The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-14
MAYOR zoos 3BSIEGHD
Indignant Property Owners Pro-
test Against the Enlarge
ment Of the New
York Avenue
Sewer.

A delegation Of indignant citizens waited
on Mayor Hoos this morning. Among the
callers were:-Christian Helms, Henry
Rohlfs A. Schneider, G. Steineeke, Henry
Albers, C. H. Hoffman, H. Spellner, A.
Meinecke, Charles A. Fisher Henry Ruby,
Max Won Graef, Henry Wood and George
King. The gentlemen are New York ave-
nue. property owners and they called on
the Mayor to have him prevent the pro-
posed enlargement of the sewer in that
thoroughfare. Mr.. Helms, for the pro-
testants, declared with considerable en-
phasis that the sewer was being enlarged
for the sole benefit of the North Hudson
County Railroad.
MY God, Mr.. Mayor" he exclaimed,
"you alone can save US from this OUT
rage"
The property owners became so excited
and made so many queer statements that
the Mayor sent for Chief Engineer
Rugglcs to explain the situation.
1t appears that long before Chief En-
gineer Ruggles came TO this city, the au-
thorities built forty-two inch sewer IN
through New York avenue to the old
Ravine, then known as Ravlne avenue
The sewer started at Ferry street, ana
for many years carried off the sewage
hoped for AS the locality grew the
sewer began to be taxed, and it OCCASION
ally overflowed. The oyerffows were due
entirely to the fact that large quantities
of water drained into the sewer from
Griffith. Franklin and Hutton streets.
That section of the city continued 70
grow and a main sewer was fnally pullt
in Webster avenue The Webster avenue
sewer was made forty-eight inches in
diameter Webster merges into New
York avenue at old Ravine avenue. The
Webster avenue sewer was consequently I,s
sewer about eighty. feet below Ravlne
avenue Recently, it became apparent,
by repeated , overfiows' fan r;tsstn 81 NeW sna
Franklin streets, that the New York
avenue sewer, below the intersection
with the Webster avenue sewer, was 100
small to carry off the waiter that was
drained to it.
Chief Engineer Ruggles was consulted
and he suggested, and in fact advised,
the enlargement of the New York ave
nue. sewer below the intersectlng point.
His advice would doubtless have been
followed had it not been. it is said. for
the interference of Street and Water
Commissioner Nolan, who wanted some
public work done in his district. 1t was
finally agreed to enlarge the New York
avenue sewer between Franklin and
Griffith streets, first to accommodate
sewer large enough to receive the surface
water from Griffith, Franklin ana HUT
ton streets.
Bids for the work were to have been re-
ceived today but that part of the pro-
gramme was postponed owing to the OBJ
lection that has developed. The state
ment that the work was being done for
the benefit of the North Hudson County
Railroad Company IS said to- be absurd py
Engineer Ruggles.
The enlargement of the sewer would
compel the company to relay many of its
will be no more trouble after the Ravine
Road sewer is finished. The excited tax
PAYERS were not satisfied, however, until
the Mayor said
that you are protected. If the proposed
enlargement of the sewer will work an In
fury to you | will stop it. Public work
must be properly done, and in a manner
that win be beneficial and not injurious
will see that you are protected "
The demonstrators departed after thank
ing the Mayor profusely.