The Jersey City news., 1899-12-20
ENGINEERS WORK
Charles Van Keuren Presents
the Bureau Of Engineer
ing's Report to the
Board Of Works.
STREET CLEANING CONTRACT SOL VE
Merits and Dement'S of vari-
Gus Pavements- Water
Supply and Erie
Elevation.
STREET CLEANING CONTRACT SOL YE

To convince the city in general and the
Board of Street and Water Commission
ers in particular, that the Bureau OF En-
eineering has been earning its salary, an
account of the years work was submit
ted to the Board yesterday by Chief En-
gineer Van Keuren, who makes this rosy
introduction
1T is especially gratifying to invite at
tention to the standard of work perform
ed during the past year, which has been
far in advance of anything done IN pre-
vious years, both in sewer construction
and street Improvement. The absence OF
any objections received, or remonstrances
filed, when final hearing is held Except
ing in isolated cases, and even then the
fault has always been remedied), is SUI
ficient evidence that the work has been
prosecuted in conformity with the specifi-
cations"
After giving an exhaustive list Of streets
improved or reconstructed, surveys and
estimates for construction of assessable
sewers, list of final assessment maps, ETC.,
etc. Mr.. Van Keuren gets down to street
cleaning and he says this
THE street cleaning problem has been
solved, as far as the limited approprta-
ton will allow The appropriation for
garbage was only $4,000; $4,000 OF this
amount was used for the removal OF
ashes and garbage, leaving balance of
1000 for the sweeping and cleaning OF
streets, ridiculousIy small amount for
city of this size. It should be at least
$l00,0o0.
At present seven miles of streets are
swept daily During the year past there
were cleaned: 2,27S miles of Belgian pave
ments and 1,437 miles of asphalt pave
ments, together with the removal Of ash
es and garbage, at total cost of S45 600,
a good showing for an expenditure OF
this amount.
Evidently the Engineer doesn't think
much of macadam pavement He says
that the least said of it the better, be-
cause every one knows its disagreeable
features. Although, he adds, the city has
fifteen miles of It, that fact doesn't coun-
teract the arguments against it. He
points out that the cost OF maintenance
is very high, with no apparent good re-
suits, and adds that it seems almost
waste of money to further this sort OF
Improvement The original cost averages
about s67O for each 1000 square yards for
the pavement alone and the cost or
maintenance, including the sprinkling,
which amounts to more than one-half of
the same. is Is per cent. Of the original
outlay annually. Recently guarantee OF
five years had been required of contrac-
tors, which assisted somewhat, in the
maintenance Still enough said, the En-
gineer had been said to argue against
this character of pavement.
Speaking Of asphalt pavement the re-
port insisted that in residential sections
of the city it is preferred over other
kinds of pavement by the property own
ers, and as a proof of that statement Mr..
Van Keuren adds that there were laid,
during the past year, at their request,
about three and one-quarter miles OF this
class of pavement
Coming to Belgian pavement. the Engi-
neer thinks that that laid during the year
is of higher standard than any of the
character laid in former years. He
recommends that where the trucking is
heavy and the property Of sufficient value
to warrant the additional assessment,
future payements Of this class should be
composed Of a specification granite block
with pitch and gravel joint. laid on a con-
crete base six inches in depth Such
pavement could be laid to line and grade
as to be almost equal in smoothness Of
service. In streets where traffic is not
heavy, the concrete base may be omitted
as a matter of economy.
II would also advise said Mr.. Van
Keuren, that hereafter when a street is
intended to be paved with specification
BLOCKS, either by petition or otherwise.
that the specifications shall require that
the stone used shall be New England
granite, unless the standard Of trap rock
blocks furnished Of this character be
raised"
Touching that odorous subject, sewers
and sewerage systems, Mr.. Van Keuren
gives intending property owners a hint
when he says that hereafter they will be
wise to obtain the legal grade Of street
before beginning the erection Of houses
thereon, as It would save considerable
trouble and expense to them and less an
noyance to the department.
Mr. Van Keuren has something to say
about the present water supply. AT
present there are verbal agreements with
the New York and New Jersey Water
Company, whereby they agree in case of
need, to deliver to US. or we to them, at
the Bayonne city line and Avenue D,
water at the rate Of $28 per million gal
Ions, or at the same rate as the East
Jersey Water Company is charging us.
We can supply. through the two ss-inch
pipes now laid from BelIeyille to Jersey
City, thirty-three million gallons Of water
per day with safety to the pipes
Under the present arrangement with
the New York and New Jersey Water
Company, we win be able to increase our
supply at least 100000 gallons per day,
which is sA million gallons more than the
capacity Of our 2o-inch pipe under safe
pressure from Bellevllle, making q total Of
80, 10000 gallons OF water supply In TWEEN
ty-four hours, which Will be ample under
any condition until such time as the Fiynsa
contract has been completed and the WA
ter delivered from the new sources. The
report continued: IF a temporary con-
tract is executed and ooncurred in by the
East Jersey Water Company, Whereby the
New York and New Jersey Water Com
pany will agree to supply US. as necessity
requires, | woald TenuT aNd that We take
up the 2-inch pipe ~ Relleville and
Jersey City, to have It thoroughly cleaned