The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-06-06

The Construction Greatly Facilitated BY
the Dry Weather.


SPECIAL 70 tie Jersey cits Netrs.
NEWARK, June 5, 1s91.-The long period
Of dry weather has facilitated work at
Oak Ridge reservoir. and on Saturday the
earth filling on each side Of the core dam
had reached height Of fifteen feet above
the level Of the stream. The earth for
filling is obtained from the hillside on
the west side of the dam, and although
there Is large amount yet available the
new road built By the Water Company
VIII need 70 oe moved before the work Is
completed
-bis earth filing extends 300 feet each
side at the bottom OF the dam, and will
narrow to about thirty feet when COM
pieted- The core dam Is built Of concrete
and extends forty feet below the level.
where II rests on solid rock. It is now
about two feet above the earth. and until
this is brought up even the concrete work
Is suspended. When complete. the dam
viii be about fifty feet high The rip-rap
on the water side Is composed of common
field stone. laid about four feet thick
on an incline with The slope Of the earth
work
The mighty jaws Of the stone-crusher-
are now silent, as there is plenty Of mas
teriai at hand, but it takes bouldera
larger than a mans head, composed Of s
tough field conglomerate, and crushe-
them as easily asa monkey would pea
nut
Since active work began on the founda-
ton for the gate house, which is
located in an angle Of the spin way cut
through the solid rock, about one
hundred and fity feet from the Golfer dam.
the water is shut of during the daytime
and turned on at night. In the morning.
inns swarm to the cut, where they find
trout, plckerel, suckers, etc. AS many as
nifty fish are often taken In this way. and
IL is a novel way Of securing food
In ten hours, while the gates are shut,
the water OF the Pequannock rises about
four feet, and the stream Is very low
now.
Preparations for a mighty blast are
being made in the spillway, where the
gate house will be built. Eighteen holes.
eight feet deep, are being drilled into the
solid rock, and when these are filled with
dynamite and the charge exploded il is
expected that there will be more room.
The work Of drilling is nearly completed.
Nature has provided great strength for
the gates. as they will be anchored in
bend Of the cut, where a mountain Of solid
rock will resist the great pressure to come
upon them The only granite used at the
works will be in the gate house As the
intake begins at Macopin, Clinton and
Oak Ridge are re be used only ss storage
reservoirs. the water will follow the ma
tural bed of the stream TO Charlottsburg.
Last week twenty-five Of the Hungarian
laborers were discharged, being con-
sidered an undesirable element, and the
remainder OF their fellow countrymen IN
the eompany's employ at once struck in
their behalf, threatening to kill any who
resumed work. That settled the matter.
and on Saturday seventy Of the Huns
were sent adrift. They win be replaced
by Italians. Only about 200 men are now
at Oak Ridge. the work being much
farther advanced than at Clinton. where
the number is placed at 400.
The scene Of the Italian quarters on a
clear Sunday is novel II not inspiring
one. Groups are gathered about little
fires made OF brush or rails. cooking ma
caroni or some of tae fat pork two Inches
or more In thickness which they obtain of
the storekeeper. The cooking ufensll
rests on stones, and the COOKS are not
bothered with style. ION stoves ought 70
find market here.j Others are kueading
and rolling preparation of -four. while
the idle ones gather 70 play cards or other
games. sunday IS washday. and the
grass along the river and the fences by
the wayside show every conceivable color
IN clothes laid out TO dry. The store
keeper weighs with exactfug care. and
will never go TO the poorhouse If he can
avoid it.