The Jersey City news., 1899-12-12

with P. H. Flynn. was considerably re-
tarded. but the opera tlons are noW peins ils
proceeded with in a manner which IN
dicateS business energy.
In June of the present year the con-
tractor notified the city that the result
Of borings on the site he had purposea
using "did not afford in his judgment a
proper location for a safe and practlcaple
dam of the grade size and capacity de-
sired" Surveys and borings would seem
to have been vigorously pressed Dut y
was not until October Il, 1893, that the
contractor was able to state definitely
that proper site for the dam had at last
been located whereon could be construct
ed dam which would comply with the
specifications and also possess the essen
tiai elements of the one originally pro-
posed. VIA construction which would
inpound the necessary water to insure
daily supply of fifty million gailons anu an
permissive of enlargement to store tns
water requisite to- assure supply OIL
seventy million gallons daily
This statement of the contractor as 70
his findings etc, having been hrst SUD
mitted to our engineer IN charge OF con
struction and concurred in by him, we,
on the 2lst day of October, 1889 by reso-
luton, acquiesced in the change OF loca-
tion and directed our engineer to SO no
tify the contractor Since such nouce
the contractor has at this point been
rapidly proceeding with the great amount
of preparatory work necessarily essen
tfal to the beginning of actual eonstruc-
ton Much other preparatory work than
that on the dam proper has also peen
required or instance, the contractor mas
since June opened up and developed an
Immense granite quarry and about COM
pIeted a steam railway therefrom TO lhe
dam site, distance of over three miles,
together with d number of sidlngs AT
the quarry, ready for operation, he has
erected a steam crushing plant OF suHl-
cient capacity to crush 100 cubic yards
Of rock each working day.
The dam, when constructed Tor nIty
million gallon daily supply, Will nave
height above the present bed OF :,7 tne
river of 105 feet. Its length on top VII VIII
formed by the dam will be $50 acres, ana
the storage capacity above bottom OF Ell
fluent pipe will be 7,190 million gallons,
lon daily supply, the height above river
bed will be 1231a feet, its length on top
will be about 4,300 feet; it will flood l,0S4
acres of land and will store R,660 million
gallons.
A comprehensive idea of the mass of
masonry required can possibly be had by
stopping to consider that, IN additlon 10, 10
must go down to a suitable rock base.
For purposes of comparison, the dam
for the new water works for Boston ana
vicinity is to be 129 feet higher than ex-
listing surface, but is to be only ,250 feet
long on top. Ours will require mucn
more masonry, the corresponding olmen-
sions being 1881 and 4,300 feet. The water
surface of our reservoir &, ,034 acres) would
be equivalent to a lake little over three
60 miles long with uniform width OF
nall a mile
SOUTH COVE PROPERTIES.
The South Cove property has for years
been thorne in the side of those of1lclals
on whom devolved the responsibility tor
its care and maintenance. Several times
in the past has it been heralded that now
all legal difficulties had been surmounted
and the city had but to enter into the
enjoyment of its own only to find that
some corporation was so intrenched that
more fighting was necessary. When we
assumed charge of affairs the corporati tons
were no less insistent than they had been
in the past but we believe that our stand
was so firmly taken that even corporate
greed at last conceded the rights of the
city During the period that the city was
endeavoring to enforce her rights by the
slow process of law, the Board was from
time to time memorialized to improve the
property in order that an income might
be derived from 1t and that our city
might be substantially benefited, but at
the time this was impossible of accom-
plishment When during the past year Il
became evident that the question OF
ownership was so definitely settled that
such action would be warranted, we cast
about for plan whereby the property
could be put in such shape as 10 not only
produce a revenue but to also ne access
sible for the use OF our manuIacturerS
and merchants and those who do business
with them. The idea that the city should
for itself improve and pay the initial cost
therefor was for financial reasons at once
eliminated. but we made liberal call Tor
capitalists or those likely to require such
a property 10 make tender 10 the city,
based on such lines as they would I'M
prove and occuDys in common with the
city To this public call, sufficiently adj
vertised, we did not receive a single re-
sponse. a failure to respond Delng per-
haps due to some entanglementS which
were imposed on the city when the grant
was made We believe that at the coming
session of the Legislature an effort Will
be made by interested parties TO secure
the passage of an act which will permit
the city to enter into negotiations for the
occupancy of this property on terms more
liberal than are now permitted, and II
in fully protecting interests of the
cjty. we may finally secure through this
property a substantial source of revenue
and benefit.
There is no question but that in this city
A great quantity of water IS being used or
wasted for which We receive either no
adequate return or no compensation Wnat-
ever This evil has been increasing for
some time, and while during the period
that water was being pumped by US from
not alarming, the present conditions
whereby the city itself is purchaser OF
water by the million gallons renders it
imperative that some drastic correction
should be at once applied. We feel that
the safest and fairest method on which to
base a charge for water is by the meter
system. but the initial cost of metering
the entire city would be staggering and
the law is at present such that no charge
could be made therefor Some few years
since a measure was introduced in the
State Legislature which legalized munich
pal charges of this character, but 1t failed
Of passage and if this method Of charge
is introduced by us the city must stand
the cost of Introduction. We are giving
the matter earnest and careful attention
and hope to soon arrive at some satisfac-
tory solution whereby city interests may
require that some other method of soiu-
tion that that indicated shall be adopted,
or at least that such method shall be only
partially established but we know that
substantial saving must be effected and
we propose that it shall be.
PUBLIC PARKS.
Since the rendering of our last report
acreage We are giving our parks rather
more care and attention than was the
| custom heretofore and we believe their
| present condition will Indicate it. Aside
| from the manning of the parks, every
| dollar expended on them is taken from
1 the license monies, and although we can
see many ways where additional outlay
4 would produce beneficial results a proper
regard for the wants OF other branches
renders such outlay impossible. We
| woulu much like to make every park in
| this city not only a pleasant resting
i place, but a veritable garden spot, and
| are gradually working to that end but
/ for financial reasons are compelled to do
| gradually what otherwise might be done
/ at once.
A NOTE OF ALARM
In consideration of the fact that the
water department and It's various ramifi-
cations is a charge upon the the execu-
tive resources of this Board. we view with