The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-07-06
STORAGE DAMS.
Street and Water Board
Hears From GarWood
Ferris and P.
H. Flynn.
VARIOUS SITES SURVEYED
Extra Retaining Reservoirs
May Be Necessary-Plans
for Storing 70, ooo. 900
Gallons.
VARIOUS SITES SURVEYED

At a meeting of the Street and Water
Board held yesterday afternoon the fol-
lowing communication from Engineer
Garwood Ferris was read. Il deals with
the locations Of the proposed dams and
reservoirs for the new water supply. The
communication follows:-
Jersey City, July i, 1899.
Hon. Board of Street and Water Conn
missioners.
Neutrality-suspicious. the information of
your Board 1 enclose herewith a copy of
a communication addressed to me by Mr..
p. H. Flynn, bearing date the 18th day
of June. and reaching me on the 29th-
stOn the Seth of June ! had a conference
| with Mr.. Ffynn's representative at Boom
ton. and / am to receive, as soon as can
be prepared, estimates, etc, more in de-
tail regarding the proposed storage
| basins. When same shall have been re-
ceived and verified I will be prepared, !
| trust, to advise our Board as TO what
action is proper on the subject matter OF
that communication.
While the contractor, owing to the
physical and legal obstacles which he
mentions, has evidently as yet felt himself
precluded from any actual construction,
yet the interval has permitted him to
make considerable Roadway on the pre-
Iiminary work incidental to all large en-
terprises and peculiarly imperative on MS
present contract.
While there remains considerable yet
to be done in that direction, yet when
location of dam is once definitely decided
upon and legal distinctions shall have
been removed, I feel assured we can look
for an early and vigorous prosecution OF
that potion of his contract.
In that connection l would state that
the contractor is now engaged in clearing
up and opening very extensive granite
quarries on property he has acquired.
Appearances would Indicate that from
that source he will be able to furnish
about all the material of that kind re-
of dam. A railroad to connect the quar-
ries with the proposed dam location is
also being located and graded in order
that the material may be furnished with
the rapidity and In the quantities needed
fore the proper prosecution of a work OF
this magnitude.
Respectfully submitted, $500
Engineer in Charge"
This is the communication sent by
Patrick H. Flynn
June Is. 1899.
"Garwood Ferris, Esquire, Supervising
Engineer. for new water supply TOT
Dear sir-1mmediately upon the execu-
ton of the contract for a new water sup
ply on February q. 1899. between Jersey
CITY and Patrick II. Flynn, contractor,
exhaustive explorations and borings We're
made At a large outlay of time and money
to ascertain the exact nature OF the sud-
soil of the proposed storage reservoir at
Old Boonton and to ascertain whether a
safe n practicable dam could be con-
structed and maintained on the site, pro-
posed. Although ! have been deiayea
very much by the certiorari proceedings
brought against the contract by citizens
of Jersey City, / am now ready to report,
and submit to you, the result OF SUCH *
ssxVa find that the dam site across the
Rockaway River upon the Huntoon and
Peer properties does not afford IN our
judgment a proper location for a SAFE ana
practicable dam of the great size and
capacity desired. The bed of the stream
in prehistoric times was located about
five or six hundred feet north OF the
nresent bed. the old water source 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
ment was found in the character OF the
subsoil. at a distance of sixty-ive feet
below the bed of the old stream.
o the north side of the valley, or the
Huntoon property, where VIZ expected to
find = safe anchorage for the north end
of the dam, borings were made to a depth
thing but sand and 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
aDDRe The IlQiltO1t PlORtt } - ~ -
at one time that a desirable and practical
BILE site for a dam, with a reservoir capa-
Bile of storing sufficient water for seventy
million gaiia on 8 Supply nrd nar pee nea lrcafSe
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 and unsafe.
After a careful survey of the vicinity,
- ca +IG 4AA ar4-AE rAtaf M fh1
Rockaway Valley at which. In our judg-
ment. a proper foundation exists for a
safe and practicable dam is uDon the
property of John and Edwin Banta, To-
the Behr property. Upon this site we have
made excavations and examinations in
the centre and side lines every fifty feet.
covering the whole area of the dam and
its appurtenances.
1--WE awe submitted these excavations
to the Judgment of various engineers of
practicable dam can be erected ON
this site. although a dam built on this
site would be some 600 feet longer thanthe
one originally proposed on the Huntoon
a higher elevation in order to store the |
necessary supply; stiH there seems to be
no other practical way open to US, and,
therefore, we forward it as required by
the specifications.
Under this plan extensive retaining
dams will be required at the head and
SidGS OIL Inc FdlfSt. WHICH Will bt B-bNiu- |
ed. The reservoir, when constructed, will
be capable, under the formula presented
In the specifications, Of storing a supply
of over fifty million gallons per day; 1t
cannot be enlarged
ain 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-
voir Of equal value and efficiency, for a
water supply in the Longwood Valley.
Upon receipt of notice, as required in the
contract we are prepared to increase the
of the water works. and to con-
struct. with additional storage. and suit |
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 tosScenstruct q second pipe line for |
thirty million gallons daily; al as provid- |
ed In the specifications, for the amounts |
stated In this bid.
In reaching this decision we are not |
unmindfu1 Of the fact that the dam re-
quired in this work is almost unpreee-
dented In size and height, that It will be
located above a large population, and that |
no factor Of safety can be omitted In Its |