The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-30
NE v WATER PLAN
Specifications Adopted By
the Street and Water
Board Today.
A UNANIMOUS VOTE.
Fifty Million Supply at Once,
Seventy Million Water
shed.
PIPES FOR EIGHTY MILLIONS
Allan L. McDermott Aston
ishes City Officials With
Bitter Reproaches.

The Street and Water Commissioners,
by a unanimous vote this morning, adopt
ed the new specifications for supply of
pure and wholesome water. The speci-
iieations were prepared by George T.
Bouton, Clerk of the Board. The reason
that there was a unanimous vote for the
specifications, was that Mr.. Bouton had
taken great care to embody all the sug
gestions made by the several interested
officials.
The adoption of the specifications today,
is spoken of as Knockout for Allan L.
McDermott The blow was delivered at
the instance of Robert Davis.
This afternoon the Finance Board will
meet and concur in a resolution, passed
simultaneously with the approval of the
the specifications authorizing the Clerk
to advertise for proposals.
There is just possibility that Commits
sioners Simpson and Ringle will make a
stand for delay. They will be outvoted If
necessary, by their colleagues Commits
sioners Heppenheimer, Midlige and Bail
ey
The prevailing impression is that Mayor
Hoes will approve the specifications. He
is anxious to procure a supply of pure
water during his administration, and it is
said he will not bubble with the other Of
ficials over trifling matters, in which he
may think there is room for improvement.
Yesterday afternoon. after the Street
and Water Commissioners had explained
their estimate of preparations to the
Finance Board. the water subject was
brought UP. Mayor 1oos was sent Tor,
and from three o'clock until seven the Of
ficials remained behind closed doors.
Half an hour before the caucus termin-
ated, Corporation Counsel McDermott
was summoned. He responded and en-
livened what had been an unusually quiet,
harmonious conference.
There has been considerable talk as to
how long it would take to revise the
specifica tons so that they would meet
known at noon yesterday that Clerk
Bouton had already put on the finishing
touches. Consequently, when the water
Mr.. Bouton, at the suggestion of Presi-
dent Hauck, produced the. specifications
as they had been amended to meet the
approval of all concerned. There are no
more changes in the old specifications
than have been told from time to time in
these columns. -
Plan B of the old specifications is fol-
lowed in every important feature. 1t calls
for a supply by gravity,
All bidders must supplement their pr0- doo
and they must be prepared in the event
of an award to give the city bond in
$50, 600 for the faithful performance OF the
contract.
A standard of purity is fixed and must
be closely adhered to by all bidders. NO
particular watershed is specified, but II IS
ed as preferable first because OF the adj
milred purity of the water, and secondly
because of the bountiful supply 1T is
capable of yielding.
4 gravity supply is the prime requisite,
it being the determination of all the Off
cials to consider no proposition which does
not carry with it the immediate aban-
donment of all pumping stations. The
watershed offered by the bidder must be
capable of furnishing a supply of at least
COCO, 900 gallons day at all times. BID,
ders must set a price at which they will
furnish plant of one pipe capable Of
delivering 50000,000 gallons a day The
the city IS Increased from 20,000,000 gallons
to 25. 100000 gallons a day. This increase
was made because it has been. ascertained
that the city could not possibly get along
with a supply of 20,000,000 gallons.
Al change is made in reference to the
proposed second pipe line upon which eld-
tended to have pipe capable of deliver
ing only 20 600, COO gallons a day IN addlt1oh
to the 5o,O00,000 gallon pipe. Now It IS pro
posed to call for a pipe. of S0,0O0,e GOO gallons
carving capacity, making the plant really
capable of delivering S0,000000 gallons a
day should occasion require ~ Ine aaS water
SnRd is to 2uafalI6 I6e OILY GtUVuusVVV & s1lAOiis
a day, however: The carrying aaa s capacity l
Of the pipe was increased 100000 gallons
over the water shed production as pre-
taught engineers that pipes constantly
used become lined with a grass or moss
which increases the friction IN the pipe
ca apacity The officials believe It wise to
have the carrying capacity of the mans
more than the amount OF water requirea,
So that in the event Of the whole supply
being called for it will not be necessary
10 put too great a pressure on the mans.
In changing the capacity of the mains
the weight of the pipes must be changed. |
Mayor Hocs does not like the idea OF III, |
experienced men changing the pipes and
regulati ting the thickness an and & quality oI
out neither the Street and water COM
missioners nor their Clerk Is familiar. On |
this one point there may ne nieen re y the he
consulted on every point save this, all I
cations are all that could be desired or
s An In agreement had been practically
Il was was suggested that it might be wen to
consult Mr. McDermott about the legal I
verbiage of the documents. The Corpora
tion Counsel glanced through the specffi-
cations hastily and made few minor al
snddeniy. he resurrected the question. Of I
the old bids. He caused somewhat of /
furry by intimating pretty broadly that In I
throwing out the cid bids the officials haa |
played into the hands Of the East Jersey /
The intimation was not accepted kindly |
and some hot shots were exchanged. Sew
eral Of the conferees ntimated that 1t /
which = Ri las had been been disposed Of. Mr. McDer-
mott suggested very strongly that the
Flynn bid o. the sheehan proposal should /
salient features at those proposals with /
some warHth hat ne said only an /