The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-05-24
NOT WATER ENOUGH.
Further Exposure of New
ark's Pequannock
Fraud.
THE STORAGE ABORTION.
Not Capacity Enough 10 Utilize
the Natural Flow of the
River to Ad-
vantage.
STORAGE ABORTION.
Special to the Jersey Cfty Ne,os.

seems to be doubtful, in view of the COM
putatiops already published. The report
of The ci,y's engineers suggested that the
works were insufficient. But now COM
putations are presented which indicate
that there can be no doubt of it.
The first of a series of articles prepared
by "A resident OF Newark, who has given
the subject considerable attention., was
published yesterday. 1t related to the
capacity of the different reservoirs, the
extent of the drainage area from which
each is supplied. various calculations
showing the probable yield OF each, and
the rules by which the conclusions are
reached. The second instaIlment is pub.
lished today and shows the total yield of
the wafer she'd. "a
DEFICIENCY OF STORAGE CAPACITY.
The city's engineers declared it as their
belief that the Pequannock system as n
whole, as now constituted, could not in
sure the delivery of more than 35. 000, 600
GALLONS a day in time OF drought. This
conclusion is based wholly upou an esti-
mated deficiency in the Total storage
capacity now provided. That is to say.
the storage capacity now provided ls only
enough for an annual draft of l2,775.-
COO. 900 gallons, whereas Newark calls for
10 $50. 900, 900 gallons a year.
1T is plain that the city's engineers
adopt as the proper storage capacity the
W. " CtcOoO oLC AaiL IL "a Ill
nual demand to be made upon the water
shed by Newark. This standard is sane
toned by Mr.. Croes, who states that the
storage required to insure u yield of 50,-
orc, 600 gallons n day would be not less
Than 10000, 600, 900 gallons.
REQUIREMENTS FOR STORAGE.
Fannlng's rule requires a storage capac-
itv equal to twenty per cent. of the mean
annual rainfall. which in this case would
amount to 8. 63S, U.s.. 800 gallons.
Ga;nf E,rrt,,aas pirdnotl IF fhn rpOtap
supply, also gives the rule for proper stor-
age capacity as one-half of the annual
draft upon it, although he has not yet
been able even remotely to approximate
his standard in the Croton area. and hence
saw New York city last year brought to
the verge of n water famine.
Mr.. Stearns gives a rule in his report
for 1890 which requires u slightly larger
storage capacity than those jast stated.
So, then, according to some of the highest
hydraulic experts in this country. if the
rainfall and flow of the Pequannock area
were ample to provide for the maximum
demand Of Newark under the contract,
still the storage capacity would seem to
be deficient by about two f1fths of the re-
quisite amount, and each aud all of the
criticisms on storage capacity nlade by
the city's engineers are fully justified
by evident facts and the highest authori-
ties.
THE RAINFALL AND o
This brings up the question whether or
not the rainfall and flow are ample for
the maximum requirements of the con-
tract. This vital matter is not discussed
by the engineers in their report. Mr..
Cross, in the letter already quoted. esti-
mates the utmost yield rs 900. 900 gallons
q day, per square mile OF drainage area.
This would be I. ON the whole area a
daily yield of only IS. 700. 900 gallons, or a
total annual yield OF only IA. 125, 500, 600, or
over 1000. 900. 600 gallons less than the
maximum demand of the contract.
Mr.. Stea rms, In the Massachusetts, State
Board of Health report. 1890. states; 1.-The
cases are very rare in which more than
GOO, 900 gallons per square miles per day
can be made available when it Is neces-
sary to store the water in artificial reser-
voirs." This amount of flow would equal
fourteen inches of the rainfall on the en-
tire watershed. That fourteen inches is
not far amiss may fairly be Inferred from
the dry year yield of other we'll known
sources of water supply. The following
records are published:
Collected Croton area 1850. ....... ID "a inches
Collected Sudbury River area 1880. 2.lSs inches
Collected Sudbury River area 1888. II. 1873 inches
Collected Cochituate area 1850. -. 1888 inches
Collected Cochituate area 1885,. 10.11 inches
Collected Mystic Lake area 1880. :. 1921 inches
Collected Mystic Lake area 1885,. 932 inches
QUANTITY C~oLLECTABLE
No one has had access to nearly the
HuulC aulOdhO II khlhk
Jersey water sheds as G. G.. Vermeule. C..
E.. of the State Geological Survey, and.
after thoroughly searching and sitting
them. his conclusion given in the State
Report Of 1891. is:-"our researches in
dictate that We cannot depend upon col
lecting more than fourteen inches of the
rainfall upon u water sheds" The in
dications are. therefore, that in dry years
the total amount of water probably col
lectable from the Pequannock area will
- 5000 ,x,~ 49,. NN..a ~ q 49,
maximum demand of the contract.
Surprising II. 02 inches, or forty per
cent. of 40 IS inches could be ordinarily
collected. which would be 80, 900, 600 gal.
Ions u day. or 1926. III, 200 gallons a year,
still this total mean annual yield would
have 10 be totally utilized to meet the re-
quirements of the contract. But Croes
aud Howell, Newark Report on Addi-
tional Water Supply, 1870, state that ian
effort to utilize the mean annual flow of
the stream results In the reservoirs not
being filled for several years In success
sion. and this is found practically TO be
equivalent to entire failure"
FURTHER DEN OF DEFICIENCY.
The saule high authorities concludes:
''any source of supply, therefore. must
have q drainage area of such size that
twelve or thirteen inche of rainfall upon
it will give enough water for the yearly
demand" Thirteen inches OIL the PeQu-
annock area is a little over 40, 1000, 600
gallons a DAY, or l4.lZ5. O.OOO RailonS u
yenr.
Here again Is a rule that indicates a de-
ficiency in the probable rainfall and flow
of the Pequannock area, to fulfill the
maximum demands of the contract. On
The one hand, according to all compare
tive records, it cannot meet those maxi
mum demands. whatever its reservoir
capacity, without utilizing the
entire mean annual flow, which
Croes and Howell say is 'equiva-
lent to en- tire failure" On the other
hand, thirteen inches of the annual rain
fall, so far from giving enough water for
the annual demand, falls short of it by
over 1000, 600. 00C gallons.
AN IMPORTANT OPINION
During the discussions of the new water
supply by the Newark Aqueduct Board.
January 10, 1889, a letter received by F.
r. Wismer from j. J. r. Croes, G. E..
was read, containing some pertinent
statements. Abiding to the proposition
OF the PeQuannock Water Company TO
furnish so. 000.0 900 gallons a day from the
Pequanuock area above Smiths Mills.
Mr.. Croes ssys:-
1t Is my opinion that, all the circumstances of
the case being taken into consideration, this
quantity of water cannot be guaranteed to be
furnished from the water shed Of the Pequan-
mock River above Smiths Mills. CThe latter
locality ie lQiou the DrAsant loint OF fnLake1