The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-04-19
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WATER CONFERENCE
Street and Water Board and
Financiers to Meet
Tonight.
Is CURRENT TO CHANGE AGAIN 2
Now Said That Sheehan Company's
Reservoir Will Be Con-
,amiDated.

The Street and Water Commissioners
will have a private meeting with the
Mayor and Finance Commissioners this
evening in the Street and Water Board
Office. Corporation Counsel McDermott
will be the only one outside the members
of the Boards invited. The water subject
Is to be discussed. Yesterday it was semi
officially announced that an award would
be made to the O'Brien, Sheehan. NC
Bean 81 Rogers Company. AT first It
looked as though the contract would
surely go to Patrick H. Flynn. Engineers
Ferris and Vermeule found defects IN the
Flynn plan, 1t is said, which caused the
officials to switch to the Sheehan Com
papy. Yesterday afternoon the plans of
tho Slfeehan Company were inspected
again, more carefully than at first. De-
fects were found; it is said, which will
probably result in that company having
a hard time to get the required number OF
votes to secure the plum.
The Sheehan people have from the out
set maintained that they We're free and
clear from East Jersey interference. mas
much as they did not take any of the
water of the Rockaway until after the
East Jersey and Morris Canal Companies
had finished with it.
They We're borne out in that assertion
by Engineer Verneule, who seemed to
think better of their plant than any other
offered. The plan of the Sheehan concern
embraces only one reservoir. That is in
the M~ontyiile Valley. The intake was to
~ LC AAAC = hAS
end of the valley a dam was to be
built which would create a storage reser-
voir four miles in length. The dam was
to be raised to such a height that the
water in the reservoir YOU have an
average depth of 40 feet and not less than
10 feet at n point. 1t has now been dis
M~ontville Valley to the height proposed
by the company it would be on a level
with the Morris Canal. Running from the
Morris Cana to the Montville Valley is
a creek. which has always been used by
the Canal Company as an outlet for Its
surplus water.
1t is claimed that when the canal is full
the overflow would pour into the Mont
vile reservoir. 1t is said, too, that when
the Montville reservoir is drawn on dirty
water would be drawn from the canal.
The Sheehan people have learned of the
criticism that their plant is undergoing
and have replied that they have already
arranged to take care of the ans COM
pany's overflow. They say that in addi-
ton to preventing the overflow from get
ting into their reservoir they have ar
ranged to carry the water far below the
intake. The Sheehan proposition will be
discussed tonight. So will the plan of the
Rockaway and Hudson Company.
Colonel Inman was at City Hall again
today urging careful consideration of his
plan. Mayor Hoos will attend tonight's
conference He will listen but make no
suggestions. 1t is not likely that Presi-
dent Brautigam or Commissioner Kellers
of the Finance Board will attend.
Both gentlemen say they wish to retire
from the Finance Board as soon as practi-
cable and to go out without having any
thing like the water problem to disturb
them.
Action may be taken Thursday morn
ing by the Street and Water Commission
ers, but it was intimated today that the
matter might rest until Colonel Smith
takes his seat. The Commissioner-elect
VIII take office on May 2.
II no action is taken until then upon
the Board of Finance with its two new
member VIII rest the responsibility OF
concurrence. !.
The power of sealing the contract, if
in, then rests with the Mayor.
His power is absolute. He can either
approve or allow the whole thing to die in
his office. He does not have to veto the
award to kill it.