The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-28
new SPECIFICATIONS.
City Officials Hard at Work
Preparing Plans for the
Water Supply
THERE IS MUCH DANGER IN DELAY
In 1900 Newark Secures the
Pequannock and Jersey
City Will Have to
Look Elsewhere.
THERE is MUCH DANGER IN DELAY

LOOK ElS6Wu6I6.
The Street and Water Commissioners
tackled the water specifications last night.
In addition to the Commissioners only
Clerk Bouton was present and upon Mr..
sBouton will devolve the duty of prepar-
ing the new specifications. Engineers
were not engaged this time for many
reasons. In the first place the Commis-
sioners feel that they have received sufh-
cient instruction in water matters to
qualify them to prepare new specifications
without expert assistance. Another reason
is that the city will save at least S3,oV
by doing away with engineers. Again. It
has been the experience of the Commits
sioners that when each Board was allowed
an expert adviser there has invariably
been a disagreement between the experts
which sooner or later resulted In a clash.
On several occasions the city has paid
dearly for expert assistance. All the
specifications which nave been drawn are
in possession of the Street and Water
Board ar the Commissioners believe thai
by adopting the salient features OF cach
they will be able to frame model specifi-
cations. The last specifications which
were prepared by Engineer Vermeule, are
10 be pretty closely followed this time.
The Commissioners declare that those
specifcations were nearer what has been
wanted thar any heretofore submitted.
Last night suggestions trifling and
otherwise were made. Each was noted by
Clerk Bouton. He will reduce them all TO
writing and then submit them to the
Commissioners.
The recommendations made BY Mayor
Hoos are to be embodied in the new spec
fications. All the features of the old
which the Mayor regarded as being Dues
tionable, are to be ~expQnged. Everything
possible is to be done to make the specln-
cations not only satisfactory to the Mayor
and members of the Board of Finance,
but to so frame them that there can be
no Just cause for complaint from competl-
tive bidders. AS heretofore bidders Will
be required to accompany their proposals
with a certified check for $780, 600, and also
to give the city a bond of 100000 for the
faithful execution of the contract in the
event of an award. One thing the bidders
will nave III do this time will be to show
that they have the water.
A supply of 50,000,0 900 gallons a day is to
be called for, but the bidder will have to
shew that he has a watershed capable of
delivering at least 10000 600 gallons a day.
No proposals for a less supply than 50,vD,-
600 gallons a day will be considered. The
idea of the officials is to get a plant which
will be able to give the city a supply for
the next twenty-five years.
There is a great difference of opinion as
to what the city's consumption will be
twenty-five years hence, but the Commis-
sioners propose keeping on the safe side
and acquiring sufficient watershed for
70,000,0 GOO gallons a day. Bidders will be
called upon to estimate for a single pipe
line capable of delivering 50. 900 gallons
a day. They will also ave to state how
many reservoirs they will furnish for such
a supply, always taking into consideration
thai they must make provision for she
laying of an additional main of 2O,000. 900
gallons daily capacity at any time. In the
sc, 600, 900 gallons price must be included
right of way for a double pipe line.
Only proposals for the delivery of water
by gravity at High Service will be con-
sidered. The water must be delivered at
such a pressure as to enable the city to
abandon its pumping ~seations at once.
Such an arrangement is feasible. Mayor
Hoos says. and he is opposed to BURDEN
ing the city with costly pumping stations
any longer than is necessary. No par
ticular watershed from which the water
supply must be drawn will be specified,
so tina bidders may go to the Ramapo,
Rockaway or Raritan. The prevailing i'm
preston is, however, that all officials
prefer the Rockaway and bidders viii
offer a supply from that source viii doubt
less come out better than those who 60
to some other place. The main object o.
the officials is to get a bountifui supply
of admittedly pure and wholesome wate1
from a source which it will be easy te
protect from pollution. TIL protection o.
the supply offered by bidders will pc .
feature of the new specifications. There
are to be some important changes made
but Clerk Bouton is guarding them zeal
ously. His idea is to keep the specihca'
lions under cover until they are ready foi
adoption. Experience has taught him. n
saws. that some people in the city would
find fault even If the specifications wers
perfect in every particular. Considerable
progress was made last night. Clerl
Bouton said this morning that there il
no question but what the specification:
will be ready for adoption by one weel
from tomorrow. The Indications are tina
there will not be a hitch anywhere thi'
time about the adoption of the speciica
tions.
There has been some talk already Of thu
haste that is apparent in preparing TIL
Specifications. The officials say they mus
move quickly unless they want to plac'
the city in an embarrassing position. il
1900 the East Jersey Company's Peduan
mock plan passes to Newark. By tina
time Newark will be consuming almost d
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