The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-06-28
FINISHING THE RESERVOIRS.
The Work Rushing in Oak Ridge
and Clinton-Low Water
at the New Source
of Supply.
Special to the Sunday Morniag Ne,ys


NEWARK, June q. 1891. They are
hustling for FART was the expression
made last evening by gentleman who
returned from an inspection OF the scenes
of labor on the new water supply. He
said that he visited the whole of tue
ground and took Two days for it, The
best showing seems to be at Oak Ridge
reservoir, he says, as there the work Is
most ship-shape and most calculated to
impress d visitor. The core building and
the work of laying and rolling the
earth dam is progressing rapidly and
the gate house Is rapidly approaching COM
pletion- At Clinton Falls 800 men are
grubbing the bottom of the great basin,
and they seem lost in the vast space.
Others are at work on the core and dam
as at Oak Ridge. The Clinton gate house
is finished SO tar as the wHter chambers
and walls are concerned the stream at
Clinton is extremely low, and from q dis
lance. he says. it looks about as big as
the flow which comes down Market sire ct
cutters on a rainy day. The force has
been largely 1ncrease ed at Clinton Falls
and the work Is being pushed as II it was
feared that It might be behind other
places at the finish.
AT Macopin intake basin stump ex-
tractors are still at work, and the dam is
being built across the channel of the
river or what Is u river at times, but Is
now a contemplate little rill. All the
water which now flows down the Pequan-
mock valley is pouring through the gate
house, and out of one OF the four foot cast
iron elbows which project from the face
OF the dam on the north side of the river
bed. IL Is miserable dribble that falls
from the pipe into the channel below, and
its present size leads visitors to wonder
If 1t Will ever be adequate to supply New
ark. This has been an unusgally dry
season, however, and single heavy
storm may fiji the river bed brimful in
a few hours That is the kind of stream
the Pequannock is, 1t has n swift descent
aud emptiss quickly when filed BY rain.
The object OF the water company is to
hold back che water which would other
wise go to waSte, and to equalize the flow
throughout the year. It remains to be
seen whether enough can be stored to
keep up the supply in the dry seasons,
which occur nearly every year, but the
works are based upon scientific calcula-
tions. which the engineers deem infal-
lible.
The pipe is being laid at the rate of 600
or 200 feet a day, and 1t is hoped to get
the score up to mile q week before long
At Pompton river aud the Morris Canal,
near PequannocK station, the con-
tractors have got one span of iron work
upon the piers which are TO carry
the pipe over the river aud canal. At
Browertown, between Little Falls and
Paterson. the immense piers are up which
will form the supports to carry the pipe
across the Passaic River. Over mile OF
pipe is laid between that point and Great
Notch. where another big gang OF me n
has laid and joined the pipe almost
through the notch. Another detachment
Of men is working at pipe-laying and
ditchinR near Brookdale, a few miles
above Bloomfield on the line Of the canal
At Pompton Notch the best progress is
being made, and much of the pipe has
been covered in. 1t is rapidly crossing
the plains toward the Pomton River. Be-
tween Pompton Notch and the Pequ9n-
mock River another gang of men il en-
ployed, and here Mr.. Alex. Romaine. of
this city, is the inspector for the city.
Mr. Roulaine has been employed on the
work since the fist pipe was laid, but
only recently has he been appointed to
look out for the interest OF the city.