The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-01-11
TRYING TO FIX THE BLAME
Mayor Wanser Wants Some of the
Meddiers 10 Suggest way Out
ofthe Dilemma Now.

''The Jersey City News" published yes
terday, to all intents and purposes ex-
clusively. the remarkable revelations of
Engineer Clement r. Hirschel concern
ing the inability of the East Jersey
Water Company to make good any of its
representations made to the city officials
when it procured a contract for the fur
nishing of a temporary supply of water
1t told how Engineer Hirschel wept when
he was forced to admit that in order to
give Jersey City any supply at all of
Penquannock water, the East Jersey
Water Company would be forced to drive
Newark back to the Passaic River for
water to give its consumers an adequate
supply.
There were circumstances in connec-
ton with the revelation made by Mr..
Hirschel which it was impossible to for
ward to 1.-THE News" from the scene of
action, which was the gate house at the
Belleviile reservoir. in time for publica-
ton yesterday. These, therefore, are
now given below.
The Jersey City party left the office
of the Street and Water Commissioners
at noon. In the carriages were:-Com-
missioners Harding. Hooker and Patter-
son, Aiderman-at-Large Simpson, Chief
Engineer Ruggles. Water Purveyor Coar,
Water Assessor A. b. Dusenbery and Mr..
Horace Farrier The point at which the
water was turned on was at Belleville
and Kearny avenues, the same corner at
which the reservoir is located The Off
cials were welcomed on their arrival
there by the Chief Engineer of the water
works, W. S. Miller, and by Mr.. Hirschei,
the engineer of the East Jersey Water
al
sistant named Smith. Both gentlemen
seemed uneasy and appeared anxious to
have the ceremony over as quickly as
possible. Commissioners Harding and
Patterson wanted to have the ceremony
postponed until Monday, but their wishes
were oyerruled by Mr.. Hirschel, who
wanted to go ahead at once. The fact
that it was Friday and regarded as an
unlucky day by superstitious people was
brought to his attention, but he remained
unmoved.
Commissioners Hooker's daughter was
on hand also. and upon her was to have
fallen the honor of turning on the new
supply. There were disappointments 'tto
burn yesterday, however, and this was
an important one. 1t was due to a pc
culiar circumstance which has since set
the Commissioners thinking
The party of officials collected in the
gate house to witness, first of all, the
turning off of the Passaic water from
the 36-inch cement pipe. by which Arling-
ton. Kearny, Harrison. Bayonne and all
the section of the Hill south of the Penn
sylvania Railroad cut have been supplied
Fifty-two turns of an ipamense crank,
which required four men to move it, were
necessary 10 accomplish this result Be
fore turn was made. Mr.. Hirschel
pointed to the gauge which was attached
to the Pequannock main. 1t showed a
pressure of s. pounds to the square inch.
AT Mr.. HirscheFs suggestion the work Of
turning off the Passaie from the cement
main was began. Only fourteen turns of
the crank had been made when some one
discovered that the gauge of the Pequan-
mock main had dropped from SIS to 70.
Every one wondered. and then ii was
found that Hirschels assistant had turned
on some Of the Peauannock Miss
Hooker was disappointed. but not to be
done out of the pleasure altogether, she
rushed out to the corner and turned on
few hundred gallons more.
Once again the gauge dropped
1t kept dropping until every bit of
Passaic had been shut off and every GAL
lon of Pequannock turned on Then the
gauge showed SO pounds to the inch, and
there it stayed showing quite conelusively
that the section supplied by the cement
main was consuming every gallon that
went through. and perhaps wanted more
Engineer Hirschel pretended elaborately
to be very much surprised.
He telephoned for more water He
examined the big measuring meter. In
fact he made. according to one of the
officials. star bluff" and got away with
it for a long time.
OF course everybody wondered what was
wrong They wondered for an hour, and
still no explanation came. Suddenly
President Van Duyne of the Newark
Street and Water Board appeared on the
scene He seemed to realize that there
was a screw loose somewhere, though he
did not say much. Engineer Miller's face
wore broad smile, but he also refused
to throw any light on the subject
Engineer Hirschel finally etered the gate
house. and taking position in the CEN
tire Of the room, said he had something
important to say. and ne believed me time
had come to say It.
= more expectant gathering could not