The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-31
Mayor and City Officials
Inspect the Shed Of the
RockaWay and IIud-
son Company.
A $6,OOO,OOO PLANT
Dir. Edlow Harrison Explains the
Advantages The City Will
Gain From His Proposal.

Thirteen gentlemen inspected the water
shed the Rockaway and Hudson Water
Company wishes toasell this city for So
eco, 900 yesterday. The company was not
liberal with its invitations to citizens.
Public spirited citizens would be well
! coined on the trip it was announced. pro-
vided they would pay their own fare
and provide themselves with food.
Mayor Hoos did not invite the represent
afive business men whoAccompanied him
| on all the other water trips to go out yes
terday. There were in the party beside
the Mayer. who. by the way. went out
unaer protest, all the Street and Water
adidllge and Simpson, DR.. Albanesius, En-
gineers yerfneule and Ferris and Mr.. Ste
venson. who is the meneyed man of the
concern.
The Mayor was not well, and if it had
| been possible he would nave remained at
home and allowed the ether officials to
drink in the magniicence of the Rocka-
way plan as outlined by Edlow W. Har-
| rison and George f. Holmes.
The party left the Delaware, 1acka-
wanna and Western Railroad station at
haif-past eight O'Clock and went direct to
Boonton. There carriages were in wait
ing and the officials were driven to the
point at which it is proposed to estab-
lisal the intake. The Rockaway and Hud-
son plan is very similar to the first one
presented by Hugh Reilly, in which that
gentleman showed it TO be possible 10 de-
liver water to this city by gravity. The
c~onpany's intake is to be located on the
Rockaway River above the falls at Boon
ton. In describing the location the com
pany's representative said.-''The intake
will be at the head waters of the J.
Cooper Lord estate, above Boonton
Falls" Edlow W.. Harrison announced
that it is proposed to dam the river above
Boonton, SO that the water win have al
elevation of $50 feet above the sea. The
intake will of course be a mammoth stor-
age reservoir, having a drainage area.
tributary TO it, of lis miles. In addition
to the intake, the company says it in
tends constructing storage reservoirs at
Beach Glen and in the Longwood Valley.
The LeTgwood Valley storage reservoir
is about two miles north of The Delaware,
Laekawanna and Western Railroad cross
ing. The bottom of I,ongwood Valley has
an elevation of Cso feet above the sea.
w Ill tAAC adll4 lii 4 ~
to build at the lower end of the valley.
the wate~ stored there win be raised to
an elevation of IA feet. The lowest ele-
walton of the water will be 100 feet. Trib-
ufary to the Longwood Valley reservoir
are the lakes, creeks, ponds and streams
within a radius of 22.4 miles. The capac-
ity of h I5ongwood Valley reservoir was
said to be It's, 0eo,o 900 gallons TO the square
mile.
The reservoir itself win cover. accord
ing to the figures on a map which Mr..
Harrison guarded jealousy, $50 acres and
have . capacity OF 1900 million gallons.
TO contain thai quantity of water George
+. Holmes announced thai the reservoir
would have to .be four ard a half miles
long, at least 1000 feet wide and nave an
average depth OF 81 feet. All no point WIN
the water be less than eight feet deep.
Engineer Harrison next reviewed the
merits of Beach Glen as a storage reser-
voir. He gave the officials a glorious des-
cription of the Glen and then in his GUS
tomary suave manner, announced that
Beach Glen was a part and parcel of the
great Rockaway plan. Beach Glen now
has an elevation of SO feet above the sea
level. BY damming it the water viii be
raised to Sal feet above, giving a draught
level of $40 feet. The Glen reservoir VIII
cover a magnificent territory Of 500 acres,
into which the waters Of 221 square miles
will flow. The depth of the reservoir will
be about 90 feet. It's storage capacity
viii be $3.50 million gallons.
From Boonton the inspecting party
drove to Dover and there luncheon was
served. After luncheon the officials were
conveyed to Green Pond and several other
lakes and ponds which the company
claims to have exclusive rights in. While
at Green Pond Engineer Harrison review
ed the whole plan. The reservoirs at
Beach Glen and Longwood Valley are to
be connected by means of tunnels and
viaducts. so that there would never be a
possibility of a short supply. In conclu-
sion Mt. Harrison insisted that the Rock
away and Hudson Company can in no
way be disturbed. hindered in the fulfill
ment of its plan by either the East Jer-
sey or Morris Canal Companies. The
asking price of the company is 5000, coo,
provided Tie city purchases within one
year after the completion of the plant.
The price il purchased within five, ten or
fifteen years is Sc I0o, e9a. In the mean
time water would be sold the city on a
sliding scale from 500 a million gallons for
the FIRST 2e,0 0,000 gallons a day to SIG
when the consumption reaches from 49,
900. coo to &c, coo, coo gallons daily.
The official party returned to the city
at seven O'clock. Tomorrow morning the
officials will go out with the George e.
Inman Contract Company A start will
be made from the Pennsylvania Railroad
station at $3.50 o'clock. A New York, Sus-
quehanna and Western Railroad train
will be taken to Sparta. From there the
officials will be driven to the points where
it is proposed TO establish its intakes and
its reservoirs.
TWO THEATRE PARTIES TONIGHT