New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-22
THE POLLUTION PROBLEM.
TAKEN IN HAND BY THE STATE SEWER
AGE COMMISSION.
HOPE THAT PATERSON MAY BE FORCED TO ACT
AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT AT THE
ESSEX COUNTY ALMsHoUsE.

AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT AT THE
ESSEX COUNTY ALMsHoUsE.
The fact that William T. Hunt, president OF
the state Sewerage Commission Is Editor OF
THE Sunday Gail" gives especial interest to
the following article in yesterdays issue OF that
paper:
The organization OF the State Sewerage s Jo'
mission has been completed, and the Conl,n's creat
work has begun actively. Under the Ia" nsssing
Ing the Board its duties are n to investigating
methods OF disposal ana cases "a their action
taining existing conditions and reporting upon the
same to the Legislature with sucn o' iau does not
give the Board the power which was desired a %
the Investigating Commission, ana does ave cases
OF river pollution as that OF the Passaic RIVER; II
is regarded long step forward ana enoades may
be obtained more quickly than has been supposer
The Commission has not as yet isld R RTwr but
the city should ask towns, for action 9 would UG
% 10 get some manner Of relief started
without much delay. Paterson Is not reaES NJ ~
believed II will consent to action wltnous omnieteiy
ton The Chanceors decision has c spsop and
bottled up all sewerage work at pba that
as many sewers needed Is not cred reI,ef as
the city will refuse to act Tor ts o"" 'e'0'' ~
well as that OF the river.
SEWERAGE PROJECTS TO BE REVIEWED.
The lower Passac case Is but one OF several
which will come before the Sewerage Commission.
Application will be made at once by the south
Orange Mburn Joint sewer engineers TOT the APP
prevail Of the Commission to the Plans fo sou f
Orange, Irvington and part OF Newark, and 10
empty into Arthur Kill according 10 Pressnt pcive
measures. and the chief question IS wiener a .ge
into the Arthur Xiii It has been suggested that
Summit should Join with this sewer, as tne us
foc nd iar
section Of the town has no sewerage system d. h
"n the the Se
would not involve material change IN the d.
It is probable that Madison. Morris County, and
Morrstown will soon have sewerage proec,s al
phe umber OF MADISON
cease pollutng a brook which enters the Passaic
Summit is worse offender, 1t is said although ITS
point OF discharge is many miles from the man
fact ali the places in the vicinity, are REGARDED az
or less open to suspicion D fbs mater
much beyond Paterson however. as the new yes ,
Sey C SUPPLY ana IN re Fails are ali to be
fected by pollution Of these waters.
POLLUTION AT LITTLE FALLS.
Some inquiry was made recently as TO the re-
ported cases OF pollution OF Peckmans BROOK
which runs north through this county emp'Sins
into the Passaic just below Little Falls There are
some mills on the brook. and the new county hsS
lum at Overlook and the Newark Clty ho.,,e
Verona are near it's banks. The brook empues
above the intake Of Paterson's present wa1ei
supply but below the East Jerseys future Supply
The sewerage arrangement at the CITY fioine ne =,
defective and II is possible that II may nave 70 DC
changed --.,-- .-.ox,,,ar,
At the County Asylum interesting experimee,h'
has been made by County Engineer owen lns
sewage OF the asylum discharges into tank SONY
hundreds Of feet from the building The air an 10
light are excluded from the tank. which Is e9ua,, &c
many times the discharge from the INSTITUTION
From the tank the fluids escape to filter beds and
there are purified by coke and gravel beds nnally
escaping in excellent condition into a neo below y.
and thence into the brook At present changes are
being made in the filter beds and the discharge OF
AMID Is carried on TO a neghboring field, while the
repairs are being completed The tank hlls the De
scription OF the so-caed septic tank, the principle
Of which is that by excluding air and light vioien'
action by bacteria is set up, and the erect is %
reduce the sewage original elements. ana free II
from danger in comparatively short time me
brief experience at the County Asylum seems "a
indicate that the action is described and that
the fluid discharge Is comparatively harmless ~
| The experiment is to be observed carefully: The
| advantage OF the plan as devised is that whether
or not the septic tank idea succeeds the purifica.
ZION bv fltraton will be complete enough to avoid
injury