The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-11-05
DAMNING PROOFS
Photographs Show the Hor-
rible Pollution of the
RockaWaY River.
TESTIMONY At THE WATER HEARING
Distinct Advantages to the City
by the Jersey City Water
Company's Contract.

sioner John A. Nugent by the efendah
Jersey City Water Company when *
Senator w. D. Edwards asked MI Lewis
Van Dyne, d weli-knoNn and able clNh
snginee OF Boonton, to produce pnolo-
graphs of the several sources OF supply
of three competitors to supply Jersey
City with water, namely, the EAST Jer-
sey Water Company, the Hudson anu
Roekaway Company and the Jersey Slts
Water Company. Under the supervision
of Mr.. Van Dyne, these photographs
had been taken. and the showed me
strongest evidence in favor OF the Vaslly
superior Jersey City Water 5
shed, and the most damning PROOF that
the other sources are utterly unnt ior
human consumption. Nothing more NOR
rible, more loathsome could be conceived
than the scenes on the Rockaway river
at Boonton and Dover, from wnlcn the
East Jersey and Rockaway and Hudson
companies proposed to derive thelr sup
ply. offered in their bids to Jersey City.
Row after row of closets factories ana
other places pouring befouled and filthy
LIQUIDS into the river were delineated in
the photographs. Notwithstanding the
plausible arguments of clever lawyers
like Judge Stevens, Messrs. Charles Cor
bin and Charles D. Thompson, and the
expert testimony of men like Mr.. j. j..
r. Croes and Engineer Bardner,
these photographs told a tale which
could not be weakened, and clear
Nv demonstrated the wisdom OF
Mayor Wanser, the Board of Finance
and Street and Water Commissioners in
their course in throwing out the two
bids of the East Jersey and ckaW
and Hudson companies and accepting
that of the Jersey City Water Company.
When Mr.. Van Dyne left the stand
Engineer C. C.. Vermeule was recalled,
and he was examined by Mr.. Vreden-
burgh.
DISTINCT ADVANTAGES.
sHave you examined all the bid to
the advertisements for a water supply
for Jersey City?' asked Mr.. Vreden-
burgh.
81 have, excepting the bids for the tenn
porary supply" said Mr.. Vermeule, who
submitted tables of daily cost when
using twenty, twenty-five, thirty up to
fifty million gallons daily. price for works
under each bid. the price of the works,
miles Of pipe lines, miles of tunnel, mode
of delivering supply whether by gravity
or pumping. standard of purity, etc.
These tables were explained at great
length by the engineer.
Does the proposed pipe line of the
Jersey City Water Company cross the
pipe line of the East Jersey Company's
Newark piper" asked Mr.. V~redenburgh.
1T does, just north of Belleville." was
the reply.
rs that an advantage or not2"
1T is an advantage. Because, in the
case of a possible failure or temporary
breakage of either main, the other can
be used to supply both cities"
THAT practically gives to Jersey City
two pipe lines instead of one?"
Eyes, it does; it is a distinct advan-
tage,'' replied Mr.. Vermeule
rs Jersey City obliged to buy the
works of the Jersey City Water Com
pany?'
There is nothing in the contract bind
ing the city to do So"
ANSWERING CRITICISMS.
Have you examined the bids of other
companies?"
81 have"
ARE those of the Jersey City Water
Company less specific than these?'
'On the contrary, they are more spe-
cific."
rs it the custom. for bidders to fully
Set lOIlH lUGlT VIEWS lnllul0ly III LIClI
bids?s
No. by no means. 1t would be imprac-
ticable.'
This was asked because the prosecu-
ton had complained that the bid was
not specific enough. The prosecution had
also found fault with the specifications,
but these. Mr.. Vermeule said, could not
be improved. Another point laid stress
on by the prosecution was that there
was no provision in the specification for
cleaning the reservoirs; but Mr.. Yer
meule said that the contractor was
obliged to do hat to protect himself.
Mr.. Vredenburgh took up other criti-
cisms on the Jersey City Water Com
pany's bid, and asked Mr.. Vermeule if
he knew any reason why water aiken
from Lake Hopatcong woul not be
sufficient for the navigation of the canal
from Dover to Pompton, if the canal
was kept in proper repair.
IF the canal was kept properly tight
n in repair there is no reason why
any harm should be done to the canal by
the Jersey City Water Company taking
water from Lake Hopatcong,' was the
reply. Mr.. Vermeule added tina between
Dover and Boonton the Morris Canal is
badly out of repair.
ABUNDANT YIELD.
Taking up the criticism against the
rgss2nber of reservoirs on the drainage
area of the Jersey City Water Company,
Mr.. Vermeule showed that Newark's
shed on the ~Pequannock, with an area
of SO ITO square miles, or, according to
Herschell,6 GO 6-10 has three reservoirs,
Oak Ridge, Clinton and Macopin, with
an estimated storage of $40, 900, 900 gallons
per square mile. On the other hand, the
estimated storage capacity of the Jersey
City Water Company for an equal drain
age area showed a large increase. ~ In
the Jersey City Company's watershedfal
the drainage area is co~ntrfbutory to the
reservoirs, while in Newark it is not.
the Jersey City Water Company's bed,
Mr.. .Vermeule said the price was not ex-
cessive.
Judge Stevens conducted the cross-ex-
animation Of Mr.. Vermeule, who said it
wsss physically possible TO remove the
above Boonton. though from experience.
he knew there Were grave questions
which made him doubt nat it could
ever be done.
BY the bid of the Jersey City Water
Company, he said. it is proposed to take
about eleven inches per square mile will
be stored in the reservoirs.
NH. EDWARDS ULTIMATUM.
When hTe O'Clock was reached, ex-
Senator Edwards said that he would in
sist on the prosecutors continuing the
would agree to ask the Supreme Court
to fix Il day in the second week of the
term for the consideration of the case.
If you will not agree to that then we
shall insist on your continuing your
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