The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-21
PEQuANNOGK POLLUTION.
Newark's Board of Health
Taking Steps to Keep
the Water Pure.
Especial 10 THE Jersey city News..l

NEWARK, July p, lS9S.-At a meeting
held by the Board of Health last night.
Health officer Chandler submitted his re-
port regarding the condition of the Pc
qunnock watershed, from which place
Newark and Jersey City receive their
supply of water. DIR. H. G. HI Herold
presided at the meeting. and six other
members of the board were present.
Mr.. Chandler stated in his report that
on June 16 and II he inspected the water
shed in company with President Herold,
Commissioners John A. Furman and BAG
teriologist R, N. Connolly. of the board,
and. Health Officer Lead and Inspector
Gibson, of the Paterson Health Commits
s~ioners. Many sources of danger to New
ark and Jersey City water existed. he re-
ported, and, he stated, they can and
should be removed. He advised the most
mandatory measures for their removal.
| The menaces he divided into five classes.
as follows:-Positive causes of pollution,
possible causes of pollution. places to be
kept under observation, old buildings law
ing a bad effect, and special cases to be
guarded against.
In the first class he mentioned pig
pens, vaults, manure boxes. stables and
drain pipes belonging to John Ferguson.
| George Carr, Leo P. Wise. Jacob Win
tiers, John H. Connolly and others which
border on the brooks and inlets leading
to the shed. He especially mentioned Ben
son Snyder's vault, containing pipes to
! the brook ditch emptying into Canistear
| reservoir. and he strongly urged an abate-
ment Of the nuisance.
Possible causes of pollution were put
| down as the pens. stables and vaults more
| remotely situated, and places to he kept
under observation were said to be those
| which, although so situated In such a way
| as not to arouse suspicion at once, might,
nevertheless. be the means Of rendering
the water less healthy than if they We're
not there. Th old buildings referred to
were said to belong to the East jersey
Water Company, and they are scattered
| in the valley near the water shed. The
| fact that they were unsightly and there
| fore had d tendency to lessen the feeling
Of responsibility Of others in the vicinity
was cited as sufficient reason why hey
should be removed.
The snecial cases brought to the atten-
ton of the Board Of Health officer We're
those Of John Ferguson, Benson Snyder
and George Carr, who. It was stated had
refused to comply with the regulations,
ana against whom suits would be brought
Since the last inspection Mr.. Chandler
said there had been much Improvement
Twenty-Five vaults. sixteen pigpens' tnir-
ty-fve manure boxes, five stables and four
waste pipes had been displaced. The resi-
dents of the vicinity We're said to appreel-
ate the efforts Of the Board of Health IN
striving for pure water Tor Newark anu
Jersey city, and it was reported that they
had llsed every endeavor to bring about
an Improvement in the conditions. The
water itself was said to be in q healthy
condition. Mr.. Chandler concluded ms
report By stating that # stringent care
Il taken there is no reason why The water
shed should not be as good as any in the
country. His report was referred to the
Sanitary Committee.