New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-12
BETTER WATER NEEDED.
JERSEY CITYS SUPPLY Is BAD.
THE CITIZENS 50 OVERWHELMED WITH DEMO
CRATIC DEBT THAT 1T Is DIFFICULT TO

THE CITIZENS so oVERB; 'RDENED WITH DEMO.
CRATIC DEBT THAT 1T Is DIFFICULT TO
GIVE THEM PURE WATER.
There il a great diversity OF opinion in Jersey
City as 10 whether the water supplied to IL from the
Passaic River IL pure and wholesome. The SUD-
ject has been debatable for 4 decade and
there have been arrayed each side OF the ques-
ton scientists physicians, business men and cti-
Zens engaged in all kinds OF employment. For the
last eight or nine years the inspector employed
by the city to patrol the Passaic River daily to
prevent wanton pollution OF the water has, In his
monthly reports the Street ana Water Commits
s.oners declared the water 70 be unfit FOR use From
time to time in long reports ne has pointed out
the fact that four five OF Newarks great sewers
emped the refuse Of the city in the Passaic RIVER
an that the nearest of these sewers to the Jersey
city intake at Beevle was only one mile distant.
In these reports the inspector explained that daily
the sewage from Newark hoated past the inta.-,
and consequently some of 1t assuredly went into
It, TO DE conveyed through pipes to the reservoir
at Bellevue ard at High Service in Old Hudson
CITY, and from these reservoirs distributed to the
5000 people in Jersey City In addition 10 the
pollution from Newark. the banks of the Passaic
are lined with large b.eacheres and dye factories
which daily discoor the water In 'front.' OF one
dye factory. and for a distance Of several hundred
Yards the water may be as black as Jet. and when
the next similar establishment Is reached the nue.
~ the river may be a bright red. or green, or
any other coor Much refuse beside this dye-stained
water is emptied into the river from these fac'o-
r!es Sewage from the Oranges are also conveyed
to the Passaic River. and is all the refuse from
the hat factories on Third River. small tributary
of the Passaic.
MANY experts have tested the water in the river
and then tested II after It had passed through
the pipes 10 Jersey city, and these experts nave oe
clared the water was impure and not ut TO drink.
Other chemists have made like tests and asserted
that the water was not injurious although all
admitted that there was a bad odor attacheo 10 !"
and that 1t extremely dirty
George Phillips. who Is the ofhcai chemist LOT TUG
Street and Water Commissioners. recently sara
that after careful analysis he found Tue "a'er
from the Passac River tit to drink. During
the last ten years several water companies NAYS
tried to secure a contract supply Jersey CITY Win
water from the Ramapo River the Passaic River
above the Great Falls. and the Rockaway River
and other sources OF supply. but every propost'oh
made 10 the city has been rejected. The present
water supply from the Passaic River al bele'i'e
was completed August H. ls5t and II theh was
believed that Jersey city would never require any
other No one dreamed of the great increase which
has taken place In population anu pus'heSS "'o"s
the shores OF the Passaic.
In 1899 the Jersey city Board of Trade declared
that the welfare of the citizens required an immedi
ate supply of pure and wholesome wafer ihls
caused the Street and Water Commissioners to ad-
vertlse for proposals for a new water supply one
bid was received II was made by the MoHe'1
Hodgkins & Clarke Company. The bid was not ac-
cented and new proposals were advertised for Four
bids we're received on this occasion but oil were
reiected nv the Commissioners Since then no
effort has been made to obtain a new supply The
condition of the water to-day. II not injurious. Is
certainly uninvting. Ii is nearly as dark IN coor
az fight coffee and has a most disagreeable odor
Ea mini a
ptcher the bottom of the vessel will be covered
with a dark. Shiny sediment. Numerous physicians
have advised their patients whether III or Wen, Wen,
not to dnk sSG boed Many people refuse to
drink Il AT all and buy spring water sent 10 TIC
Il present there is considerable typhoid fever in
Jersey city. much more than there was turing .ns
corresponding month last year vrS
the disease to the water ana say they iear an cpl
benjamin said a few days ago that Passsic water
was UNIT 10 drink md he attributed the great
use DR. Charles H. Limeburner said THE typhoid
fever cases this year outnumber those OF any year
water is laying excellent foundation for an cpl
demlc Of disease 1t Is folly TO think OF drnnnSS
I advise anybody else 10 do so. IL Is mpossibie 20
purify Passaic water The process OF distlins
new supply. It's an outrage for the ely to ask us
to water tax for such water ana the
| drink. and don't see why should pay the city
for water when IL rs nOt II, Tor use ouF odu "e.ei
S hurting the city than any one can estimate
Hundreds of residents are moving away because
they are unable stand the vile water
The same complaint that Or. L!meburner. who ID
one OF the best-known physicians in Jersey city,
makes can be heard almost everywhere. so deter
mined has the opposition to the present water sup
ply become that series of mass-meetings mas been
called have the subject discussed, and to PROVIDE,
ii possible. plan TO secure new supply OF water.
The first OF these meetings Will be held next Thurs-
day night at Bamber Hall. Greenyile.
IL Jersey CITY were not burdened with debt OF
SIS O0 coo which the Democratic ring when in power
rolled up. and which Mayor Wanser is working
hard 10 reduce there would be no trouble about
water supply. but the Mayor and his Street anc
Water Commissioners hesitate 10 add the further
burden of a supply to the already overweighed
taXnlyPrH.