The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-03
cAMDEN's WATER TROUBLE.
Contractor PfeifFer Cuts Of the New
Artesian Supply.

Especial to 1.-THE Jersey City News."]
CAMDEN, June 8, 1s9S.-Jersey City is
not the only municipality which is having
trouble with its water supply. The new
artesian well water which has been sup-
Piled to residents of Camden for the past
ten days was shut off by Contractor
George Pfeiffer, ait nine o'clock yesterday
morning. The Old pumping station at
Pavonia was Immediately put into opera
tion by Chief Engineer Toms. There was
no material difference in the quantity of
water by nightfall, but there was in the
quality.
The shutting down of the new water
system was the result of an ultimatum
issued to the Water Committee OF City
Council Wednesday night, by Contractor
Pfeiffer, who, when asked to place the
newly appointed employees of the de-
partment at work, refused to do so while
the engines were running on the thirty
day duty test. Mr.. Pfeifer demanded
of the city pay for the expert employees
while the test was on. He also desired a
shorter time for the test. When his
request was denied, he notified the COM
mittee that he would shut down the
plant yesterday.
First Assistant City Engineer Osler ar
rived at the station. as usual, yester-
day morning to continue the thirty day
test. He was soon joined by City En-
gineer Farnham. The engines were
working nicely and the water was flowing
freely from the wells when Contractor
Pfeiffer arrived about nine o'clock. Inn
mediately THE machinery stopped. and
will not be in operation again until a
compromise is affected between the city
and Mr. Pfeiffer, or the matter is settled
in the courts.
City Comptroller Hufty stated yester-
day that he considered Contractor Pfeif-
fer, by shutting down, has ~defaulted on
his contract. and the city can go ahead
and complete the new plant. Comptrol-
Ter Hufty also said that according to
the specifications of the contract, where
there is a failure of the contractor to
complete the plant. the authorized
agents Of the city are delegated the power
to finish 1t and deduct the cost for such
work from the amount due the con-
tractor. The contract should have been
finished in October. An extension until
March 5 was granted, but no further ex
tensions were allowed.
City Counsel Bleakley said hat Com
tractor Pfeiffer has violated his contract.
He was unable to say what course will
be pursued by the city, as he had not
consulted with the members Of the Wa
ter Committee. The Chief Engineer was
given full authority, Mr.. Bleakley said, to
operate the old system at Pavonia,
which has pipes connected with the new
water mains leading into Camden, so
there is no danger of a famine.
Contractor Pfeiffer denied that he was
in default of his contract. He said that
the contract provided that the city shall
furnish him 100 acres of land, which has
not been done. He said also that the
contract did not provide a thirty-day
test. All that was required was for him
to furnish 1900, 600 gallons of water every
twenty-four hours, which had been done
for the past six days, and he was ready
to give bonds to furnish that amount
daily for ten years as the contract pro-
vides.
He said that he was not willing to al
low a set of "~greenhorns', to operate the
plant while the test was being made,
| when the machinery is worth $150,000. and
he is responsible. He said If the city
would assume the responsibility for any
damage TO the machinery, then It would
be a different matter. He stated further
| that no attempt had been made to COM
promise the difficulty.