The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-15
WATER FOR JERSEY CITY.
BNGIyEER RAFTER's REPORT ON
1BE CONTRACT AWARDED.

ne Denouncss 81, Economical suxEestiou as
n festtfersus Fsii.ey snd Says That
the city Hes Made . Serious Error In
Per-itti.x n Lsxity In speeinestions
A committee OF the Jersey Citv Board of
Trade called upon Mayor wanser IN his ONCE
in the City Hall Yesterday afternoon and sub
mitted 10 him the report prepared by George
w. Raftor. the expert engineer from Roches-
tor who WINS employed by tho board 20 exam
inc the specifications OF the contract for q
" alter supply which was awarded to the East
Jersey Water Company. The Mayor Ind with
held action on the contract In order TO hear
from Mr.. Raftor. The committed consisted of
Frank o. Cole. John J. voorhees,. Joseph A.
Dear, Andrew J. Corcoran. and John J. Cone.
They were received by the Mayor and ushered
into his private ONCE. and the doors were
closed. What occurred can only be surmised.
There was q long and animated discussion. and
at times the voice. Of the disputants could DO
heard by those who were In the outer room
awaiting Tho result. Mayors Secretary John
J. Nevin furnished this comprehensive report
NJ the meeting;
THE committee met with the Mayor, and
after presenting the original report II was con-
ciuded that II was wiser to leave the report
with the Mayor and his engineer, that they
might examine IL At their leisure. The Mayor
expressed his wish TO have q conference with
the committee at n date TO DO named by the
Mayor. and the Mavor thanked the committee
Tor their kindness in advising with him."
Tho contract with the East Jersey Company
provides for n daily supply @! from 20, DOC, 900
., IN ooo ooo o.I,or. and ,h.r. q. . .,,d,no
!" "o'ooO,ooo Saho.'' ~ 500 nH.
million gallons. The city has the option Of
,,,,h..,.. ~. ..,,., -, H.. .N,.r a..
years for 81. 600 600.
Mr.. Rafter's report Is n document Of 10, 600
,.ou,. Th. ,,,r.Jro,,., 4. Iii, ~
Rafter tells OF the instructions he received
from the Board OF Trade committee and says
that they cover a very wide range of investl.
CATION which could not lie fully compasscd
within the time at his disposal. He believes.
ho,y.v.r ,h., hi. r.nor, ,nrnI.h.. .rh,son'
tally the information required at this time.
.In .udv,ny tho Je,s.v CIV wa,er ous.-
IN s.uusink tno 'e.eos oIy W.. au
t'on' MT. iai,er SAYS one cannot OUT 90 I'M
pressed with the .act that. In such an enter
- -. -, n.
many problems which are essentially legal In
engineer run. tangent 10 the avver, NJ nearly
-
every point. IN ,restins the ene'neerins-le
that there 4. M intentIon Of dI.cu.sinu them
from The Standpoint of the LAWYER. hut rather
from that OF Tie man OF ana,r.. who has neo-
essarliv come into contact with Al, IN oiestions
ezionsl ve!y aud VIII" may therefore be still con-
sidered as haylnx. 40 Tar as such questions are
inyolve1. o falr modicnm OF common sense.
One or the chief noints made by Mr.. ,Rafter
10 that the specifications were so loosely
drawn that IL was impossible to tell ftom
them whether the proposal OF the East Jersey
company world DE OF adv ihtage 10 he city.
me ,fptelncatlohs Tor the Reservoirs. ne says.
are drs IN IN such "A way as 10 make IL iinpos-
sible Tor any bidder 10 mako an Intelligent
hid. referring TO the watersheds. he Quotes
extensiyeiy from the, tables prepared by En-
gincer T., 1. Nernlcuie Tor the state GeoloHi-
cal Board. AM says that as Mr.. Nermeule's
data cover an experience OF only twelve years.
they are not sufhcientiy accurate Tor the pur-
poses OF observation. lie adopted. instead,
w. III. Talcotts taDtes. which exteau from
lS40 TO 1870. ana treat OF the regions sur
rounding Lake Hopatcong. These tables
lead him to the conclsuion that the city can
not RELY on less than .eighty.six square miles
Of watershed to afiord 5O.0o0.ooo gallons OF
water daily.
Mr.. Rafter. turning MS attention 70 tho con.
duIts. or pircs. declares with emphasis that
no language In tie speci 1cetion Warranted a
bid for n single pipe line. such as The East
Jersey company proposed. and Tor which tho
contract. was awarded. Discussing the pur-
lily of the proposed supply. MT. Fafter says
shat both BIDS. that Is. the bid OF the East
Jersey Company and that OF the hudson and
Rockaway Company. It's oaly campe,itor.