The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-10-20
CONFERENCE ON WATER.
Street aud Water aud Finance
Commissioners Meet aud
Talk.

The Street and Water Commissioners
mlssioners uutll after eleven O'Clock last
light. The ten officials were behind
closed doors and all efforts to Ie ,ch them
We're without avail. The gentlemen who
TOOK part in the conference when
questioned as to its object, reply. merely
10 discuss the general business of the
city government" The general
business embraces a great many
important subjects and some under dis
cnsslon were the prompt payment Of all
CITY employees. a new water supply, the
SUBJECT OF increasing the numbe OF
water mains drawing water from the
reservoirs at High Service, aud to devise
some means of having public improve
ments done properly and promptly. and
to have the departments work In har-
mony fu all matters.
NEW WATER SUPPLY.
PerhapS the most important matter
discussed was The question OF "A new
water supply. For the past eight months
property owners on the Height, ana
down Ia GIeenville nave been bitterly
complaining of the scarcity of water aud
claiming that the lack of mains with a
sum Gent force to give water on even
,he second story of a building was
depreclating property, inasmuch as
houses could not be rented, investors
would not build and houses were unpro-
tected in the matter of danger from fire.
FINANCE Com m missioner DeJwilier re-
Quesled the Street and Water Board 10
nave Chief Engineer Ruggles prepare
Tor Inspection an estimate OF the proba-
Service to BidweIl avenue. The cost is
1xed as $4,000. The Finance
Commissioners wanted to have
ne main laid at oncs. but a ciref1l
survey OF the situation caused a change
IN the programme. Last summers ex-
perlence with a Threatened water famiue
caused the change. 1t was fD August
that the water In the High Service ressr>
volrs got so low that horse troughs had
to be cut off, street sprinklers suspended
operations, aud consumers were warned
70 use no more OF the precious fluid than
was absolutely nece ssary. Tneu the
question arose in the minds of the Com
missioners. would it be safe to add
another main TO draw upon the res err.
vOlrs?
REMEDIES DISCUSSED.
The report of the Brooklyn experts on
the condition of the ma rs across the
Hackeusack disclosed the fact that the
old mains ,uld under no circumstance
stand any more pressure. The
ton Is so grel now that it was concluded
that 1t woulu be unwi,e to iucrta 20 the
drain on the reservoirs IN view
of the fact that the Belleville
pump can sc freely pump enoaga water
TO High Services now TO meet tue present
demands. Then the ACCESSIBILITY of couI.
pleting reservoir No. 3 at High Service
was di cnssed. To put this IN "a condi-
ton to hold water aud be ct service
would uecessitats the ex penditure OF at
least $3.50. 900. Again. when built, the
question arose. could it le utilized, in
view OF the fact that any more pressure
being placed upon the already rotten
mains across the eadow would not
burst them?
This led up TO another discussion, The
theory advanced oy SOME of che officials
was that the only fe Asible way Of rem. |
edylng the difficulty Was the coustruc,
ton OF an additional maiu acrps s the
Hackensack mea lows. Tai1 work would |
involve an expense of $500, 900 more.
rms WORK, a5 5ted, wouli require
Tue addition OF amt ler million iudeDt-
euueS5 TO tue cIGF, anL to this tue Finance
commissioners strenuous!y object.
Just how to fucreass the supply OF water
Oh tne Hill aud IN Greenyilis Is JUS, as
much OF 3 problem rs ever. aud tas
officials gave up the ldea of sowing it nc
once. Some Of the Co nmisiouers argued
luat IL would d. nn eXcaediGgly uuwiss !,
hing to expeud $1,000. 900, auu still have
Inc Passalc as II sparc+ nf supply.
NEW SUPPLY.
This brought about the question of
making a couiract for a new suLply. |
President Hlllttr. when asked if the bids
10 supply water mad beeu accepted or re-
jected, repIied:-"We nett her accepted or
rejected any OF the bids for "a new sun
III, 1t water"
10 secure a new supply by contract
would not compel the city 10 put up a
penny for The construction of the work
ana although the officials know that
thtre Is considerable objection 10
making a coptract, yet they ar
rived at the conclusion last night
that IL a contract in which the city would
be fully protected coald be iuais. IL
would be- one way out OF the diff .ulty |
OF obtaining Il bountiful nj purer
supply OF water. However. no def lite
action was Taken In the matter aud the
water supply question will be again dis
cussed at no lat. day.