Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-10
Rnmapo Finances.
CNew York Journal OF Commerce.)

(New York Journal Of Commerce.
There have been more or less authorita-
tive limitations that the project Of the
Ramapo Water Company would cost
seventy-fve or hundred million dollars.
OF course, these figures are wild. Private
capital, which baked at atty millions tor
an underground railway for this city, IS
not likely to put seventy-flve or nun
dred million dollars into water-works,
even with u contract from tho city for
S5oOO.O0O a year on the smaller Of these
sums the price TO be paid by the city
would be less than per cent, and the
company would have TO meet the costs
of maintenance, which would be consid-
cradle. The terms OF the contract do not
bind the city 10 take the maximum guam
tity Of water; for a time IL might take
only q quarter or a half OF the quantity
but the company would have TO eXpend
the greater part of the cost OF providing
200 100000 gallons in order TO be able TO
supply 100000. The cost Of the enter
prise must be far below the figures men,
toned.
The East Jersey Water Company offer
ed 10 provide a plant with capacity OF
30 10000 gallons day and sell the water
for between so and so per million GAL
Ions or sell the plant for N500Wo
plant OF four times the capacity Would
cost much less than four times as lnucn'
but IL we assume that the RamapO pro-
tect is OF a more expensive Character
and remember that the water Tor tnls
city would have 70 be brought across the
Hudson. and allow pretty literally Tor
the greater capacity Of the plant Tor TINS
city. we MAY multiply the price asked py
the East Jersey Company by -FOUR anu 90.
100000 as an approximation OF the 0os'
of the Ramapo project now pehulns'
Mr.. Worthen's estimate OF the cost Oh
The Ramapo project for Brooklyn with
canacity of 100000 gallons day was
under SIS 10000 That water would nave
had 10 be carried across both the Norm
and Fast rivers. Commissioner Alfred l.
White believed that estimate was TOO
low, But if we double it, which Is allow
ing a broad margin for errors ana Ior uh-
expected difficulties in crossing the RIVER
we are still inside OF 100000, the APP
proximation we reached starting from
the bid Of the East Jersey Company. In
an interview IN this paper Mr.. Whlte eN-
presses the opinion that %4VV'VV Woulu
nrovide the means OF bringing 2oVOWO
Gallons Of water daily from the Ramapo
and the Ten-AIile River regions 70
this city. Five per cent. on this, for in
terest and sinking fund would be Sl,7O0,-
900 a year. or 1861 a day. and for 200,-
100000 gallons this would be little. more
than S23 per million gallons. 70 which the
cost of maintenance would have 10 be
added. but this is relatively a small sum.
For example. in his estimate Of the cost
of increasing Brookyn's water supply
from Long Island sources. Mr.. Narona
put the interest on the Investment at
s22l5 and the cost OF maintenance AT
N.Ol per million gallons. The cost, then,
with everything figured rather high,
would be a good deal less than one half
the sum named in the Ramapo contract
The cost thus estimated would be a good
deal below the cost OF water now 10 New
York and Brooklyn, but IN the case OF the
municipal plants the cost Of distribution
is included. In the case OF an additional
supply Il Is only necessary 10 calculate
the cost OF getting the water 10 dis
tributing reservoir, except that II the
Ramapo water were delivered az the city
at a pressure OF nearly 80 pounds per
square inch a good part OF the street
mains might have 20 be renewed, but that
expense would have 10 be borne by the
city whether the water was provided by
itself or by a private corporation.