The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-03-21
RAVINE ROAD SEWER.
Report of Edlow W. Har-
TiSon to the Board of
Finance on the Status
of the Work.
TO BE INSPECTED TOMORROW
Mr.. Allen on the Importance of the
Enterprise-Fred Mersheimer
Collector of Personal
Taxes.
TO BE INSPECTED TOMORROW


The only member of the Board of FL
nance absent from the meeting this
morning was Commissioner Petersen.
During the proceedings. Commissioner
Hitler voted mo" on most OF the resolu-
tions.
The resolution OF the City Hall Com
missioners asking the Finance Board to
appropriate under the recent act of the
Legislature $3.50, 900 TO purchase addition
al property for City Han site was re-
ferred to u committee. The concurrent
resolutions of the Board of Aldermen of
March asking for the sale of certain
lands aud an accounting of the property
in the South Cove grant was also referred
To committee without discussion.
The Board appropriated $1,000 to the
Police Commissioners TO enable them to
erect a stable, TO be used for atrOl SER
vice by the Third and Sixth precincts.
This will be of much service to the police.
Is has long been necessary. The building
Will have in it a telegraph system and all
needed improvements. The Finance
Commissioners also decided TO borrow
S6G0.66 to pay the salary of the assistant
TO the Overseer of the Poor.
Fred. Mersheimer was made happy in
the distribution OF fayOr5 by being reap
pointed Collector OF Arraarages of Taxes
at salary of S1.500, an Increase of 500
over the Satafy ne lOrtueTty received.
A resolution was presented requesting
the Corporation Counsel to furnish an
opinion as TO the powers of the Board of
Finance in the concurrence in appoint
ments smade by the Street and Water
Bard.
That old carpet scandal connected with
School No. s, In which TIE last Board OF
Education, t'reeholuer Pfingsten and Pro-
fessor Guilford were prominent charac-
ters, was finally disposed of Today by the
Board of Finance. Il will be reinem-
bered that the Board refused TO pay for
Mrs. Curl inc Martin. She sued for the
money due her and obtained Judgment
for sS6259. Today the Board
of Finance ordered this Judgment paid.
The Board transferred S2,360 from the
ealary appropriation to that of claims for
the Board of Fire Commissioners. and
5000 from teachers salaries to that OF
fuel for the Board of Education.
The Commissioners also ordered paid
twentY-three judgments against the city
obtained by employees of the Street and
Water Board.
THAT RAvINE SEWER
The following report WAS presented Go
the Board
$40 the Honorable Board of Finance:
.GENTLEMEN-In pursuance of the pro-
visions Of an Act entitled AN Act to pro-
vide for the reconstruction of Main Out
--lrsaSewer heretofore constructed at the
expense of Two cities. Approved March
Is, $780, the undersigned were appointed
by His Honor. Judge Magic, Commis-
sioners to devise and carry out plan to
remedy the nuisance caused by the drain
age and sewerage from the Ravine Road
sewer being discharged upon the meadow
section Of the City of Hoboken.
"The Commissioners organized by the
election of E. w. Harrison as President
and the appointments of Mr.. James P.
Laverty as Clerk, Mr.. James f. Minturn
as Counsel, and Frank II. Earle, Engi-
neer. We were met at the outset by
several obstacles to the successful prose-
cution of the duties for which we had
been appointed. In the opinion of the
appointing Judge, amendment of some
minor details of the Act OF 1890 was de-
sirable, and he advised before incurrlng
any expenses, the Commissioners should
examine the whole subject carefully,
formulate the plans aud have prepared
such legislation as should be necessary
for presentation at the next Session, 1891,
Pursuant to this advice the Com
missioners examined very earfully the
whole situation, in consultation with
frank H. Earle, their engineer, and
found it to be as follows: The Ravine
Road sewer draining an area
OF about 800 acres of that por-
tion of Jersey City formerly
known as Hudson City, and now occupied
by population estimated at about thirty
Thousand people was constructed In 1862
40. with a discharge at the Hoboken City
Line. thus the drainage of all this terri
tory was allowed to spread out upon the
meadow section of the city of Hoboken.
This, in very few years, created such
an iutolerabie nuisance that Legislation
was sought in order TO secure a remedy.
WHAT NEXT WAS DONE.
"The result of this Legislation was the
construction of a brick continuation of
q brick continuation of the Ravine Road
Sewer from its mouth at the HobOken
City Line to the north end OF Jersey ave-
nue. to a connection with the Thirteenth
aud Fourteenth street sewers, already in
existence. This whole work in the opin-
ION of experts in the matter OF sewer
age, was waste of money. The whole
OF the new extension was at level below
high water. The Ravine Road sewer.
lust above the point of Junction, was
4S-inch brick sewer, with a fall Of from
five to seven feet in the hundred. The
two sewers (Thirteenth and Fourteenthl
street) through which the water, after be-
ing conducted through the new extension,
was expected to reach the Hudson River.
were already In use to their full capac1tyby
The established sewer plans OF Jersey
CITY. The result of throwing the water
which in a storm would be discharged
into the Ravine Road sewer, into these
two sewers would have resulted In de-
eErOyinR them, or IOrclug Iue WdteE oub
81 the manholes or into the cellars OF the
houses on either side.
THE WORK A FAILURE.
"But, as might have besn expected,
the RavIne Road sewer water never
reached Jersey avenle. In the first
heavy rain storm, after the construction
of this extension. the extension burst
with the pressure of the rush of
water. The break took place near
the Hoboken line. and several feet OF
the extension WAS destroyed for all use.
Since that time the waters ofsthe havlne
Koad Sewer. every. year increasing
In toulness, have been discharged
on these meadows, which are
rapidly building up with tenement
population. The result has been q large
nercentage of diseases caused by NTH ana
roisoned air. and an abnormal death
rate for this section. The same In
f1nences have been reflected back on
the population of Jersey City residing on
the east slope of the Hill. and also on all
nersons who must cross the flooded ter
ritory. in their passage between tnelr
homes and their business In Hoboken ana
New YORK. 4.
ssThe Commissioners determined that
II would be folly to think of carrying Lne
drainage water of the Rav1ne hoaa
sewer for mile, through pracJlcaiiy
level brick sewer. below high water. NO
the r. & M. schaefer Brewing Cos has
see,, brewing for 10 years, and IS boEfllnga
81 Improved methods.'