The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-10-01
NEWARK WATER PLANT
Rapid Progress of the Work
Toward the Reservoir
at Bel1eville.
FACTS TO INTEREST JERSEY CITY.
Description of the Processes Pur-
sued by the Workmen - A
Dispute Over a Gatehouse
and a Birds Eye View
of the Situation.
FACTS TO INTEREST JERSEY CITY.
Specfa1 to tns Ieraeu citu Netus

llue- lu6 pipe lS ldlu nearly uP " eAC
receiving reservoir, which is located on
the hill about mile west of the present
Belleville pumping station. This pipe
line extends from the Macopin intake.
through Pompton Plains. Great Notch
and that part of Bloomfield township
know n as Brookdale, and thence almost
in bee line to the receiving reservoir at
Belleville. With the exception of gap
at Pompton Plains, caused by the fact
that the East Jersey Water Company and
the city could not get the right Of way
Mr.. Slingerland's property,
and that condemnation proceed
ngs are now pending, gap at the Carr a.
brant property. at Brookdale, and at the
Underhill mills at Franklin, the pipe line
is completed nearly to the reservoir. 1t
week the pipe will be laid all the way up
to the Ieservoir with the exceptions or
gaps mentioned. Then, Of course, connec-
rions with pipes entering the reservoir
will have to be made, and the gatehouse
will have to be constructed, but it IS
hoped that the Pequannock water can be
carried into the street mains and supplied
to the public by December or January at
the latest.
HOW THE WORK is DONE.
A reporter visited the receiving reSer-
voirs at Belleville yesterday morning and
watched the laying of pipes. The new
water supply will come to the reservoir
through steel pipes forty-eight inches In
diameter. These pipes are ali heavily
coated with asphalt and are brought upon
the ground in sections twenty-eight feet
long. They are then riveted together, the
rivets being driven in red hot. After
this they are placed In the trench.
The scene was lively one. Gangs
mering rivets into the pipes, others were
attendi ng forges in which the rivets
were heated, Others were at work in ad-
justing the pipes and doing other
work in preparation for the laying
of the line, Laborers were dig
ging in the trenches, and little fur
ther on at the northwestern end
building the gatehouse. This Is to be a
handsome brick and brown stone struc-
ture, which will contain o system OF gates
and pressure regulators, and 1t is
through this gate house that the new
supply will enter the receiving reservoir,
and from this reservoir the water VIII pc
sent out through the distribu ting main
into the street mains of the city. The
East Jersey Water Company will also
connect their pipes directly with the dis
tributing mains, so that the water can be
sent through the city without going into
the receiving reservoir. If desired.
Work was begun yesterday on the
BellevilIe to the high service reservoir
on South Orange avenue. This main
will connect with the fOrty-eighG inch
pipe laid by the East Jersey Water COM
pany to the receiving reservoir and, with
out entering the latter, will run through
the country until Second street Is reached.
Then it will run through Second street
and Forest Hill driveway to Chester ave-
nue., thepce to Fifth street, through Fifth
street to Central avenue, then through
that avenue and Eighth street to the
South Orange avenue reservoir.
CLEANING THE RESERVOIR.
The water has been let out of the re-
ceiving reservoir at Belleville, and a large
gang OF men is now engaged in cleaning
the bottom of the receptacle. Scrapers
and brooms are being used to remove all
the filth that has accumulated there, and
before any water is let in 1t will be made
thoroughly clean. The slope walls have
also been cleaned. A new fence Is being
put up around the reservoir grounds. and
the grounds themselves are in ad dmirable
order and adorned with handsome beds
of flowers, which with the well-kept
lawns and grassy slopes give the place
the appearance of park.
Some days ago Chief Engineer Herschel,
of the East Jersey Water Company, APP
peared before the Board of Street and
Water Commissioners, at an executive
meeting. and stated that the receiving
reservoir at Belleville had no wasteway
to protect the reservoir and the supply of
water to the city. He said that a gate
chamber can be constructed over the
''rising main." This is the main now
used in pumping the water from the Pas
in ,iu inf IN a raoarunir Whan the
new water supply Is made available this
'srising main" will not be needed, and it
could then be used as an overflow, in case
the water in the reservoir should
get too high. The "rising main"
could also be used at any time occasion
required it for pumping water into the
reservoir from the Passaic river again. If
the new supply should be temporarily
shut off by an accident or for any other
reason. Mr.. Herschel said that the East
jersey Water Company does not consider
itself liable for the cost of the construc-
tion of these gates or valves, but they will
make the connections and connect with
the rising main at their own expense in
such way that they can use the main
for waste-way, or for pumping into If 1t
becomes necessary. No action was taken
in the matter, and it was laid over until
yesterday.
A JUG HANDLE PROPOSED.
IuGSUdN dlteEuOOu, ootOlC tNhluS w
the regular business, the Board held q
meeting to consider the matter. Chief
Engineer Herschel, of the East Jersey
Water Company, was present, and Presi-
dent Smith, OF the Board Of Street and
Water Commissioners, addressing him,
said: ''Mr. Herschel, the proposition as
submitted by you the other day has been
talked over and considered by our Board.
and they are not willing to accept your
offer. We don't think we ought to give
you our rising main for waste water.
The Board thinks you ought to pay us
SIS, 900 for the use of our pipe and put up
the building over the gates at Belleville
and make all our pipe connections What
do you think about thisP'
Mr. Hershel:-"That proposition re-
minds me of the handle OF a jug. 1t is all
on one side. We think we are not called
upon to build the hous es over your gates
at Belleviile and that we have done and
are doing all we agreed to do. Lam
authorized, however, to say that we will
pay the $1,000 aud do what you desire.
provided we are allowed to use the mai N
for our waste. We do not care, however,
to erect the gatehouse. If you will leave
the gatehouse out of the question we will
pay the So. 900 Otherwise we are willing
to pay $4,000 and do all your work"