
LEHIGH VALLEY ENERGY.
The Ground Clear and All Read y
for the Great Dam and
Pipe Line.

=
a close resemblance to the work OF the
busy little insects in the scene which
spreads before the eve when the site of
the new reservoir at Oak Ridge Is viewed
from the hillside OF from one Of the Inn
mense heaps OF rock fragments thrown up
In cutting the new course for the river
through the hill from above the site OF
the dam. There Is little to admire in the
foreground OF the landscape. Nothing
but scattered rock. rough shanties. stray
pieces OF timber and level tract of bcff-
colored soil, through which runs gray
causeway from one side Of the narrow
valley t o the other, and terminating on
the west end in VIII at appears from dis
tance to be a fiji ght of gigantic stone steps.
This cause way is the massive concrete
core of the huge dam. aDd the steps on
the hillside are part of the core struc-
ture, the top step showing approximately
the height which the dam is to attain
On the east end tha core Is keyed into
grooves cut in the solid rock. For over one
hundred feet on each side of The core an
army Of men are dumping, leveling and
rolling the dirt and gravel which forms
the body Of the dam. This mass OF ma
terial is over two numbered feet wide at
its base, aud 1t Is rapidly growing in
height The soil Of which 1t Is being con-
structed comes from the neighhoFing
hiilsides, which are being precipit itely
cut away. both above and below she core.
High up on the sides of the cuttings lines
OF men are working side by side, tearing
away at the hillside and allowing the
dirt to fall below, where other lines OF
men are busy loading it into rows OF carts
and wagons.
SOON TO BE FINISHED.
1t is busy scene and Que OF deep inter-
est to the citizens of Newark who appre
ciate the value of getting the new supply
of water as quickly as possible. There Is
a tacit understanding that the work Is to
be completed In all its plrts IN seven
2ontns. Over one thousand men are
already employed aud more are coming
every day. As fast as room can be made
for them or employment found they are
put on the pay roll and join the army OF
destruction and construction. The ike
ness to colony of ants disappears when
it is observed that the men work sy stem
atically and under intelligent -direction,
and not in the haphazard manner of the
insects which are falsely held IN as sym M
bols of industry. The ants at Oak hill
are chiefly Hungarians and Italians, with
Il sprinkling of Morris county natives,
most of whom are owners of teams.
carts and horses hired by the water COM
pany.
THE CLINTON FALLS RESERVOIR.
The view of the Oak Ridge site from
the hill is fine, but it is eclipsed by that at
the Clinton Falls reservoir, where the
largest and most picturesque lake will be
formed when the dam is completed. Tine
lake will branch out among the hills.
with several ramiflcatioDs. anu in many
places the water will be over forty feet
deep. Below the dam Is a picturesque
gorge spanned by stone arch which car
ried the new road over the chasm. Down
this gorge the water from shree mountain
lakes and a dozen brooks has plunged for
ages, until the walls OF rock are worn into
most fantastic shapes. Below the falls Is
a grassy nook shelter a by old willows.
In this glen an old stone furnance stack
still stands as a reminder of the primitive
iron industry In this State. Up 10 fifty
years ago from the latter part of the
last century the iron ore from
smelted in this now quiet
nook, and the hoarse wheeling and sigh
ing of the blowing tubs drowned the rat
tie of the big water wheel. After years
of restfui quiet the neighborhood or Chm
ton Falls Is again disturbed by the ram
BILE OF machinery. Now the noise IS
made by a stone crusher, which is COM
bined in an ingenious way with an auto
matte mixer for making concrete. As the
crushed stone falls from the hungry jaws
of the breaker it is screened Ia the usual
manner by a perforated cylinder, from
WHlc0 IL runs lutO dHOtleE CJiluucIs lubb
which the proper quantity of sand and
cement is dropped from above, while the
water Is let in by young man who
watches the concrete, aud has his hand
constantly upon valve which regulates
the flow of water
Concrete is an important item at the
Clinton Falls reservoir, because there the
dam is both higher and Longer than any
of the other dams in the big contract. 1t
will be about 500 feet in length, and will
cross the valley from one ledge OF rock to
the other with a firm foundation in the
bedrock underlying the earth. The con-
crete, as fast as it is mixed. is carted TO
the site of the dam, where it Is dumped
from wagons into the frame OF planking,
which molds each layer OF the dam. In
few hours the cement is set, so that the
Dlanks can be removed and another cast
made in connection with one end or an
other of the last block formed. Thus the
great core is built up, course after course,
and all are knitted firmly together. The
cement, sand and crushed rock are all of
the best quality that can be obtained, and
the resultant wall is like one solid block
of stone. Great sloping walls of loan
and gravel will rise on either side to the
crest of the CORE and at the base the big
dam will be at least $50 feet thick. Water
will never be permitted TO pour over this
earth dam, an outlet being provided as at
Oak Ridge through the solid rock above
the dam.
AT Clinton Falls this cut sweeps out in
q half circle on the west side Of the reser-
voir.and returns TO the stream above the
falls. In the deep rock cutting is an iul-
mense gate house built. up of heavy ma
sonry 1t is nearly competed, and when
finished will be provided with a single
system of gates. which can be raised and
lowered with ease, and will control the
flow Of water TO a nicely. At the same
time, the natural overflow of the reser-
voir will pass over the gates into the cut
and through it to the stream below.
THE MEN EMPLOYED
There are 335 Italians and about fifty
men of ether nationalities employed on
the work at Clinton Falls, ana il is prom
ised that the reservoir will be completed
by December 1st. This seems possible.
even with the present force. and il IS IN
derstood that it will be increased this
mouth. An immense amount Of clearing
was done during the winter months. and
the gate-house in the narrow and shelter
ed cut was nearly completed at the same
time. The Italians are quartered in old
farm houses, barns and rude huts in the
neighborhood, aud have built numerous
sod tents here as in other places along the
line OF work. In these huts they do their
The renowned hu,norist and basso. J. Williams
Macy considered the best Dick Beadeye In The
country viii ASSUME thar rolr IN the buriesqus