The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-06-18
'0DI) WATER PLANS,
James R. croes' to Be Hired
at 10000 to Prepare
Plans for a Water
Supply.
vERMEuLE TO KEEP TABS ON him
New Survey Of the Watersheds
to Begin With Then New
Everything Else.
The Preparations Indicate That the
City is to Build for Itself
Not Make a Contract.
vERMEULE TO KEEP TABS ON him

| James E. Croes will be the Street and
| Water Boards engineer in the water sup
ply proceedings. This interesting fact
was agreed upon this morning at an in
formal conference in Mayor Hoos' private
| Office.
| The Finance Commissioners are also to
have an engineer, and the outlook is that
the fortunate individual will be Cornelius
G.. Vermeule. who was associated with
the late administrations latest attempt
to procure new supply of water. Mr..
Vermellle resigned only few weeks
ago. and the Street and Water Commits
sioners accepted his resignation.
Yesterday afternoon all the officials who
will have to pass upon a contract, except
Commissioner Brown, who insists that he
was not given sufficient notice, attended
a conference in the Mayors office. The
conference was private one. The report
that the visit of the Mayor and Street
and Water Commissioners last Tuesday
to several New York engineers was not
fruitful, is absurd these gentlemen say.
President Boltwood, for instance, declares
It to have been exceedingly fruitful In
the first place it convinced them, he says,
that Mr.. John H. Ward, who was sug-
gested, was not the man for the emer-
gency.s His age and present physical
condition were against him. Mr.. Herring
turned out to be sentirely too high priced
for the duties that would be required of
him. General Viele was also found to
be beyond reach.
Mr. Croes is by no means a cheap en-
gineer, but the manner in which he dis
cussed the. problem convinced the officials,
they say, that he is thoroughly competent
to deal with the subject. He showed the
officials drawings and maps, reports of
eminent engineers and finally a work of
his own on the water supply of New Jer-
sey. All the officials felt before leaving
that Mr.. Croes was the man required.
Like all the other engineers visited, Mr.
Croes announced that the most satisfac-
tory way of solving the problem was by
making an entirely new survey of the
New Jersey watersheds ascertaining the
best places for storage reservoirs and so
On. and formulating plans and specifica-
tions in accordance Herewith Mr..
Croes insists that before he will proceed
he must make new survey. To do that
he will require assistance. The officials
concluded from his remarks that his
compensation and that of his assistants
will hover about the $4,000 mark
At Yesterdays conference, it was
agreed that if a supply is to be obtained
no necessary expense should be spared to
have all preliminary work done in such
way that no one will be able to find the
slightest fault The Finance Commits
siopers expressed willingness to work in
harmony with the Street and Water Com
mi a M 20 bo
ploymelit of engineers and the. creation of
plans and specifications as circumstances
would permit.
Commissioner Simpson insisted that, to
make a hitch impossible, the Finance
Board should retain consulting engi-
neer. The Mayor acquiesced, and it was
at once fixed that there should be two
engineers So anxious is Mayor Hoos to
get the matter under headway that he
wanted the Street and Water Commits
sioners to agree in caucus today to name
Mr.. Croes as their representative. All
the members were willing, but it was
deemed wise to wait until Monday and
then at q meeting regularly appoint him.
His compensation will be fixed at the
sum he demanded.
His appointment and compensation will
doubtless be concurred in by the Finance
Board at a meeting to beld next Thursday
evening.
It is not at all improbable that the FL
nance Commissioners will also name their
engineer at that meeting. No one
knows positively that Mr., yermeule will
be their choice, but that seemed to be the
general opinion Of those interested to-
day As MI Vermeuls' will be merely
consulting engineer ne may be placed on
the Same salary he wes previously re-
ceiving, 800 year. Whether he will