The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-01-19
NEVARK'S MIXED DRINK
Good Water Wasted on the
People of That
Town.
TESTING THE NEW PIPE LINE.
Mistakes That Will Have to Be Cor
rected-DOubts About the
Storage Capacity.
TESTING THE NEW PIPE LINE.
Special to the Jersey city Me,s..

NEWARK, Jan. 10, 1s92.-On Tuesday
last Newarkers were treated to mixed
drinks and not creature knew it.. Dur
ing the morning the workmen Of the
East Jersey Water Company began to
test the big pipe between Little Falls and
Belleville. and between ten and eleven
O'Clock the rush of air at the Belleville
end told them that the water would soon
be there. They telephoned to Chief En-
gineer Herschel that if he wanted to be
in at the finish he must hurry down from
his home In Montclair. He jumped into
buggy and by rapid driving reached the
Be1leville gate house just before the
water came. Mr.. Herscnel was the only
parsonage CT Importance at the spot, ex-
cept perhaps Mr.. Callaghan, the keeper
| of the reservoir.
Mayor Hay mes was not there nor were
there any Of the Commissioners of Public
Works or their Superintendent Mr..
Marsh. Mr.. Herschel sent them no warn
Ing that the water was to be let into the
reservoir that day and number of the m
were considerably nettled by the neglect
of the Chief Engineer whose discourtesy
has offended them before this occasion.
One Commissioner regards it as little
water to flow into the reservoir without
proper notice. On the other hand Mr..
Herscnel does not consider Tuesdays
work as beginning of the new water
supply. 1t was merely test of section
of the pipe. ana after the pipe was filled
the hitherto INFESTED section had to be
emptied. and the only convenient means
of emptying it was to allow the water to
flow into the reservoir. Eight million
gallons of pure water: from Macopin in
take was thus allowed to temper the flow
| from the Passaic. Some persons thought
that they noticed an Improvement next
| day, but as far as has been reported no-
| body ceased buying pure water in demi-
| johns at five cents gallon. Mayor
| Haynes was not at the reservoir until the
| clear water from the pipes had been flow
| ing from the five outlets into the gate
| house for an hour or more.
Engineer jacobson was measuring
| water at Clinton Fails when the test was
| made. and received notice of it by the
company's telephone line. He hurried
| down to Belleville and reached the reser-
| voir when all but a belated reporter had
gone. The flow was shut of then and
| was not again started until last night.
At five o'clock last evening the water was
| again turned into the reservoir, and at
last accounts was still flowing. Keeper
| Callaghan sent word to Chairman James
| Smith, Jr.. to that effect.
ONE LITTLE MISTAKE.
| The test on Tuesday developed a num-
ber of minor defects in the pipe line, the
| chief of which is said to be mistake in
| using asbestos for gaskets under the
manhole covers. Then there was many
| leaks which made their presence per-
ceptible through the covering of soil. 1t
| is understood that the company covered
the pipe to protect it from expansion and
| contraction, and that it is the intention
to uncover and examine every foot OF the
LAM nfc tp~ nd q
seams. 1t is manifestly impossible that
such long job of boiler work could be
perfect in this respect, and while every
precaution was taken, the engineers ex-
| pected to find numerous small defects
| which could not be discovered except un-
der pressure.
The test on Tuesday was not one OF
capacity of the pipe. and it is SAID that
the water did not ill the conduit on the
higher levels at any time, so that the
maximum pressure could not have been
| exerted. 1t was full in the valleys. to be
sure, but until the whole pipe is filed 70
it's utmost capacity there will be no COM
plete test There is a large margin OF
safety however, and there can be NO
danger of rupture anywhere II tne
engineers calculations are not at fault.
The water ran on Tuesday for about tve
hours at the rate of little more than one
and one-half million gallons per hour.
showing that the pipe is adequate for at
least the eleven-year supply of q, 100000
gallons day. Whether So 600, 900 gallons
could be crowded through the pipe in
twenty-four hours is another question.
| DOUBT ABOUT THE STORAGE CAPACITY.
There is serious doubt that the storage
capacity of the reservoirs Is sufnclents
and this doubt is shared by the Street
and Water Commissioners. VINO have
asked Engineers jacobson and Freley 70
| make measurements and report the re-
suit, Engineer jacobsen has been en-
| gagged upon this work for some time.
Chairman James Smith, Jr., said last
night that he would not sanction the ac-
ceptance of the work or the payment or
any of tho money until it had been salts
factorily proved that the supply was ade-
quate and all the details of the work
were thoroughly attended to- He thinks
that it will be necessary to wait until the
frost is out of the ground before IL can pc
determined whether the pipe line is all
right and that the question of shallow
flowage is one which must be determined
by competent authority before the JOB is
| accepted. -,
Commissioner Harlan says that he will
never vote for the acceptance OF the work
until all the terms OF the contract are
complied with or the courts adjudge that
| thew need not be. He thinks that 6he
Lehigh Valley Railroad is responsible
and can be compelled to comply with
every term in the document which was
signed by both parties. he doeS noo oe-
Iieye that the storage capacity Is sufhclens
to yield fifty million gallons day
throughout the year, but bases his opin-
ion not upon his own Judgment, but that
of engineers who nave gone over tpe mat
ter. He regards the question Of vegetable
decomposition as serious one, but thinks
that there never was water supply
which had such admirable facilities for
oxidation and aeration as the Peauan-
lock has in tumbling down its boulder
strewn bed. At the same time ne knows
the vacillating habit of this stream. One
day it is swollen by torrent and running
over its banks as it roars down the VAL
lev, aud the next day it may be crossed
dry shod in many places. Such stream
needs ample storage basins, he says, ana
much depends upon getting good sup
ply during the spring freshets.
Weather Indications.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 1s92.-Weatner
Indications for twenty-four hours Tor
Eastern New York, New Jersey, ana
| eyIu nil .--(f0l6AF followed