The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-03-21
sewer could stand the strain which would

sewer could stand the strain which would
be put upon it.
"Actipg in consultation with their En-
gineer. the Commissioners decided that
the only remedy that would be perinaL-
ent, would be to take the watersso1 the
Ravine Road drainage area at point
sufficiently high to secure the
value of the head due to that height
above the tide water, and carry them
from that point in an iron pipe by the
shortest route through streets to The Hnd-
son river. This determination was arrived
at previous to the meeting OF the Leg
islature of 1891. TO carry it iuto effect,
it was necessary to secure right or way
between Hoboken avenue and the Ra-
vine Road.
ADDITIONAL LEGISLATION.
"In the opinion OF the counsel there
was no power in the previous act to ac-
quire such lands. This power and the
amendment suggested by Judge Magic
Maggie was secured in the Legislature OF
1891. The amendment also provided
that the Corporation Counsel OF Jersey
City should act as Counsel to the Com
mission, ex-offlcio. in place of Mr.. Min
turn, who had been originally appointed
by the Commission.
las soon as the authenticated copies of
the amendment were received, and con-
sultation had with Mr.. Edwards, the
Commission prepared the drafts of their
the sewerage through an iron
pipe to the Hudson River, but.
on consultation with the Counsel,
it,was discovered that in his opinion the
act only provided for connecting any ex-
tension which might be built by this
Commission with the remain of the
old brick extension in Jersey ave-
nue.. This limitation of their plan in
the opinion of the Commission and their
Engineer, formed after careful study or
the subject, would, If adhered to, only in
crease the danger and Inconvenience of
the nuisance now existing many
fold, and transfer the seat of its worst
operations, from the HoooKen meadows
to a rapidly building up section of Jersey
City, Jersey avenue from Thirteenth to
Fifteenth streets, and if an iron pipe or
any conduit sufficiently substantial
to carry the discharge of the
Ravine Road sewer was turned into or
cut short in the old brick sewer at Jersey
avenue, and that sewer with the sewer in
Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets de-
pended upon as an outlet to the1river, the
certain result would be that the first
heavy rain storm would cause break in
the brick sewer near the point of junction
in Jersey avenue, and the sewer water
of the Ravine Road would be dis
charged over the streets and in the
cellars of the houses in the vicinity
of Jersey avenue and Thirteenth and
Fifthteenth streets. In this view of She
case, Counsel Edwards agreed and al
yised the Commission to complete
their plans for carrying the closed
iron pipe through TO the Hudson River.
Relying upou legislation being secured
in the session of 1892, which would
remedy the defect in the original act.
PLANS AND ESTIMATES,
"With this understanding and by the
advice OF the counsel. the Commission
prepared plans and estimates to
carry out the work for which
during the fall of 1891. This plan con-
templated closed 4S-inch iron pipe from
the Ravine Road along the line of MoD-
mouth street extended, and Monmouth
street TO Thirteenth street. to the Bulk
head at Hudson River.
"A supplement- to the act was passed
in 1892, authorizing the extension to tide
water, and the Commission then entered
into negotiation with the Morris and
Essex Railroad Company for the neces-
sary concession as TO crossing their land
and tracks near the easteriy portal of the
tunnel.
The Commission had before this re-
ceived assurances from the officers OF this
company that they would further i'll any
way in their power the building of this
extension, as they recognized the evil
effect of the nuisance upon UNI
mer travel over their road.
But on presenting our plans as
that the railroad company were opposed
TO the extension through Thirteenth
street, being made as q right of the
city. claiming that this street east OF
the original snore line was not public
street. AS the commission could accept
no concession which would prejudice the
city in its contrary claim, some time was
lost in an unfruitful attempt to come
to an agreement without involving
the question of status of the street.
In the sumner of of 1899, the Company by
its counsel, proposed that line be
selected jointly by the engineer of the
Company aud the engineer of the Com
mission, which should pass through the
railroad yard just sout of the city line. 1t
being intima ted that the Company would
prefer to concede right of way for the
pipe at nominal consideration, than to
have it extended on the line of Thirteenth
street. AS this plan would shorten the
more direct line the Commits
sIoners acceded to it and prepared
plans embodying the suggestions OF toe
Engineer of the CompanD, while the Coz
porafion counsel prepared the proper
pagers. Unfortunately before the papers
could be executed the controversy in re-
gard to Thirteenth street assumed q stage
of legal activity and is now in the courts.
.sIhe counsel for the company declines
to proceed further with the matter OF
granting right of way, and 1t will be
necessary to condemn the same.
LAS this section promises to be one
which will involve an indeter inmate.
but certainly large expense which must
be charge upon Jersey City or the prop
erty of owners in the territory drained,
the Commission submit the plans and
estimates of the work for
the information of your Board
requesting that you will officially give
this Commission the assurance of fin an
cial backing in prosecuting the work of
acquiring right of way and construction
as speedily as possible.
s'The territory drained comprises 1853
lots, of which g. 153 have now direct coll
tnection by lateral sewers in streets, and
roo are on streets where sewers were
planned but not vet constructed.
''Ihe cost of construction as per esti-
mate annexed, is about $4,000 or about
SIS per lot drained.
(This does not include any cost of right
of way.)
'EDLow W. HARRISON,
'sTHEoPHILUS BUTTS.
"MICHAEL T.. CONNOLLY, q
Commissioners for Extension of Ravine
Road Sewer"
Preliminary estimate of cost of construction
of extension OF Ravine Road sewer from point
about one hundred feet sast of Paiisade avenue,
Jarsav (;itv- the outer end of Pier 6.