The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-06-23
NBWARK'S Big Pipe.
1t is of Sheet Steel and it
Will Run From Oak
Bridge to Belle
Vile.
CARRIED OVER RIVERS.
Splendid Work Being Done on the
Great Waterw0rks-Scenes
Along the Route.

niingle with the roar of the big stone
breaker at Great Notch, where the pipe
is now being buried in the trench which
traverses the Notch In the mountains
and leads away northward toward Little
Falls and Pompton Plains.
Hundreds and hundreds of big steel
tubes, twenty-eight feet In length end
four feet in diameter are stored on the
site of future reservoir. half a mile thts
side Of Great Notch station. while a long
line Of tubes placed end to end stretche S
over hill and dale toward the river.
Scores of swarthy Italians are clearing
ont the trench which was cut through
earth and Rock last winter, and la rye
corps Of boiler makere are engaged in
joining the ends Of the pipe with red h OF
rivets after it Is laid in the ditch.
The pipe is made of sheet steel, which
has a remarkably smooth surface. Four
sheets are joined In making one length of
pipe, and each end is pierced with rivet
holes. which are punched with such ac-
cuIacy that it is seldom necessary to drill
or ream hole in joining length to length
Two lengths are tapped together ana held
with temporary bolts until the rivetinR
is nearly completed On the upper half
of the pipe the rivetfng Is done from the
outside but the lower half Is riveted on
the inside of the pipe, the hot rivets being
dropped threw small holes cut in the top
OF the pipe and afterward closed with
screw plug.
CAREFUL WORK.
The coating of the pipe is California
asphalt, tempered so that it Will not run
III hot weather or chip off easily in cold.
The coating is put on by dipping the
length OF pipe in boiler containing the
hot material. Great care is taken to
avoid abrading the skin OF asphAltum
from the pipes. and 1t is necessary to paint
over all abraded spots before the pipe is
put into the trench and again after the
POINTS are connected.
The pipes come from the mill at Pater-
son on fiat cars, each of which carries
four lengths upon chocks made for the
purpose. Two lengths lie on the cbocks
upon the deck of the car and upon these
two other chocks are laid to hold the Two
pipes above. The chains which secure
the pipes upon the cars and wagons are eu-
closed in short pieces Of rubber nose
which keeps the links from abrading the
coating of the pipes. The wagons used in
hauling the pipe are heavy, but simple
affairs with tires four inches wide and
high holsters upon which the pipe rests
The lengths or pipe are rolled from the
cars upon the wagons with skids and are
fastened securely with a rubber covered
cbain, tightenea with a hickory boom or
saDling.
just now the pipes are being unloaded
in the rear of Gilland's Hotel From
there the pipes are now being carted TO a
point where the trench debauches on the
plain from the obscure gap in the noun
tain known as Pompton Notch. From
almost any point on The Pompton turn
pike, near Pompton Plains village, the
line of the trench can be traced up the
hillside into the gap in the mountains,
and all through the day the clang of the
rivetters' hammers eau be heard for O
distance of two miles or more. Joints OF
the pipe Can be plainly seen lying along
the trench where it climbs the mountain,
and it is to this part of the work that the
teamsters are now hauling the pipe
Italians are at work rs close together as
they can WELD their picks and shoyels
and the trench is making great advances
daily. There will be nearly eight miles
OF practically level digging through soft
soil in diagonal line across the plains
from Pompton Notch to the Passaic
River. From and through the notch to
the Macopin intake on the Pequannock
the lrench is finished and nearly all of
the pipe is in place.
CROSSING THE RIVERS.
The pipe line will cross the Pompton
turnpike diagonaiiy at point nearly
half q mile below Gilland's Hotel, and
will cross the Greenwood Lake railroad q
short distance above the Pequannock
station. At Pequannock the turnpike
.
mile from the station it CT osses the
Pompton River and the feeder of the
canal. which lie close together. About
1C0 yards north of the turnpike bridge
over the river are seven peculiar and
nlHssive bridge piers of granite in the
river. on It's banks and on both banks of
the canal feeder. They have just been
completed. and when the ironwork is
erected they will serve to carry the big
pipe over the river and canal. There is an
appearance of solidity about the piers
which gives the observer the impression
that they are meant TO last for all time.
an impression which the appearance of
the pipe itself does not convey.
After crossing the river the same
diagonal line will be continued by the
pipe to point on the Passaic River,
mile or more below Little Falls. wher re
preparations are being made for the con-
strnctior or large. strong and orna-
mental aqHeduct bridge across the river.
Then comes the canal again, but this was
crossed during the winter, when the
water was out, the pipe being laid in the
bed of the great ditch and covered with
gravel and clay. This IS the way the
Pequannock River was crossed at Smiths
Mills, and number of small brooks Will
be crossed in the same manner.
Al low points along the line convenient
TO brooks and rivers, outlet valves will be
put In the big pipe, and on the higher
elevations there will be manholes through
which men can gain access TO the interior.
At the more elevated points thin pipe Will
be used and the thickness OF metal will
be increased on the low points where the
pressure will naturally be greatest. The
interior diameter of the pipe will not
vary from four feet at any place, and the
only point at which cast iron will be used
is directly at the gate of the intaKe dam,
where two huge cast iron elbows protrude
from masonry. One of these will be at
tached 10 the big service pipe, and the
other will not be usei except as waste
gate until second pine is needed.
ENDURANCE OF THE PIPES.
The question of the life of the street
pipe is one of interest to all at present,
and Will be Of greater interest as tine years
creep on. Some engineers have not hesi-
tated to say. that it is huge blunder to
pat dependence upon such a material, and
that, with a masonry tunnel ont OF all
consideration, on account Of its excessive
ro,t, the city should have had at least u
heayy east-iron pipe, or. II necessary, o
pair OF taem. One engineer predicted to
The writer that the street pipe would not
stand the test for more than twenty or
Twenty-Five years, and that It would then
be necessary for the city to dig another
trench and lay another pipe. He laughed
Il the idea OF the asphalt coating being