The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-09-18

l
Mr., Schalkenbach acted as spokesman.
| He first called attention to the fact that
seventy street lamps had been cut off In
the Lafayette section. He wanted to
know why it had been done. and upon
being informed that the lamps in all sec
tions of the city had been cut off so as to
I enable the board to keep Within the
street lighting appropriation, and being
| assured that the lamps would be replaced
| on December !, he tackled the water
| question.
Il would like to know" he proceeded,
"if this board proposes taking any action
| toward securing new supply of water"
BOUND 10 SPEAK,
| Didn't you just hear the resolutions
read ordering a new supply advertised
for?" asked Commissioner Hooker in
surprise.
! The spokesman made no reply. He had
| evidently prepared little speech and was
| determined to deliver it or die in the
! attempt. He ran against snags at every
| turn This committee" he declared,
| visited Belleville yesterday We
| took a sample of the water al
| the intake and found that 1t did not
| SMELL We next went through the works
| and at a point, 1 should say 500 feet from
| the intake we found that the water had
| bad odor, but nothing like as bad as
| it is when it reaches us down town.
| Our expirements with the water, however
| satisfied US that the smell does not come
| from the river, but that is due to the
| filthy conditions of our mains, between
| the pumping station and the city, and
| believe that even if a new supply of
water is acquired it will be as bad and
stink Just as much as the water we get
now, if driven through the present
pipes"
| THE MAINS ALL THE TROUBLE.
Then you think we should have new
mains from Belleville, do you?" inter-
rupted President Macarthur.
s.Yes; or have the old ones cleaned
There is an accumulation of mud and
filth of years in our pipes, and this idea
that blowing off the hydraunts improves
| matters is all nonsence. The blowing OH
| of the hydrants carries off only the top
water. 1t doesn't cleanse the pipes and
| some other means to rid them of the
mud and filth must be adopted
"What would you suggest" asked Mr..
Cone.
steam power" was the reply.
..Are you a practical MANI" continued
Mr. Cone.
Yes
'1n the line of cleansing water. pipes?"
mo, I am general mechanic"
Not jack of all trades, l hope, SAID
Mr.. Cone, sarcastically.
How would you apply the steam
power?' suddenly asked President Nc
| Arthur.
1--WE may as well drop the water ques-
tion," said Schalkenbach, nervously
"Oh. no we won't" interposed Mr.
| Cone, ''you are interesting in a way
| We want to know the cheapest and best
way of remedying the evil of bad water,
we like to hear suggestions"
"That is what we are here for" put in
President Macarthur.
81 should say" interposed Schalken-
bach, evading the question of how steam
power was to be utilized in cleansing
the mains, that our mains throughout
the citv are about one-third full of filth
and decayed matter. You can readily
! perceiye how useless it is to waste money
blowing off hydrants."
What knowledge have you of the fact
| that our mains are one-third choked
up?" demanded President Macarthur.
'I have had some experience in cut
ting out water pipes,' replied the Lafay-
ette batteryman.
stWhere?' insisted Mr.. Macarthur.
s.In New York" was the reply.
sQUELCHED THE CITIZEN.
81 don't think it is the duty of this
Board to sit here and listen to opinions
| from you If you have any suggestions
| to make we will hear them, but please
| confine yourself to things you know
| something about" hotly' retorted Mr..
! Macarthur.
IF you are a practical man, and can
| offer any suggestion which will show
! us how to cleanse our pipes we will be
| glad to hear it, said Mr.. Cone. We are
| the servants of the people and want to
| know their views, but We want to talk
to people who know what they are talk
ing about We want to give the people
| the best water at our command. We do
| not want to impair its purity or allow
| it to continue in its present terrible con-
| dition if a suggestion from you or any
! one else will enable us to improve it..
| You have made a statement here which
| am sure surprises every member OF
| this Board, and that is about the water
| at the intake not smelling. individually,
| and as a Board, we have inspected the
| river and found the reverse to what you
| say to be true. 1t is in a filthy, fester-
! ing condition at the intake, and for seven
| or eight miles up the river, as far as the
| Dundee dam. We are prepared, under
! oath. to vouch for the truth of this
| statement Even our Mayor, to satisfy
| himself as to the condition of the water,
went up the river 10 ascertain If the
! charges in the JERSEY CITY NEWS S
| z d other papers, as to It's dangerous
| condition. were correct. He came back
| fully satisfied that 1T is rotten, and in
| herently bad"
! This hot shot wound up the commit
| tees spokesman, and he retired in dis
| order Subsequently he showed the Com
| nliasioners the samples of the water he
! had taken. When he departed for home
| he felt convinced that passaic water is
rotten, filthy stuff, ana that it was prob
ably worse in Lafayette than in any
| other part of the o.
MAYOR WANSER'S VIEWS.
What do you think of the water speci-
/ fications?'' l asked Mayor Wanser this
morning.
| II havenot seen or read them as YETI
| he replied, "and, as a result, / am not in
| a position to discuss them"
do you approve of the course taken
by the Board?
II will be able to answer that question
! better after l have read the specifca-
| tions 7 will then be able to Judge what