The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-01
CITIZENS PROTEST.
Delegation Waits on the
Board Of Works to Com
plain of Thirteenth
Street Sewer.
INJURY TO PROPERTY SET FORTH
Rents Lowered in the Section
Prominent Men Say Sewers,
Should precede Parks.
INJURY TO PROPERTY SET FORT

AT the meeting of the Street and Water
Board yesterday afternoon a number OF
~well-known gentlemen, composing dele
cations from the North End Improve
ment Association and property owners
who are suffering inconvenience from
the dilapidated condition of the Thir-
teenth street sewer, were given a near
ing.
John P. Feeney was the first speaker.
He said he had been asked by citizens
and taxpayers north of the Erie Railroad
tracks to tell the Board of the actual
condition resulting from a neglected and
damaged sewerage system as it exists
there today.
you are not n blame, gentlemen
said Mr.. Feeney, "bAt I am requested to
say that the property owners and resi-
dents of that section would like you to
remedy the conditions of affairs over there
now
Mr.. Feeney described the condition of
the ewers of that section. This condi-
ton was fully set forth in The News
in the report of the meeting of indignant
citizens held last Friday night. Mr..
Feeney old how the main sewers in
Twelfth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth
streets were cllOhGu Will tnS lid lin
sediment of over twenty years, and told
how it was impossible for the lateral
sewers, Henderson, Grove. Erie and other
lateral sewers to drain into them. Four
teenth street sewer, he said, was full OF
solid matter. Water just dribbled through
it. The Fourteenth street sewer, he said,
had not been cleaned since he was a boy,
and. continued Mr.. Feeney, bowling his
head, that. as you well know, is not a
short while ago. / Knew two years ago
this condition of affairs would exist some
day and asked the Finance Board to APP
propriate money to remedy it. Does the
remedy lie with you? If so, Will you
help us? Is it Legislative authority you
| need? The Legislature is now in session..
| think we can secure an enabling act
| giving you all necessary power. As a
member of the Board of Health | will
tell them that this matter must be at
tended to. We look to you for a remedy"
Mr.. Feeney was loudly applauded.
Hugh Douglass. William Williams. Con-
tractor Kelaher, Patrick Connolly and A.
j. Corcoran. all heavy owners of prop
erty and all sufferers, appealed to the
Board for assistance. Some of them told
" wy "Ne IVY - oAA -
that section. Apartments that rented at
SIS and SIG a month five years ago would
not now bring SO. Most of them paid
$1,000 a year taxes, which they claimed
was going to the erection of parks in
healthy localities, while they were left
with a rotten sewerage system that @as
made still further rotten by the drainage
from the sections selected for parks.
l. AZ y -.~- IL. If. - - 4 . L.
clared that the property owners of that
neglected section paid more taxes han
the people in Fifth street and other as
phalted streets. He declared that Jersey
City was paying for improvements for
which the people of the next two gener-
atoms should pay. The Fourteenth
street sewer, he declared, hadn't been
cleaned in twenty-seven years. and was
two-thirds full of matter as solid as a
brick.
Mr.. Corcoran said he knew ne was a
frequent caller Upon the Board. In most
| instances he had called in the interest of
his ~neighbors as a member of the Emer-
gency Committee of the North Enc I'M
provement Association. This time he
called as well in his own behalf. appeal
ing not only for remedy against further
damage to his property but announcing
his Intention that he proposed to sue for
those already incurred if he saw fit. He
| reoited the various protests he made dur
ing the construction of the Ravine road
| sewer, and the warnings against the de-
| struction of the old Thirteenth street sew
| er. During the recent storm, he said, he
had 81. 900 worth of tanks under. water.
The polished iron work and polished
wooden work of these tanks had been
soiied not only by water, but with sew
age.
.'In that section he said, 1--WE haven't
received 81 worth of Improvement in a
year despite the fact that we pay thou
| sands of dollars in taxes. We look to this
Board for protection. Not even a dollar
of the liquor monies has been spent in
improving this section despite the fact
that the Horseshoe is locke upon as a
! saloon district. Give us the benefit of
the taxes we pay. If the property own
ers and residents of that section were to
| secede every ope would be happy with
his own revenue. We want simple JUS
tice. We want a chanc to live. We do
not ask for asphalt pavements, but for
Gods SAKE don't spend money on parks in
a healthy section and flood us with its
sewage. Don't kill the goose that lays
the golden egg. The old Thirteenth
street wasn't much. but it was all
| we had. If our taxes are not enough
| false them. We want immediate relief.
| 1t is foolish and unbusiness-like to allow
property to go to decay for want of rev.
enue. We at least want the Fourteenth
street main and the laterals
| cleaned. | believe there are several who
have Just cause for action
At the conclusion of the hearing Presi-
dent Boltwood informed the delegates
that the Street and Water Board was not
%unrnindful of the condition of affairs in
their section of the city, and although not
to blame for its present condition., was
straining every nerve to give them i'm
mediate relief. Already a force of men
had heen set to work on the sewers. ana
the old Thirteenth street sewer would be
reconstructed as soon as possible.
he was loudly applauded by the dele
gates.