The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-08-13
Drink FOR NEWARK.
The Great Water Works
Will Be Ready About
December.
FINISHING MAC0PIN DAM.
DetentiOns on the Pipe LlHe-Still
the Work Advances Steadily
Everywhere.
speeial 3 the yersep 90 Nss.


NEWARK, Aug. 13. 1s9L-A remark
dropped by Commissioner Harlan the
other day. at a meeting of the Water De-
partment of the Board OF Street aud
Water Commissioners, intimated that
service was expected from the East Jer-
sey Water Company Of the new supply OF
water for this city four or FIVE months
before the date stipulated in the con-
tract, which is May l. 1892 The work
upon the dams, reservoirs aud pipe line
has been pushed rapidly, and vet not so
fast as was possible. A greater force
might have been engaged and. had it
been required, the citizens could now be
quenching their thirst with purer sup
ply than that Of the Passaic.
THIS YEAR.
The quasi-prnmise is made that water
will be conveyed through the pipe line
this year. This does not imply, however,
that the dams will be finished and the
reservoir sites cleared. With the COM
pletion OF the dam at the Macopin intake
and the pipe line, the daily supply OF ths
entire watershed may be conveyed to the
Belleville reservoir and distributed
throughout the CITY mains. This. prob
ably, would be sufficient for the conr
sumption during the late fail or WHITES
months. The capacity of The tank i
about 30, 600. 900 gallons, and all the tribu-
taries to the Pequannock, including some
storage at Echo lake, would flow directly
to the intake. In other words. tle entire
supply may be available. even though
the great impounding reservoirs OF Clln-
ton ana Oak Ridge are not cleared and
ready for use. The natural flow will
pass through then and on to the intake.
%he Maeopin intake dam Is very nearly
finished, and the site was grupbed a
year ago. 1t will have TO be gone all over
again, bot large force OF men would
make short work OF 1t. on account of Its
narrow limits.
WORK ON THE PIPE LINE.
The pipe line has met with several
slight delsntions, not the least being the
litigation over rights Of way. Condemna-
tion proceedings are now in progress,
however. ana the matters Ia dispute are
expected to be readily settled. Several
go on tomorrow, and still others
a week from tomorrow. The greatest
difficulties along the line bave been sur
mounted. Wherever the pipe was TO go
under the canal the work was done be-
fore water was turned in last spring.
The blasting at Great Notch aud in the
rocky section back OF Butler wus done
last winter, so that the most Of the re-
mainder of the way Is over easy groand.
4 fire in the factory interfered with the
supply of the pipe, but the last report
shows that all repairs have been CON-
pleied.
"They viii be testing the pipe line in a
couple Of months - said Commissioner
Harlan, 'and don't see any reason why
the water should not be available this
year."
The Mayor said ne understood that the
East Jersey Water Company weuld send
the Pequannock through the pipe line be-
fore the year is out. Over thirteen miles
OF the line is laid, he said, and the total
distance is twenty-five miles and three
tenths. All the obstacles have been over
come, and the water from the whole of
the watershed can be collected. The
Mayor said tAat the questions Of payment
and acce Otance had not yet been raised.
NO ADVANTAGE TO THE COMPANY.
The company submitted to n provision
for a penalty for each day after May J..
1892, that the work was unfinished. Now,
il the city is supplied with all It requires.
not over q, 50O, 600. on the first day Of jan
uary, in what way will the company reap
any advantagef This was the question
put to the mayor, which, he said, mad not
been considered. He said there was never
any contemplation of paying by the mil
lion gallons. and intimated that such q
course would not be adopted, even for The
interim before May next. The city could
not well accept the works and pay for
them with the proceeds of bonds unless
the reservoirs were all grubbed and
cleared, and everything was complete. II
that was not doue the company wonid
not derive the interest Oh the money
while the water was being supplied