The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-07-22


The decision cited does nat affect the
power Of the Legislature, which may, by
general law. either direct that conductors
OF electricity shall be placed underground
direction.
As to the second proposition, a law
enacted in 1885 provides that If any tele-
graph or telephone company shall apply
street, streets on highways, in or upon
which the posts or poles Of said company
may be erected, 1t shall be the duty Of
your Board to make such designation in
writing. The act further provides that
IN case you shal not, within fifty days,
make such designation, it shall be law
Circuit Court Of the county. which Court
may designate the street, streets or
highways IN which the posts or poles OF
sucn compan may be erected and the
nation shall have the same force and Eff
1ecl as II made by the legislative body of
SAID CITY" Claws of 1885, r, 56.)
Although this act has been proceeded
under by several Circuit Courts In this
State, it appears to me clearly u~nconstitu-
tional and ! advise resistance whenever
the Judicial power IS invoked 10 designate
the location of poles. I think that it is
unconstitutional as to both telephone and
telegraph companies In that it seeks to
confer n~on-judicial powers upon the Cir
cult Courts, and, as to telephone COM
panies, because the title limits its opera
zion to telegraph companies. / have
therefore to advise you that you may,
in granting future permits, provide that
the electrical conductors shall be placed
underground.
"RespectfuIiyy.
ALLAN L McDERM0TT,
Corporation Counsel"
Received and ordered filed.
From Garwood Ferris, Supervising
Engineer, for new water supply. trans
hitting communication from p. H.. Flynn,
Dear Extraordinarily ,,non +ba evoo,,-
ton of the contract for a new water sup
ply on February 28. 1899, between Jersey
City and Patrick H. Flynn, contractor,
exhaustive explorations and boringS were
made at a large outlay of time and money
to ascertain the exact nature of the sub
soil OF the proposed storage reservoir at
Old Boonton and to ascertain whether a
safe and practicable dam could be con-
structed and maintained on the site pro-
posed. Although I have been delayed
very much in the work by the certiorari
proceedings brought against the contract
by citizens of Jersey City, I am now
ready to report, and submit to you, the
result of such explorations.
We find that the dam site across the
Peer properties does not afford in our
judgment q proper location for a safe and
practicable dam of the great size and
capacity desired. The bed of the stream
five or six hundred feet north of the
present bed: the old water course was
much deeper and has been filled with sand
and gravel and has no rock foundation
that we could discover after months of
investigation. Large deposits of quick
sand were encountered and no improve
ment was found in the character of the
subsoil, at q distance Of sixty-hve feet
below the bed of ne old stream.
ION the north side of the valley, on the
Huntoon property, where we expected to
find a safe anchorage for the north end
of the dam, bOrings were made to a depth
of one hundred feet without finding any
thing but sand n gravel In our judg-
ment this site Is not safe or practicable.
We have since carefully explored the
whole valley for a distance of three miles
above the Hunto0n property. We thought
at n time that q desirable n practical
bic site for q dam. with a reservoir capa-
BILE of storing sufficient water for seventy
million gallons supply, had been located
by us on the Behr property, near the
house now occupied by our headquarters,
about a quarter of a mile above the Hun
toOn location. This, however, upon fur
Their exploration and boring across the
whole dam site, was found also to be inn
practicable inc unsafe.
After a careful survey OF the vicinity,
we find that the lowest point in the
Rockaway Valley at which. III our judg-
ment a proper undat exists for a
safe and practicable dam is upon the
property of John and Edwin Banta, To-
Gated about a quarter of a mile west OF
the Behr property. Upon this site we have
a excavations and examinations in
I've centre affQ Sld6 lines every HTIE fGSIf
covering the whole area Of the dam and
Its app-urtenaneess
1--WE have submitted these excavations
to the Judgment of various engineers of
and are well assured that a safe
and practicable dam can be erected on
this site. although-a dam built on this
site would be some 800 feet longer than the
one originally proposed on the Huntoon
property, and would have to be carried to
q higher elevation in order to store the
necessary supply, still there seems to be
nc other practical way open to us. and.
therefore,, we furnish 1t as required BY
the spec locations.
Under this plan extensive retaining
dams will be required at the read and
sides of the valley, which will be provid-
ed. This reservoir, when constructed, will
be capable. and the formula presented
in the specifications, of storing a supply
of over fifty million gallons per day; it
cannot be enlarged.
TN order to provide for future needs,
when a seventy million gallon supply is
desired. we offer in accordance with the
specifications, to furnish another reser-
water supply In the Longwood Valley.
Upon receipt of notice, as required in the
contract we are prepared to increase the
capacity of the water works. and to con-
struct, such additional storage, and In
take reservoirs as may be necessary, so
located and of such capacity as to be ca
pable with those previously construct
ed of collecting and delivering
seventy million gallons daily. at all times.
and TO construct a second pipe line for
thirty million gallons daily; all as provid-
ed in the specifications, for the amounts
In this bid.
"In achin Ibis decision we are not
unmindful of the fact that the lam re-
quired in this work is almost unprece-
dented in size and height. that it viii be
located o a large population, and that
no factor of safety can be omitted in its
location or construction. that it is to last
for generations, and must be carefully To-
Gated and planned in every detail before
construction IS started.
I'VE therefore submit the foregoing sub
of reservoirs and sites. and ask
acceptance of the same in accord
with the specifications.
We are ready to place at your disposal
all the detailed information required to
verify the position we have taken.
Yours rex ectfully,
Received and referred TO the Committee
new water works.
From the City Warfinger, Morgan street
dock
Rendering statement of ali monies re-
ceived and expended from June l, 1899 to
July 8. 1893.
Received and ordered filed.
REPORT OF THE CLERK.
for street cleaning has filed with him a
Of the STREETS to be cleaned dur
the week commencing July 3, 1899.
Received and ordered flied.
REPORTS OF CHIEF ENGINEER. /
The Chief Engineer reported certificates
of:-
Henry Byrne, $1,000, on acoun Of con-
No. 1.1S6.