The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-17
Mr.. PRATT'S WATER PLAN
His Jersey City Supply Has
No Connection With the
New York One.

To the Editor of The Jersey City News.
In your issue of yesterday I observe q
reference to the Ramapo Water Co., OF
N. Y. from which / quote.
stThe water will be taken from mountain
streams and lakes, through an aqueduct
eighty-fve miles in length. :
The Ramapo Company is julius
Pratt's plan for supplying water to Jer-
sey City
This statement indicates a lack of in
formation which is generally prevalent,
and with you permission / will try TO
elucidate the differences between the
Ramapo Company and Julius Pratt's
plan for supplying water to Jersey City:
The first difference noticeable is tllat OF
distance. the Ramapo- proposing a con-
duit of s. miles. and Mr.. Pratt's plan a
condui of q miles. a difference Of 64
miles. The proposed intake of the Ram
apo Company is more than 40 miles away
from the nearest point to them of the
Ramapo Water Shed.
The Ramapo Company has never yet
materialized beyond the phase of a paper
scheme.
1t was organized in 1893, with the origin
al purpose of diverting water from the
Ramapo in Rockland county, N. Y 20
supply the City of New York or Brook-
Ign. but thexC Company never acquired any
property or water rights in the hamapo
water shed, and many years ago IN view
of the impossibility of depriving New Jer-
sey riparian owners of the use OF the
water, they abandoned their original pur-
pose of operating in the Ramapo Water
Shed.
Two or three years ago certain infiu-
entail politicians of whom may be men
toned Edward Lauterbach and General
b. F. Tracy, discovered in the practically
defunct concern a germ for the develop
ment of a large system OF water supply
from the west slope OF the CatsKiiis ana
They obtained legislation in Albany, by
a bill drawn ostensibly for the purpose
of defining the rights of the Hamapo
Water Co., but in reality, by special leg
airy powers upon the Company. n
these newly created powers they are pro-
posing, If fortune so favors them 70
gather the waters from the INTERIOR OF
York City, or failing in that, to utilize
the water power for electrical work.
They do not propose to use OF the
waters of the Ramapo Water Sned, Tor
well the successful opposition they would
encounter from the owners OF water
rights on the river in New Jersey. Thefe
is therefore nothing left to connect thai
ompany with Nthe Ramapo except the
Now, what has. ALL this to do with sJu-
Illus Pratt's plan" which, as the News IN
forms us, is identical with the Ramapo
Company.
No more than it has with the Pequan-
mock or the Rockaway, which are about
the same distance from its field OF oper-
ations. 1.a
On the thirty-first of May last. | had
the honor of addressing a letter 10 the
officials Boards in conference on Inc We,
ter question, in which ! invited them 70
appoint a committee of three to speno
one day with me in investigating a pan
Of water supply in Bergen county, ths
essential features of which ere located
in the high water sheds east OF the tam
apo. while the Ramapo itself constitutes
a secondary and auxiliary part OF the
I promised that the investigation should
reveal the following resultss.-.
l. A gathering ground capapar ~ q q 5ay
ply of more than 100000, 900 gallons pc. gay J,
deliverable by gravity by a condull q
miles long. to High Service, Jersey lily,
wirh ample storage in Bergen county,
3. The purest running water IN Northern
New Jersey. aa,arsa
claims of the Morris Canal Company liz
East Jersey Company. o+har
4 The actual cost less than any other
plan that can be devised. -
These claims no doubt appear preposlsls
a,,s 70 those who nave never investigated
,thanr and the profound ignorance OF our
citizens and officials of this magnlhcent
system of water supply is due TO the lact
that ii has heretofore always pesH -
Guided from specifications prepares ~
the Jersey City authorizes rsev ritv
who will guaranty my sanity, my WIZ
testify that I have some knoWlSuss -
the water question. NOW, II rle Oity I'll az,
thorsties will accept my invitation, ! VIII
narforrn the Columbus act, M Will pe
pslaioad 10 hear their exclamation, how
pm a. and a it seems after being
shown now JULIUS H. PRATT.
Jersey City, June 16, 1898.