The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-06-06
BACKED UP BY THE TIDE.
The East Bank Current and it's
Work-Dead Dogs in the
Stream.
Passaic's Vile Share in Poisoning
the Water We Drink-'Long
Shore Factories.

the disease-breeding Passaic River from
Newark to the Bellevlle bridge. Appall-
ing as the description was of the scenes of
sewers and private drains, the oil, the
black water. the ill-smelling odor that
permeated the air from one shore of the
river to the other, every word published
can be verified by any person who will
take the trouble to sail from Newark to
the Dundee Dam.
DEAD DOGS.
When the staunch Passaic Queen passed
through the draw of the Belleville bridge,
Inspector Leake shouted 10 the bridge
tender:-
Halo, Mulligan, how many have you
got today"
I've only got couple of dogs" was
the rather sad reply of Mulligan.
Inspector Leake explained that he paid
the bridge tenders along the river sew
enty-five cents for every dog that they
took from the river and buried. They
are paid also for other dead animals. The
Inspector appeared to think that "only a
couple of dogs" was very small haul,
and that Mulligan was in hard luck.
THE INTAKE.
Leaving the bridge observed the Jer-
sey City intake. The course of the chan
mel at this point forces much of the float.
ing matter to the east bank Of the river,
and around the big screens which protect
the intake from receiving neavy objects
such as branches Of trees, logs and drift
wood. The bars of this screen are about
one inch apart, and through the spaces
m de by them leaves, dead fish and other
vile refuse find no difficulty in effecting
passage. Inside of this gate is another
one which is supposed to seive all water
which passes into the pipes that supply
this city. This screen is composed of
bars of steel or iron three-fourths of an
inch apart. They are close enough to-
gether TO prevent the entrance of leaves
and other vegetable matter that Is not
broken small, but the small bits of vege-
tatiOn glide through smoothly to flow
into our water mains and there to dec ay
and to emit foul smell when the wat er
reaches the houses aud passes through
the hydrants. Other forms of fltn, of
course, pass through freely.
II Is because this disgusting material
gathers in the pipes that directly supply
the peoples homes that considerable relief
is obtained when the city "blows off" hy-
drants Every one has seen men "blow
off" fire hydrant and let the water run
into sewers. Every one has noticed at
first that the water is very much dis
colored sometimes being absolutely black,
and when it runs from the hydrant to the
street 1t sends out most disagreeable
smell, sometimes a sickeniug one. 1t is
generally the decayed vegetable and
sewer refuse that has found its way
through the intake to TIE pipes in the
streets and houses, and has for weeks fes-
tered and rotted in these pipes, that dyes
the water and causes the STENCIL Blow
ing off hydrants does not purify water
and extract disease germs, but 1t relieves
IT. pf of IFS annarent h0rrlhln
features.
WORSE OFF THAN NEWARK.
BefUre Newark got its new supply the
people Of that city complained bitterly OF
the water that they drew from the
Passaic. Yet it was not nearly so bad as
that supplied to this city both then and
now.
Chemical experiments have proved this
to be an absolute scientific fact. Ordi-
nary intelligence or consumers when
they were forced to drink either water
practically demonstrated this truth.
Jerseo City water always was filthier,
smelled worse and was decidedly more
obnoxious than that which Newark peo-
pie consumed before they had their pre-
sent supply.
People may wonder at this statement,
knowing that the Passaic river supplied
both cities. but there Is nothing to Won
der at when all the facts are known. The
Newark intake was half a mile further
away from the Newark sewers than the
Jersey Citv intake. This in itself would
be explanation enough. But the channel
os the Passaic River for the greater por-
tion of the way is on the east side of the
river. The current is very strong on both
turally is very much stronger
in the channel than over the flats on the
west side of the river. The strong current
draws into it very large percentage of
the solid refuse, sewage and vegetable mat
ter, and whirls 1T over TO the Jersey City
iutake, whose capacious throat constantly
yawns to receive 1t.
Newark drew its water from shallow
portion OF the stream where the water
was more sluggish and sewage had an
opportunity to settle to the bottom.
Newark did not pump It's water dlrect
iuto the mains aud into the clty, DAT
pumped 1t into two large receiving Das-
sins or reservoirs where it was permitted
to stand and the solid matter to seetle.
Then che water was drawn oil Into Lhe
mains for the use of consumers. For
this reason the water that the people of
Newark claimed was too vile and too un-
healthy to drink was always much
clearer and of better color than that
which flows to this city. The germs of
disease may have fiourisbed in the water
as they now do in what supplieslthis CITY,
hut the facts were not so apparent and
the water was more inviting IN appear
ance.
CLEAR UP STREAM.
After we left the Jersey City intake.
the water became perceptibly clearer and
solid matter was scarcely perceDtible un-
iii West Rutherford was reached. This
fact alone proved that the refuse OF
Newark sewers was carried on flood tide
above the Jersey City intake. Before
reaching West Rutherford the river
passes large swamps from which consider
able decayed vegetable matter comes
after severe rain. at Ayondale another
bridge is reached and here inspector
Leake hailed the bridge tender;-
Halo, Knapp. have you got anys"
''Yeh. I've collared three pups, mean
ing that he had taken from the river the
Hav before three dead dogs.
Third River is just below Lyndhurst.
Here is the immense p per factory OF
Kingsland Brothers. Five or SIX years
aoo the Essex County Grand Jury 1n-
1icted the firm for polluting the Passalc
water with poisonous acid and flne OF
h COO was imposed. The work OF the
IN aotory still continues, and no one knows
NV much the chemicals used IN 1t pollute
he water. II is almost impossible TO CON
= ct any manufactures in this county ror
nolluting the Passaic River. and Essex