The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-08-04
BAYONNE'S OBJECTIONS.
Colonel Fuller Talks Of the
Proposed Publication
Of the Passaic.

Colonel Charles w. Fuller, who has
been named by Governor Voorhees, as a
member of the commission 10 consider
the Passaic River pollution question, first
became interested in the pollution matter
when Or. William T.. Hunt and DR.. H. G..
H. Herold of Newark and Elisha J..
Marsh of Paterson, the Commissioners
appointed by Governor Griggs presented
their report. They recommended that a
trunk lire sewer be built from Paterson
to the Newark Bay with an outlet a few
hundred feet north Of the Central Rail-
road bridge in shallow water. Several
wealthy residents of Bayonne, whose
homes are built along the shore front. also
q corporation owning a large tract of land
on Staten Island, retained Colonel Fuller
to prevent the carrying out of the pro-
posed plan, as it would affect their inter-
ests. Colonel Fuller was also retained
for the ann purpose by the Board of
Trade. the Good Government Club and
the Mayor n Common Council of Bay
onne and a committee appointed at a
mass meeting of the citizens Of Bayonne,
the Central Railroad Company.
When the bill providing for the carry
ing out of the recommendations of the
commission was introduced Colonel Fuller
fought against it with such good results
tina the Legislature refused to pass 1t.
A Legislative Committee composed Of
Senator William A. johnson, of Bergen.
Senator Robert Williams. of Passaic. and
Assemblymen Louis T. DeRousse and
Theodore A. Wild1nan was appointed. The
committee gave hearings to all parties in
terested. Among the hearings was one at
Bayonne. All the persons and corpora-
lions represented by Colonel Fuller were
heard either in person or through their
counsel, and then the committee sailed
over the Newark Bay. saw the proposed
location of the sewer outlet and the adj
iacent property, and studied the currents
and tides under Captain Joseph Ellis
worth. The committee decided after that
trip that the Bay opposite Bayonne, was
not the proper outlet for the sewer. 1t
was on the recommendation of that COM
mittee that the present commission was
appointed.
Colonel Fuller yesterday said:-SThe
only object I had in view was to prevent
the transference of a nuisance from the
banks of the Passaic TO the Newark Bay.
opposite Bayonne. / believe that the true
solution for the disposal of the sewage
and refuse from the cities along the Pas
sale River is by cremation. This is done
in a great many cities and it would be
much cheaper for each city to take care
of its own refuse in that way thai to
spend several millions Of dollars in the
construction of a sewer, which must be
maintained at very large expense for
ever. This method Of disposing OF sew
age is too a%ntiquated for use in the nine
tenth century"
Mr.. William T. Hunt of Newark, an
other member of the Commission and
also a member of the original Commits
sion, was asked this morning what re-
NAMED for the Commission to do after
its very aus work, in 1896, supple
mented by the action of the 1897 commit
tee.
He said that there was a mass of de-
tail in regard to the cost and its APP
portionment which ought to be gathered
and put into shape to lay before the Leg
islature. and also that perhaps a modlfi-
cation of the original plan with regard
to the outlet of the trunk sewer might
have to be adopted because of the OBJ
jections of Bayonne to having the sewage
discharged into the XIII Won Kull-
The modification, if one should be
made. might take the shape of a plan for
separating the solids from the liquids in
the sewage at some point on the mead
ows. or it might AXE the form Of an out
let further away from the Kill Won Kull-
When asked how long it will take to
purify the river, even If the next Legis-
lature should authorize the beginning Of
the work at once, he replied that it would
take several years.
The prevention of furtaer pollution
might be brought about. possibly, in W
years, he said, through the construction
of the sewer, but the rest, the getting
rid Of the accumulated filth Of years
would be a work of self-purifcation for
the river, and would take many years.