The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-04-27
IDEAL WATER SUPPLY.
History Of the Movement to
Control the Waters Of
the North Part of
the State.
STRUGGLES WITH M0NOPOLIsTs
The Battle Began in the Leg
islature in 1884 With a
Bill to Form Private
Corporations.
The Engineering News" Says
Jersey City Took a Step in
the Right Direction When
She Invited Bids.
(From the "Engineering News of this
Week.

EIdDll(ci -
Geological Survey makes it evident that
the streams which flow from the high
lands in the northeastern part OF the
State are the ideal sources of water
supply for the various cities lying on the
west side of the Hudson, within q RADIUS
of a dozen miles from New York City,
and including Hoboken. Passaic. Pater-
son, Newark, Jersey City, Montclair, the
Oranges and numerous lesser munich
palities, aggregating a total population
of over 65a.e00.
1t scarcely needed an engineer to sus-
gest that these cities must eventually
seek those pure mountain streams Tor
their supply of potable water. once
suggested, the capitalist was by no
means slow to grasp the iaed in all its
possibilities, the lawyer Quickly discern
ed phases Of the situation which ap-
pealed to him., the contractor and the
manufacturer. each saw Il field for his
exerttons, and the politician was not
blind to the golden opportunities present.
ed. It is NOT strange, then, that the
capitalist and his allies early began to
develop plans to bring water and
people together; nor that, as the
needs of these municipalities be-
came greater the plans assum-
ces of water supply in the Passaic water
shed. What obstacles were encountered,
the measure of success finally attained,
and the relation between these attempts
and the water supply situation as 1t now
exists in Jersey City, it is the purpose OF
this article to sketch in as brief a com
pass as the facts will permit.
For about a century the two domin-
ating interests in the Passaic watershed
have been the Society for the Establish
ing of Useful Manufactures and the Nor
ris Canal & Banking Co. The former
was Incorporated in 1891 and has a right
to the undiminished natural flow of the
Passaic River over the Great Falls at
Paterson comprising the run-of9 from $50
SO. miles of territory. These rights are
the key to the whole water-supply stu
alton. for below these falls the river is
unfit for use. although Jersey City. I'M
der the pressure of necessity. still draws
water from it.
The Canal Co. was chartered in 1874.
and has rights to sufficient water to
-malataSa navigation. for this purpose
practically controlling the whole avaiia-
BILE water supply. from Greenwood Lake
and Lake Hopatcong. drawing largely
upon the Roekaway river water she'd and
4AA4A $40
Ramapo rivers. This property was leased
In 1871 to the Lehigh Valley Railroad
Company. which assumed fixed obliga-
tons amounting to some $z00. 900 a year.
A desire to discontinue the use of this
property for navigation purposes and de-
vote it TO other ends has been an import
ant element in the history OF New Jersey
water supply schemes. Without the CO.
operation OF these two companies the sue
cess of any great scheme contemplating
Al. ~-A@.4 - ~ CSC M 4 ntsZ Cl nt
would be impossible. As a matter OF
fact. the two corporations have played
an important. if not a controlling, part
in the water syndicate. The water rights
on the PaSsaic River next above and
just below Paterson. upon which are
dependent the manufacturing interests
OF Little Falls and Passaie, were also
brought into harmony with the above,
these three water power and the camel
interests sogether representing many
The great struggle between the would
be water monopolists and the people be
gan in 1881 At this time Jersey city,
drinking Passaic River water, which was
even then bad enough, though by nc
Other municipalities west of the Hudson
were, many of them, without public
supplies which would soon become INSULT,
eient. A bill was defeated in the New
jersey Legislature Of 1881, and passed in
the session of 1882. only to be killed by
Governors veto, which can be sufficient
" deacribed by quoting from the veto
message as follows:
private corporations, which, upon tn
mere filing of a certificate setting fortf
certain general particulars, may proceed
to acquire, by purchase, or by condem
nation, under the States right of eminen
domain, all watsrs and watercourse'
not now in use for certain specified pur
poses, The object set forth Is that sucf
corporations may supply municipalit1e!
with water for domestic purposes.
HI il WPH# known that q necessity nov
exists, and. is constantly becoming NOR
pressing. for some general system b.
towns in the northern part oil this State
to which the bill is more particular,
1 proyide fa to t aRplyh -iahaBit Pc sn q pr0ps +
supply CT wholesome water. It woult
seem that they silould have the lirs
in.fhe waters Of our streams.
The right of eminent domain con
f 1,ndsq t hnen aa .ho e tb mhp rIrh nay 70 f 1TEan 70
public use the property of the privat'
trine, and authorizes the eondemnatiol
of public rights for the benefit Of privat
It is said that this bill was pushed Il
the interests of the Society for the EStab
fishing Useful Manufactures It's intro
a aecss mas With Ilnce va naen pr0 water sup poi
Tie passage, and veto Of this 81
SO ERdkSueu tHe peppic sitfoel .cio>ciy ~
terested that sufficient pressure wa
brought 70 bear upon the. very Legs
Iature which passed the hill 10 caus
1t to ennct a measure of a direct
opposite character-one which created
State Water Supply Commission.
About this time the syndicate whsc
had done so much work to secure
monopoly of the Now Jersey supply c
potable water undertook a still NOR
supplementary water supply to New Yor
city.
The need for more water in New Yor
city, which finally resulted IN the cor
struction of the new Croton Aqueduc
was fruitful of many plans to suppl
the city from sources outside the CT0to
watershed. Among these sources tn
highland tributaries of the Passaic WEI
looked on with some favor One Of II
Ramapo The upper watershed of th.
stream lies in New York State. In 1S
State legislation was secured in Ne
York which made 1t possible for a COZ
poration to divert 50,110,000 gallons pc
day of the water of the Itanlapo befc1
1t enters New Jersey, convey it aeros
the Hudson River and down to New Yor
raised by the State of New Jerse.
largely through the agency of its Watt
Commission. and nothing ever came {
Ii need hardly be said that the wats
supply syndicate had taken the app0in
1ment OF the water supply commissio
with 3 bad grace. In 1884 this commf