The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-11-13
NUISANCE WILL 60.
Ravine Road Sewer Will Be Re-
built-Delay Of the Conn
mission Explained.

Vice Chancellor Pitney astorfshed the
iaWyers ana others engaged yesterday af-
tefiioon IN the Ravine road sewer case,
heara IN Chancery Chambers. civ En-
siheer Ihomas Mccain, of Hoboken, had
just given his opinion as to the best way
70 remedy the nuisance caused by the
broken sewer, and was about to explain
the physical causes which affected water
courses when the yice-Chancellor inter-
rspted him
Nov, l am conceited about this thing.
Ior l know something about this. l am
risht at home on this subject and leav-
ing me bench he walked to the big map
naiiglng on the wall which showed the
foaVlne road sewer drainage area, and en-
terealned everybody for upwards of half
an nour with a learned dfsquisition on
waler courses and lucidly explained why
ShoWhank Creek didn't flow up the hill
instead of down; how to work out a for
muia Tor water mains wnen the length,
size and head of pipe are given, and a
gsnerai talk on geology, topography. hy-
drostatics, h-ydrodynamics and hydraulics,
with a little law thrown in TO make it in
~teresting.
Messrs. Charles l.. Corbin, ex-Judge
Bialr, Spencer Weart and Mayor Law
renee Fagan stared and wondered. and
mentally thought Of the line of Goldsmith
describing the Village Schoolmaster.
Yes the Vice-Chancellor wound up,
NHt - tSSfltS Jersey lily 5 counsel. II
am so firmly convinced that the Ravine
Q sewer annot be repaired that YOU
VIII have to go to another court TO get a
different conclusion"
n testimony nearly all day was that
OF Hoboken people who described the i'll
effects Of the odor from the sewage on
the meadows.
fd Mss ! Cora HOPKINS; Of No. 1888 Bloom
bosom friend and fellow worker In Davis
Baklng Powder factory, near the broken
sewer, said that all the girls in the build
ing. ana there were about sixty Of them,
complained of the fearful smell. AS for
MISS hopkins, she had malaria and her
appetite had suffered. and she was obliged
70 take q vacation all on account of tina
terrible broken sewer.
Did it affect your appetizer" asked the
-Vlce-Chancellor of Miss Heffernan.
mo, sir, | always lived in that neigh
borhood," she replied.
And got used to It. humph," said the
Engineer Mccain was then recalled and
examined by Mr.. Charles L. Corbin said
that IN his opinion the only way to rem
eay the nuisance was to build a new main
nc main to carry off the drainage from
the Heights. 1T must have no manholes.
but be independent and there was no ply
steal difficulty in the way of building one.
There was no way to permanently repair
the present sewer. Hoboken had tried
again n again to mend it, but 1t had
broken out in other places.
Mr.. Edlow w. Harrison, one of the de-
fendant Commissioner on the Inflated
sewer, was called by Jersey City as a
witness, and he gave a minute account of
the appointment of the Commission. the
legislative acts passed, the delays occa-
stoned by this cause and that and finally
said that the Commission had devised a
plan to carry the sewer down Thirteenth
street, Jersey CITY, to tide water; but the
late Governor Bedie, counsel for the d. L.
and w. R. r., objected because the COM
pany claimed ownership of the street.
The company suggested carrying the sew
er down to the river alongside their
tracks, bur then there arose the difficulty
Of obtaining the right of way.
Mr.. Harrison explained that the rail-
road company would permit the sewer to
go through their yard, but the city must
yacate Thirteenth street, and the Mayor,
Finance Board and Commissioners were
not willing to consent to this. Besides,
there Was a belief in the minds of the
city that Hoboken should bear a share
in the expense. So that, said Mr.. Harri-
son. the matter is up to the door of the
Board of Finance and 1t will act soon.
Vice Chancellor Pitney said that he
would, in a few days. give a decision,
and when the decree was signed he would
cali the commissioners and the various
counsel together to hear their opinions
as to its terms.
1t is understood that the Vice Chancel-
Tor viii permit the work to go ahead,
and a new main will be put in running
direct to tidewater.