The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-24
PLENTY OF WIND.
But a Water Contract Hardly
Looks Any Nearer
Than Before.
ENGINEERS AT LwoGGERHEADS
Vermeule Is for the Sheehan
Plan and Ferris Is "Agin
!, Him Where Is
the Mayor.
ENGINEERS AT L~OGGERHEADS

mott and ENGINEERS Ferris and Vermeule.
The conference was enlivened by a spat
between the engineers, who have widely
different ideas of the salient features of
the propositions now before the Board
Three things were decided upon. One
was that a conference must be held with
the Finance Commissioners Thursday
night. A second was that an award must
be made, and The third that the city
must contract for a supply of not less
than 20, 0oo.0 900 gallons a day.
The last decision is the most impor-
tant one, inasmuch as it practically shuts
out all the bidders save the Sheehan,
O'Brien, Mclean & Rogers Company and
Patrick H. Flynn.
The Commissioners have considered the
water problem from every possible stand
point. They have gone into the question
of consumption and nave found the guam
tity required is increasing at an unex-
pected rate. For this reason 1t has been
concluded that to acquire a plant not
capable of delivering 70,G08,o00 gallons a
day would be folly The Commissioners
declare that while the cost must be con-
sidered il must not be permitted to over
balance the necessity of acquiring d plant
at. this time which will insure the city
an unlimited supply for many years to
come.
Commissioners Heintze and Boltwood
have ever since the bids were received in
February been making a stand for the
Rockaway and Hudson Company. The
only weak point IN that concerns pro-
posaI, they have maintained, was that 1t
confiicted very seriously with the undoubt-
ed established rights of the East Jersey
Water N Morris Canal Companies. Com
missioners Heiutze and Boltwo0d have
row. however. been won over to the TO-
ESQ, 600 gallons a day idea. The Rockaway
and Hudson people can deliver a maxi
mum supply of only 50,vVD,0O gallons a oay;
For such a plant they ask more than ST.
5000. The representatives .of the COM
pany have been asked if the plant could
be enlarged so as to insure, in after
wears. a supply of at least TO- Co., 900 gal
Ions a day. They have in the
affirmative. Questioned about the cost OF
such an enlargement, the figure has been
fixed at 81, 800, 600. These facts were laid
before the Commissioners last night. Cor
poration Counsel McDermott remarked
that if the company said the enlargement
of the plant would cost s., 500. 900 the true
cost might safely be put at twice that. or
$1,000 Geo. It was thus figured cut that the
acquisition of the Rockaw2y plant would
cost. il its gathering ground and delivery
capacity had TO be increased, s1l,000,0 o0-
1t was agreed that the city could under
no circumstance pay such a sum for a
supply of water. Very little was said
about the legal difficulties the Rockaway
people would encounter. Engineer Yer
meule insisted that al award to the com
vany was equity alent to throwing out all
the propositions now before the Board.
The courts, he said, would not sustain an
award to it. To ~corroborate what he said,
he produced opinions, laws and judgments.
Engineer Ferris combatted everything
Mr.. said. Counsel McDermott
supported Mr.. yermeule to a noticeable
extent.
The next point raised against the Rock
away and Hudson concern by Mr.. YER
meule was that he doubted it's ability to
procure a sufficient gathering area to in
crease its guaranteed supply from 5O.ooo,-
coo gallons a day to 10000, 600. This asser-
ton gave Engineer Ferris something bor-
dering on nervous prostration. Mr.. Ferris
s.got hot in the collar and said things
sarcastic. He tackled Mr.. vermeule with
OHt 6ICtCCy 1Q Ill L1lC 1dt I'll LII ~,
gathering capacity of a given area, flow
of rivers, depth of streams, and so on,
Mr.. Vermeule had little difficulty in con-
vincing his listeners that his knowledge
wasfbased upon long and careful research.
The discussion of the engineers prae-
tically resulted in the abandonment of
{, Rockaway scheme.
The Inman proposition was shelved for
- L.-- - t--1L 49, ~~-4--4 a-:- l1-1
down to the bids of p. H. Flynn and the
Sheehan combination.
Engineer Vermeule is distinctly a Shee-
han man. Mr.. Ferris is against any
plant VermeuFe is for. The disagreement
of the engineers has driven the officials
to the conclusion that they had better
work out their own salvation.
To the Flynn bid there is advanced the
objection that it will doubtless cause long
and costly litigation. The Flynn people
offer about the same water the Rocka-
way Company does. Its plant, however,
differs in many respects To begin with,
it gathers its water further above Boom
ton than the other and 1t is
claimed consequently interferes to a still
greater extent with the East Jersey and
Morris Canal rights. By establishing an
intake so far north, 1t was said, In dry
seasons it would be a grave question
whether the company could deliver TO-
000, 600 gallons a day owing to the large
quantities of water the East Jersey and
Morris Canal Companies would draw
from the tributaries to the Rockaway.
The Flynn plant will deliver the water
at High Service at a sufficient head to
do away with pumping. To do this, how
ever, requires the creation of five large
storage reservoirs, which would have to
be policed and watched and repaired
from time to time. 1t has been estimated
thattto provide proper care for the five
reservoirs almost as much would have to
be spent annually as is now expended in
the operation of the High Service Pump
ing Station. The Flynn plant will cost
$4,000 600.
The Sheehan C~on1pany's proposition will
cost 50, o.00O. For it, 1t is claimed, that
having only one reservoir to care for the
city would escape a large expense am
nually which all the other plants would
compel it to shoulder. The Sheehan plant
cannot deliver water at sufficient head to
do away with the pumping station at
High Service. It is argued that the main
tenanee Of the High Service station will
cost less than the care of the reservoirs
am r1anfs Of the other concerns. It is