The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-12-14

PEQUANNOGK COMING
Progress Of the work ON the
New Temporary Water
Supply.
GOLFER DAMS LEAK
Trouble in Connecting the Pipes
Uader the Rirer-Will Be
Finished in January.

Tho Last Jersey Water Company, which
has the contract for supplying Jersey
C:ty with water temporarily until the
rev permanent supply is obtained, is
Paving considerable troubie with the
r,oas through which ii VIII carry its
water under the Passaic River. The
f.onble may seriously hamper the work
and delay the turning OF of the water
beyond the time originally fixed. As was
gully explained IN The Jersey City News
recently, the water which the East Jer-
sey is to supply is from the Pequannock
River and is the same as that which IS
now furnished to the City of Newark.
The huge main which brings this water
from the great storage reservoirs to the
distributing basins in the city passes
through Belleville upon the high ridge
which runs parallel with the Passaic
River back of the town. This is tapped
by a forty-two inch main of riveted cast
iron which brings the water down 10 the
rivers bank a few rods south of the
bridge which leads to the Jersey City
Pumping Station.
From this point seven sixteen inch
cast iron pipes take the water across the
river, where it is discharged into another
fo~ty-two inch main similar to that one
the other side Of the river through
which it is emptied into the reservoir at
Belleville. The most serious problem in
this plan was getting the pipes across
the river. 1t was at first proposed to join
the Joints on land until the pipe was or
sufficient length to stretch across the
river. A trench was then dug with a dred-
ger in the bottom of the stream large
enough to hold the pipes. a machine on
the opposite bank was set in motion and
gradually but steadily the pipes We're
drawn across. 1t was soon found, how
ever. that the pulling OF the machine
weakened the joints and in some cases
pulled them apart, so a new expedient
had to be resorted to. The pipe was rigid
~ Joined as before and then placed upon
RATS, which extended it across the river.
Then it was sunk all at once. At the
shore ends of these pipes are elbows to
which Will be Joined horizontal pipes end
ing in another elbow by means OF Whlcn
the smaller pipes are connected with the
large main.
Where each of these smaller pipes join
the large main On both shores there is a
gate, 50 that in case one OF the pipes
SHOULD break under the river it can be
closed at both ends. This Will also snow
the advantage of having the seven pipes
instead of one large main across the river:
TIL PIP when under the water IS eAposeu
TO tie danger of breaking and if there
was only the one big mAiL across the
stream the entire supply would nave 10
be shut off until the break could pc re-
paired. But with the seven pipes IN case
OF an accident it would not be necessary
to shu off the entire supply, but only 10
diminish il one-seventh-
The big main is laid from the Newark
main down to the river on the Essex
side and from the river to the BeilS-
VIZ reservoir. The trench IN wnicn
the big main lies is stEl open through
the town of Belleville and VI the road
on the Kearny side and Will remain SO
until the big pipe mas been lestee t ICE
connection with the pipe under the
river has been made. and there is .Where
the compan is having trouble. At the
edge of the river on. each pank q 4arge
Golfer has been SUM and in this the con-
nections win be made. Just now, now
ever the dams leak and all day yes
terday large pumps were at work pump
ing out The water. They appeared to
make but little progress although the
was a considerable one.
1t was bleak and dismal enough about
which went through fannefs and wool
like a knife, and pierced the very bones,
blew over the ice choked surface of the
Passaic. The few men who were at
work about the Golfer dam trying to
stop up leaks and attending TO the
pumps, were muftied Up to the ears IN
fOOlEIRS dIG WIZ -opOL
their hands When not engaged in hand
ling planks or driving home a board in
the side of the dam, they were dancing
about shifting their breasts with their
boilers which supply the pumps with
Steam. II seemed impossible TO keep
from freezing and the few pedestrians
who happened along did not gaze long
on the huge grave. at the bottom of
Nhich lay the big iron monster, or to
watch the race with the Passaic for the
possession of the Golfer DAM, both of
afforded objects of much interest. But
giving them merely. a passing glance,
they hurried by, rubbing their ears or
stamping their feet to keep them warm;
1t was cold everywhere yesterday, but
there are one or two gentlemen who viii
make any required number of afidavits
taat the coolest spot in the world was
on the banks of the Passaic River, near
the BelleviIie bridge. 1t is difficult to
say Just when the new supply will be
turned on. Nothing remains to be done
except to complete the connections under
the river end then test the pipes for
everything is found to be in working