The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-14
Two Hundred and Sixty
three Feet OF the 18th
Street Sewer Has
Cola psed.
NOT WORTH REPAIRING
Engineers Van Keuren aud Earle
Recommend Laying a Five
Foot Steel Pipe.

Acting Chief Engineer C. A. Van Keuren
and FRANC H. Earle, engineer of the
Ravine Road Sewer Extension Commits
sion, to whom, jointly, was recently re-
ferred the examination of the present con-
ditions and requirements Of the Thir-
teenth street sewer. east of Provost street,
have made their report. 1t was read at
this afternoons meeting of the Street and
Water Board. The two engineers in their
report say
I'VE have examined the said Thirteenth
street and find that there are six breaks
in the sewer. The first one Just east of
Provost street. the second just west OF
the tracks of the Delaware Lackawanna
and Western Railroad, and four between
thestracks of the Delaware. Lackawanna
and Western Railroad and bulkhead line.
The total length of sewer which has col
lapsed amounts to ga feet.
The length of the original breaks was
considerably less, but the condition of the
sewer is such that IL is necessary to re-
move additional portions of partially COL
lapsed arch at the ends of the breaks in
order to clear the eve and allow the
water to pass through. The sewer, as
exposed by these breaks, shows that it
is constructed with eight inches of brick
work two rings, and has flattened out so
that 1t is now at the s~pringing line about
six feet wide. the original width of the
sewer at this line being five feet, the arch
having opened and settled at the crown.
This condition was accounted for by
the fact that the sewer is built on filings
so light and soft that no resistance to
spreading is offered at the springing line,
while at the same time the continual pas
sage of trains on the tracks on either side
the street over the same filling has as
sisted to disintegrate the masonry. The
appears to nave been constructed
without cradl masonry.
I'm a number of places the inner ring
has fallen in forming an obstruction 10
the flow.
'srhe sewer is very much out of level.
due to irregular settlement. 1t is also
filed with mud, stones and brick to a
depth of about two feet. and it's condition
is such that it is impossible to clean it,
as it would be unsafe for men to work
in it, owing to the weakness of the arch.
This was undoubtedly the state of the
sewer before the commencement of the ex-
tnsion of the Ravine Road sewer, and was
a matter of general notoriety.
Where one of the breaks occurred it
was found that the sewer arch was only
formed of planks, d leak having occurred
before and planks put over and then filled
in.
ITO repair this sewer by restoring the
upper arch at the exposed breaks would
cost about 81. 800, provided the breaks do
not extend, but we are satisfied from the
condition of the sewer that to make a
would require taking down considerably
more of the old arch, and it would still
leave the balance of the sewer in a
wretched and dangerous condition, and
that portion repaired would be only a
temporary measure.
.sThe contractor, under his contract,
nay be liable to repair all leaks which
have occurred in the Thirteenth street
sewer since he began work on this sec
ton, but it is our opinion that he has
taken all the precautions that could be
expected of him by the city, excepting
possibly in two instances.
First. at the intersection of Provost
street where the trench had the appear
ance of not being properly s~heathed;
second. at the break nearest the river.
This break occurred at a place where one
leg of the derrick. used in lowering the
pipe into the trench, was placed; but it
was necessary to use a derrick, and one
leg had to be placed on that side of the
trenches, and we must admit that If the
Thirteenth street sewer is not caDabl of
withstanding this pressure. it is in d dam
gerous condition and should be recon-
structed.
1T is, in our opinion a waste of money
to make such repairs. We would advise
the laying of a five-foot riveted steel pipe
exception of the part now laid under the
tracks of the railroad, where there is now
a fve-foot pipe. The length lying about
$50 feet down the east side of Provost
street to the bulkhead. of which about
$50 feet of pipe is already laid, which
would make about 1880 feet of new steel
pipe sewer, which would cost about $40
per running foot, including pile founda-
ton. We recommend the steel riveted
pipe in preference to a brick sewer, for
the reasons that the passage of heavy
loaded trains on the tracks of the Della
ware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad
Company, woul within a few years.
injure the newly constructed sewer, and
cause breaks unless it was built with
three rings of brick in a masonry cradle
on pile foundation, which would cost more
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