The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-07-12
AMONG The LAKES
Jersey City Officials In
spect the Jersey City
Water Company's
Watersheds.
DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED DAMS
Sources Of Supply Apparently
in a Region Free From
Pollution.
Mayor Wanser Returns to Town
Sick-Visitors Drive Through
Uncle Sans Powder Reser-
yati0n.
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BooNToN. July u, 1S95.-Those of the
city officials who are here to examine
the sources of the supply of the three
companies which are competing for the
contract to supply Jersey City with
water, who were here last spring to look
i over the water shed controlled by the
Jersey City Company. were much afraid
when they awoke yesterday morning.
that they We're TO have a repetition of
their experience on that cold wet April
day. The sky was overcast and brisk
wind. they believed, ignorant of the car
dinal points, came from the East. They
imagined, too, that it was going TO rain,
and the prospect Of another such day as
that upon which Commissioners Hooker
and Simpson almost caught pneumonia,
sent their spirits down to the oongealing
point. The Oldest inhabitant of the hotel
porch cheered them up wonderfully by
telling them that the wind was in the
west and it could not rain, and no time
was lost in getting an early start.
1t was exactly half past seven o'clock
when they left the hotel in five carriages.
The air was exceedingly brisk and
caused those who had left their overcoats
al home to cast envious eyes upon those
whose foresight had prepared them for
the chilly morning atmosphere. The
places visited yesterday were with a
single exception the. same as those in
spected last April. only they were ap-
preached from another direction, so that
much of the country was new even to
the old prospectors
ADDITIONAL WATERSHED.
When the company was awarded a
contract last spring by the Street and
Water Board. the Finance Commission
Ars refused to concur on the ground that
the company did not control shed enough
to furnish the supply which Jersey City
would need in a few years when she
would become one of the largest cities
of the country. In order to meet this
i objection the company embraced in it's
IRst bid an additional watershed, that of
he Longwood Valley, and that was the
lew place visited yesterday. This, one of
ssthe most picturesque valleys in this most
picturesque region, is a narrow gorge be-
tween two of the highest ranges of the
mountains OF the State.
1t was the last place visited yesterday
After leaving Green and Denmark Lakes
the party drove through the Government
reservation, an immense tract of 16, 900
purchased some years ago in this practi-
cally uninhabited section, for a powder
magazine.
UNCLE SANS POWDER HERE.
Here, buried away somewhere in the
hills. are large powder manufactures
while all through the track are large
brick magazines in which the manufac-
tured powder is stored. These are con-
l1u of =
Morris county railroad, so that the dan
gerous commodity can be quickly trans
ported to the eeaboard. The army and
the navy each control a portion of the
reservation and the entire tract of 16 900
acres is enclosed in a barbed wire fence
At frequent intervals the monotony of
the fence IS broken by gates, over which
are signs setting forth that the grounds
are the United States Naval or United
States Government Powder Magazine
and that trespassing Is strictly forbid
den Nevertheless the company drove
the Mayor and other officials right
through the reservation for several miles
and no one appeared to interfere with
them
These grounds proved a genuine sur
prise to the Jersey City people. They
entered beside a modern Queen Anne
cottage, in front of which, from a tall
staff, f1oated the national flag just as
snappy and Independent as though there
never was any Cornell crew. They i'm
mediately struck a magnificent road,
which continued all through the reser-
vation Much of the great tract had
been cleared and converted into an at
tractive park, while the grounds in front
of the few cottages grouped around the
commanding officers homes drew forth
the enthusiastic admiration of the party.
Although everything had the unmistak-
able military appearance which charac-
terizes all army posts, not a uniform
was to be seen. and the curious specta-
Gle of man in jumper and overalls and
big brimnled straw hat with the swing
of a regular army man, driving calm
eyed and sedate commonplace COW, for
chilly demonstrated that these are the
"pipsng times of peace"
PRAISED THE ROCKAWAY.
Leaving the delightful roads of the
Reservation. the party, after short
ride, turned into the Longwood Valley,
and soon came 10 the headquarters of
nhe Rockaway River. Commissioner
Brown was very much disgusted when he
saw the measley little stream, which
was rushing over the rocks as though
possessed of a wild desire to get away
from the Jersey City men. He wanted
to know if that was what they called
river up in that part of the country
while Commissioner Detwiller tasted the
water and went into ecstacies over it's
quality Commissioner Browns indigna-
ton was changed to wonderment when
the engineer told him that in the spring
tl,at little stream he so despised would