The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-06-10
FOUND 0hE HhTER
Verona Lake Pleases the
Jersey City Hunters for
the Crystal Fluid.
LAST TRIP OF THE INSPECTORS.
From an Engineering Point of
View. Reilly's Plans Are the
Best-A Beautiful Valley.
LAST TRIP OF THE INSPECTORS.

posing contracting companies. whose
bids, accompanied by bonds of large
amounts, are in the hands Of the Street
and Water Commissioners, for intakes,
storage reservoirs. settling basins and
pipe lines was concluded yesterday. The
last trip of inspection fell to Hugh Reilly
of New York. From an engineering
point of view. his plans met with the
greatest approval.
Yesterdays Ri.
The trip yesterday was to the big $50,
600. 900 gallon emergency reservoir of Mr..
Reilly, which lies in the magnificent
valley in the Orange Mountains. just be-
yond Montclair. The valley is remark
ably beautiful. and it is so located, sur
TO unded as 1t is by mountains that 1t
makes a reservoir, presenting rare advan-
taRes without the aid of engineering, save
the construction of a dam.
The establishment of a reservoir at this
point is one of the salient features of Nj.
Reilly,s plan. 1t is within six miles of
Belleville and contains a mouths supply
of water at a rate of consumption of 49,
900. GOO gallons daily.
One thing was accomplished by yeste r
days trip, it cut down all ideas of a con-
tract being made with the Montclair or
East Jersey Water Company. and now ar
rayed against one another are Hugh
Reilly and his associates. presenting
through Mr.. Reilly a guarantee for car
rying TO a successful formulation
this manmouth contract; upon Reilly's
reputation as a water works builder. u
through Bankers Edward w. Coffin aud
his partner. Mr.. Stanton of Wall street,
New York, the five and a half o. six mil
~ n - A ,rr =, 70 = - fho onrp4fnT
u of the contract. and Moffett. Hodg-
kins & Clarke Company with their
acquired water rights and.rights OF way,
reputation rs skilled and reliable con-
tractors, and funds in plenty.
Thus the water problem stands, and
there exists little doubt that de1nite ac-
ton will now be taken to provide this
city with what it needs most. a supply of
pure and Wholesome water. and an
abundant supply of IL.
MAKEUP OF THE PARTY.
There were In the party yesterday
Mayor Wanser. Corporation Counsel Ed
wards, City Attorney Weart, Street and
Water Commissioners Madden, Yoe and
Cook. Finance Commissioner Simpson,
Chief Engineer Ruggles, Freeholder
Ellis, Alderman Dusenberry and Joseph
A. Dear (the Mayor, it was said, was
examining the plans of the M. H. & G.
Coz; Banker Coffin, Contractor Reilly,
Engineer Vermeule and his assistant and
Mr.. McDevftt of the Moutclair Water
Company. There was as fine an array of
talent in the party as could be desired.
The party left Hoboken at twenty-five
minutes past two, and arrived at Mont
clair shortly after three o'clock. Iu car
riages they were conveyed to the site of
the Verona reservoir. A drive of four
miles brought the party TO the reservoir
site. Hers it was explained that
III M AN t.,C~
First and Second Mountains. This
tunrel will have a clearance
way of six feet, which, to engineers,
means tina it Will be u ten foot tunnel.
The only object in having it SO large is
to make room for men to repair pipes in
case of u oreakage of any descriptions.
Through a pipe in these tunnels the de-
lightful Roekaway water, gathered from
lakes. ponds and the river, aud hus-
banded at Poweryille, will 0e emptied
into the Verona Lake reservoir. The
will be one mile In length
and 800 feet in width, with an average
depth of 30 feet. All vegetation in the
valley is to be removed, Inc a bottom of
laid, preventing the growth of
vegetation; side walls are to be con-
to prevent any surface water
from flowing into it, aud the sides made
sloping so that no vegetation can ever
grow there.
VIEW H VALLEY
At the point where the party viewed
the valley, one of Essex county's macada-
mixed roads crossed, and when asked
what it was proposed to do with this ut
is almost the centre of the reServoit), it
was shown hat the road was to be raised
ten feet, and this would give the road
an appearance identical with Reservoir
avenue between the two reservoirs al
High Service, with the stone walls loom
ing up on each side.
Here Verona Lake was seen, and as its
waters did not present a particularly in
viting appearance il was asked what dis
position was TO be made of them. The
plan is to carry Verona Lake waters
right around the reservoir ana allow it to
rnn back into the water way through
which they flow at present.
1t perplexed a few members OF the
party to know how the water was to be
to BellevilIe with such a head as
to carry it hence to High Service with
out pumping. The water Is taken at
FL werviIle which is sos feet above the
surface of water now in the Belleville
1t is conducted through a 4S-
inch pipe to the Verona Lake reservoir
with II heal Of 155 feet. Friction causes
water to flow slower il carried too great
a distance, SO 1t is emptied Into Verona
where it regains its velocity and
still has a height of $50 feet over Belle
Vile and is at a greater elevation than
High Service by $50 feet. Mr.. Reilly i'm
the fact on the minds of the
that the water could be delivered
at High Service without pumping.
AN INDEPENDENT PIPE.
Mr.. Reilly said he would lay an inds-
pipe across the Hackensack
meadows aud deliver water at High Ser
vice higher than it can be pumped now
from BelIeville.
AL this point Banker Colin introduced
to the officials by saying:-
'.Gentlemen, we have had the best en-
gineers this county affords looking this
plant over. 7 have dealt In
four bonds. know your financial con.
dition, aud l said to Mr.. Reilly, wnom |
to be one of the best water con-
tractors in this country today, that In
less he could devise some plan whereby
your pumping station could be done
away with. / you'd nave nothing to do
with the proposed contract. | Know. as
well as do all of you gentlemen. That the
city could not carry such q load as this
continue to operate its present pump
Ing plgnt. | now whereof l speak, aud
| guess you agree with me-, and fur.
tner, let me say. that all legal
questions involved in the acquisition of
the right OF way will be easily disposed
or. l give AS my authority the law firm
Oh Evarts, ChoaIes and Behmau OF New
YORK. and l guess . all know them.
ln the reservoir there will be relief gates
by which all sediment collecting III II can
De drawn off from the bottom without
affecting in auy way the volumes or clear
which will rush from one pipe III