The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-11-28
CITIZENS 0BJBCT.
Public Meeting Last Night to
Oppose the Projected
Hoboken Sewer
Connection.
THIRTEENTH ST. OWNERS INDIGNANT
Complain That Their Property Will
Be Damaged-Will Appeal
to the Authorities.

A large number Of property owners
north of the Erie Railroad held a meet
ing last evening in St. Luey's Hall, TO
take action in opposition to the project
OF the Street IND Water Board to con
meet a new sewer, to be constructed in
Hoboken avenue from Oakland avenue
with the present in Thirteenth
street, for the building of which pro-
posals have been advertised for, to be re-
ceiyed at the meeting of the Board on
Monday next
Mr.. James ]. Waters was chairman of
the meeting and Mr.. James J. HalIagan,
secretary.
Mr.. NJ r. Connolly stated the object Of
the meeting. and said that If the con-
nection as propose was made. the adj
ditional force OF sewage from the Hill
would overflow the Thirteenth street
sewer, throw the sewage out of the man
holes. upon the street, and at every high
tide would back into the houses having
connection Herewith, thus doing great
damage to the property. He cited as an
illustration the case of the Eighth street
sewer, which is now inadequate to carry
off the sewage which empties into it.
and at every high tide nearly all the
cellars on that street are flooded. The
owners of lots north of the Erie Rail-
road have already paid at least $500 each.
he said, to prevent their cellars from be-
ing flooded, and are entitled to security
from further trouble from this source.
We DON'T" he said, propose TO al
low our property to be made receiving
basins for the sewage of the Hill district
and be thus damaged or destroyed. The
city should construct an iron sewer on
Nineteenth street direct from the Hill
sewer to the river and leave the Thir-
teenth street sewer as it is.s
Mr. John McAuiif was also opposed to
the proposed connection with the street
sewer. He argued that 1t would not ac-
complish the purpose desired.
Mr.. A. J. Corcoran said 1t was a mat
ter which deserved the attention and
consideration of every resident of that
section of the city and proceeded to
discuss the carrying capacity of the sew
ers in that district
The object of this meeting, as / under
stand it," he said, sis to protest against
the construction Of a sewer from the Hill
to be a2 inches in diameter. with an
area of 1854 gallons. or almost half
" L 1T Dt-lllEi1 sewer
will discharge, under conditions named
above, about SS12.3 gallons. and the a.
inch sewer which it is proposed to con-
meet with the 6o-inch sewer viii discharge
under ordinary circumstances. travelling
at the rate of 60 feet per minute 4231.5
gallons. This sewer is to nave a fall of
60 feet where 1t connects with the Tbir-
teenth street sewer, making a water
pressure on the Thirteenth street sewer
OF 25,ssS pounds per square inch. and if
the Thirteenth street sewer was = nauy
one and constructed in the same man.
ner and of the very best material II
could not Withstand such pressure. Ana
even If it did. there is not a sewer nine
IN the whole district which such a pres
sure would not iniure.
The very fact, gentlemen. Of tha b;d
which the city calls for being for a brick
sewer to the brow of the Hill. then steel
pipe down the incline, then 200 feet If
horizontal steel pipe on the meadows n
connect with the Thirteenth street sewer
shows conclusively that the authorities
leaIize Inat a brick sewer will not with
sland the pressure In a rain storm.
same tine me are very y. apt 70 have at the
carrying capacity of our sewer and also
increase the volume of water from the
VIII ar n5 that. our sewer would
area Of the three 12-ineh connections re-
CURED or called for is about o~ne-ouarter
sne area OF the steel pipe from the Hill,
anu Wltn a bO-foot head, or nearly 2Sl
pounds, about all the water which rms
from the Hill would be deposited on The
If this is the theory of tho natter .
would be better TO discharge the entire
sewage OF the hill on the meadows and he
honest about 1t, and show the community
Just what they are doing and avoid tbe
flooding of all the cellars in the vicjnitv
NOW the Jersey City authorities. allow
lng themselves to be induced to On
sarough with the work as proposed by the
advertisements for bids. will find that the
damages inside of three years which they
nave to pay will amount to far more than
II they had built the steel sewer from HE
M % me river. This sewer need not be
large, Tor with a. 60-foot head the water
VIII travel proportionately faster than in
a level sewer. l say level, because it is
unfortunately too nearly level and nearly
nall fnll of water at all times.
The owner Of each 2o-foot lot on Thir-
teentn street had to pay $252.15 for the
reconstruction of the sewer in that street
and the adjacent property was also as,
sessed in proportion. The sewer virt1a1Iv
belongs to those who paid tor il. and
what right has the city to take ii and
render 1t useless to US for the benefit of
another SectiDn?"
Ex-Judge Kenny said in relation to an
assertion made that the d.. L. & W. Rail-
read Company might oppose the construc-
ton OF a sewer in Nineteenth street to the
river. as 1t would be necessary to go un-
der their tracks, that no railroad com
pany could defeat the purpose of this citv
in making excavations for either sewer or
water purposes. and read sections of the
city charter and supplement of 1873 giving
the city full authority to excavate for
such purpose under any railroad. and
those laws have never been repealed. 1t
would he Dangerous to connect with the
thirteenth erect sewer, he said. which is
now in bad condition. The additional pres
sure would burst every connection. What
IS wanted is an iron or steel sewer in
Nineteenth street direct to the river. Ii
would be very unfair to make. tbs sec
tion q receptacle for the drainage of the
hill.
Mr.. NJ. T.. Connolly referred to the fact
that there are two school buildings in that
section, and the smell from the sewer on
stormy days with the proposed connec-
tons would be dangerous.
Police Captain Kelly said some of his
tenants would be affected, and if ii wasn't
for the people IN that part Of the city
kicking and growing they would have
been dead long ago.
A motion of Judge Kenny that a com