The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-03-05

stand pipe and only little is being re-
ceived through the pipe which connects
directly with reservoir No. 1. This con-
vinces the Street and Water Commission
ers that there is a formation of ice inside
the mains which run across the meadows,
1t is due of course, to the fact that water
is running through the pipes very slowly
and with practically no head.
So as to be prepared for the prompt de-
livery of water as soon as the Belleyille
pipes are cleared. the officials have divers
at work in the High Service reservoirs.
If it is possible, they win be cleaned OF
the anchor ice. AS at Bellsvlle, it is
soldly packed, and it is with difficulty
that it is dug out. To what extent the
High Service pipes are choked up it has
been unable to determine as yet. At
Mayor Wanser's suggestion all the work.
men of the Street and Water department.
have been called out and are now at
work either at Belleville or High Service.
At Belleville it is proposed to cnop the
ice off the reservoir and drag it out on the
banks. A similar course is to be pur-
sued at High Service. Men have been
stationed on the meadows with instruc-
tions to report any break without delay.
Early this morning large consumers of
water were notified that they would have
consumers were also warned not to allow
faucets in their houses to remain open.
At eleven o'clock the supply had dwindied
to such an extent that Colgate & Co.'S
big soap and perfumery factory on York
street had to shut down. Departments of
the American Sugar Refining Company
had to be shut down and other manufac-
turers were also compelled to suspend
operation until such time as an adequate
supply is furnished.
The shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad
on the Hackensack meadows We're forced to
run on half speed because of the lack Of
water. In public buildings where the
elevators are operated by hydraulic pres
sure they had to be abandoned. AT the
Jersey City Electric Light Company's S
plant it was announced that unless the
supply of water increases by nightfall
the city will be in darkness. At present
there is not sufficient water to furnish
s-eam power enough to operate the
plant
In private houses it is impossible to
get water above the first story. What
for use
In the Bergen district the residents
patronzed the wells in the neighbor-
hood, and steady procession of people,
young and old, passed through the streets
carrying all sorts of vessels. from small
glass pitcher to a wash boiler. About
eleven O'Clock the flow started. but the
water was so dirty and had such dis
agreeable edor that many refrained from
using it, Van Wagenen's well on Acad-
emy street was surrounded all morning
by crowd of people who wanted water,
and even when the water started to flow
through the pipes they still patronized
the we{a. One woman remarked:-"I
like water that you can see the bottom
of your pail through" There are three
wells in the immediate vicinity of Bergen
Square, Van Wagenen's on Academy
street, Van Reipen's. on Van Reipen
place, and Romaine's on Academy street.
These wells supplied about one thou
sand people with water during the
drought this morning.
Bayonne, like Greenville, suffered a
great deal from the scarcity of water
this morning. The main which supplies
worse degree. The factories on the east
side were all idle because of the absence
of water and householders were in a
great state of excitement. Fortunately
there are plenty of wells in Bayonne,
and those who possessed them were be-
sieged all day long by the neighbors
carrying pals, kettles and even casks
in which to carry away sufficient water
to keep them going for the day.
When residents of the Greenville sec
ton awoke this morning they found
themselves deprived of the usual supply
of mixed Pequannock and Passaic morn
ing abutions. No one knew what the
trouble was and many of the people
thought the trouble was located within
their own four walls. Conferences with
neighbors carried the trouble past that
and when the butcher, baker and milk
man came in with stories of the gen
eral water famine throughout the city
they ceased their search for bursted
pipes and set out with pals for nearby
wells. There are many wells in this
section and they were well pafronized
this morning.
The trouble was not confined to resi-
dents, but business interests suffered also.
Chadwick's big spinning mill at the foot
of Danforth avenue, near Newark Bay,
was compelled to shut down on account
of a scarcity of water. Their employees.
to the number of four or five hundred,
are standing idle waiting for renewal
of the supply. The factory of the Eureka
Fire Hose Company experienced but little
difficulty from scarcity of water The
flow was limited and the speed of the
circular web looms cut down consider
ably, but everyone is working as before.
The flow of water here was lessened con-
siderably, but never ceased entirely.
They use pumps to force the water into
a tank on the roof of the building whence
it is drawn for use in the boiler The
Barr-D Dinwiddie book bindery was closed
today because no water could be obtain
ed. The employees were given holiday,
because there was not even enough water
to supply the steam radiators.
The heating arrangements of School
No 20, on Danforth avenue, were thrown
into disorder this morning by the scarcity
of water. The big school was like a
barn. so Principal Reinhardt dismissed
the scholars for the day. The Hudson
County Electric Light Company, at its
plant on Halliday street. were hampered
a little last night. During the early hours
no trouble was experienced, but towards
morning the water in the tanks began to
ebb and the general office of the Jersey
City Electric Light Company which con-
trolls the other plant, was notified There
will he a scarcity of electric light tonight
if the cause of the trouble is not RENE