The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-31

PASSAIC FILLING UP.
William 7. Hunt Says a
Trunk Sewer is Absolute
ly Necessary.
OPPOSITION In PATERSON
Authorities There Say Taxes Are
Already Too High--River
Bed Exposed.
OPPOSITION In PATERSON

Of Trade, and who was last year a mem
Der of the Sewage Pollution Commission,
and DIR. III. c. H. Herold agree with En-
gineers Vermeule and Fteley as to, the
menace 10 the public health in the com
templated absorption Of the Passaic at
Little Falls by the East Jersey Water
Company.
They were members of the commission
which made an investigation about two
years ago of the conditions along the
river due to its pollution. They came to
realize the gravity of the situation, as it
was then, and they feel that after the
East Jersey. had tapped the stream, the
matter will be much worse.
Il don't know precisely what the plans
of the East Jersey Water Company are"
said Mr.. Hunt, s'or how much water
it is going to draw from the river: but
the fact that it is going TO take a large
quantity is obvious enough. If they take
from the dry weather flow they VIII leave
a small quantity. and the result viii be
tina the polluted condition Of the river
viii be greatly aggravated.
Nothing is mere obvious than that the
pollution has reached its limit. Even in
times Of excessive rainfall, the flow is in
sufficient to carry off wholly the volume
of sewage discharged into the river. I
say this with due respect to the Legisla-
tive Committee which made an investiga-
ton and reported recently. That commit
tee concluded that there was no pressing
need of immediate relief. It did not full
liz realize the situation.
Below the Paterson Falls for about
two miles the flow of the river is rapid.
For that reason in the drier seasons,
when the water is how, parts of the
bed are exposed. On those parts the filth
and refuse accumulate and become Of
fensive. but in times of heavy rains the
swollen flow sweeps away these accumn-
latiens and the river is cleansed. II the
water company absoTbs a large part of
this water at Little Fails this stretch will
be more exposed and for longer intervals.
Take away the quality of water con
templated by the water eompsn and
there will be no cleansing flow for a good
while in the summer time.
From the Dundee dam, about half
way up to the falls the river is always
vile. The high water sweeps the sewage
accumulated above down into the damage,
and the state of the river bed there can
easily he fancied. The dam is filling up
with sewage.
what moved this committee to re-
port as it did was the indebtedness of
Paterson. Senate Braun and Mayor
Hinchiiffe came before it, and said the
people of that city were hostile 10 any
proposition that meaat an Increase of
their taxes. Therefore they combated the
suggestion of building a trunk sewer. As
sesnhlynnan Gleahia has been friendly to
the suggestion, but the contentious of the
Senator and the Mayor affected his views
An erroneous idea is prevalent CT,
salt water for sewerage purposes. The
fact IS, that salt water becomes iEapreg-
mated with sewage nearly to the same
extent as fresh water. Furthermore, a
tidal stream doesn't seour as does the
low of fresh water Tdae fresh wafer
flow comes down and sweeps ali the ac-
Cancellations away; the tide merely moves
it up and then.back, but it does no seour-
ing and salt water, as our analysis and
examinations proved. does not pTecipitate
sewage only TO q slight extent.
Apart from any other considerations
thar those Of sewerage, a trunk is
necessary. That is constantly becoming
more obvious. But the people won't do
things until they have to and then they
cost more.
The suit now in Chaacery, brought by
a resident of Passaic.s 1 think. mas great
merits. 1t proposes to test the right of
the city of Paterson to pellute the river.
It seems to me that 20 city amy more
thar an an individual or private
alton has any right to create conditions
which menace the public health"
Mn. HINT said that the commission of
which he was a member had considered
the publication of the stream by chemical
ard other processes, had concluded that
they would be more costly than a trunk
sewer, and, maybe, mot as e~fficacious.
Mr.. Hunt said further that it would
take three or four years to build a trunk
sewer. and that before the end of that
period a trying season of drought would
in all probability be encountered. The
Legislative Committee reported that there
was no more sickness in the valley Of
late than in former years. The people
didn't come forward, Mr.. Hum said, to
tell the committee this because it might |
affect the value of their property and be-
sides, people had been moving back from
the banks, knowing the danger OF abiding
near it.
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