The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-12-13
STILL WATER.
George T. Bouton Runs
Deep Into Ancient
Civic History.
LONG STRUGGLE FOR PURITY
Eight Calls for Bids Which
Produced Naught But
Legal Aridity.
IS FLYNN OUR MosEs2
Prospects That the Award
Just Made May Give Us
the Bulge on the
Ancient Mariner.
SCHEME TO BUY THE PLANT
By Saving the Deficit in the Water
Account We May Yet Own
an Ocean.
rs FLYNN OUR MOSES?
SCHEME TO BUY THE PLANT
By Saving the Deficit in the Water
Account We May Yet Own
an Ocean.

In the annual report of the Street and
Water Board, read last evening at the
meeting of the Board, that portion OF
more interest at this time probably is that
which referred to the new water supply
and which reads as follows:
Since November, 1892, the city has adj
vertised eight times for bids for new
water supply The first bid of the Jersey
City Water Company was accepted by the
2reet and Water Board, but non-con-
CURED in by the Board Of Finance. On
August 10, 1885, contract was awarded
by the city Boards, with the approval
of the Mayor. to the Jersey City Water
Company This award was afterwards
set aside by the Supreme Court on the
prosecution of the Morris Canal and
Banking Company and the Board Of
Trade.
In 1895 bid of the East Jersey Wafer
Company for a water supply of fifty mill
ion gallons from the Rockaway water
shed, containing an option for $3.50 600,
was accepted by the Street and Water
Board, concurred in by the Board of FL
nance, but vetoed by Mayor Wanser. IN
February of the present year bids Were
again called for and responded to by
four bidders. to wit: Patrick Fl. Fiynn,
O'Brien, Sheehan, Mclean & Rodgers;
Rockaway and Hudson Company, and the
George B. Inman Contract Company.
There was much diversity of opinion IN
the city as to whether the bid Of fhe
Rockaway and Hudson Company or Pat
rick H. Flynn, under this bidding, Was
most advanta geous to the city. Finally
it was decided to reject all bids and to
call for new bids under an amended speci-
fication.
Messrs vermeule and Ferris had been
appointed experts to assist the city
Boards in the preparation of the specifica-
tions Much objection had been raised
both by interested parties and by engi-
neers to the specifications as adopted.
In July, eighteen hundred and ninety
eight, rev specifications were adopted,
founded indeed upon the old ones, but
with notifications made to meet the OBJ
jections urged. To the specification
thus adopted no objection had ever been
made.
On August 18th, eighteen hundred
and ninety-eight. the eighth and last bid
ding was held. Although this brought
forth proposals from only one bidder,
Patrick H. Flynn, these proposals were,
in the opinion of the Board, much more
favorable than any of the preceding bids.
During the early stages of the water
question a supply of fifty million gallons
was deemed sufficient, but owing to the
growth of the city and possible annexa-
tion of adjoining cities and towns in the
near future, and with view of settling
the question for many years to come, this
Board decided to cali for a water supply
for seventy million gallons, including all
lands, waters, reservoir sites, rights OF
way and easements sufficient for a sup
ply of seventy million gallons, coupled
with the immediate construction of a pipe
line and storage reservoir for fifty mil
lion gallons.
In order to do away with the expense
Of pumping at High Service and of tht
maintenance of the Belleville Reservoir i
was decided to call for delivery of water
at an elevation of 30 feet above high tide
directly into the Bergen reservoir. Pat
rick IT. Flynn Offered two bids. In ont
of these the price per million gallons fol
water is as follows
Up to twenty-five million gallons daily
s3e; twenty-five to thirty million gallon,
daily, $34; thirty to fhirty-five million
gallons daily, s32: tfirty-five to forty-fiv'
million gallons daily, $24; forty-ive millior
gallons daily up to the limit of the ca
pacity Of the work, $40.
For water supply, rights and lands TO
seventy million gallons, with pipe line AM
reservoir for fifty million gallons, the fol
lowing options were given. On the com