The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-09-29

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"A writ of certiorari was almost i'm
mediately. applied for by two or three
citizens Of Jersey City, which application
was promptly refused
"A second application of the same kind
and by practically the same individuals
was made on the lst of April, lsss. e
Judge Lippincott. This application met
the fate of the first.
"A third and like application was there
after made to the Supreme Court june
term. The decision vas handed down
August %, 1898, and as in the prior cases,
the Court refused to grant the writ
while these legal reviews and decis-
ed the correctness of the city govern
ment's proceedings throughout, yet It
could hardly be expected, while the val
idity of the contract was being so yigor-
ously and persistently assailed, that the
contractor would do much in the way OF
actual. construction. The contractor ap-
and up to the present time no actual con-
struction has been done, though a large
amount of the necessary work prellmi-
nary to construction has been performed
1.-THE public are probably not aware that
the main masonry dam proposes TO be
large dams of the world. A few are high
er-one only is longer and that one is
not so high. To establish a proper loca-
ton for the Quaker Bridge Dam, Croton
than half the length of our damn, years
were taken for preliminary work. The
contractor, realizing the situation, imme-
diateiy Upon award of the contract, en-
tered upon exhaustive borings and test
ings in order to ascertain if the under
ground conditions at the rendered loca-
ton were such as to warrant the con
struction at that point of a work of this
magnitude. The results were eminently
unsatisfactory-that location had to be
abandoned. The valley above was there
upon prospected most vigorously-hun-
! dreds of boringS and testings were made,
but new location after location had to
be abandoned until finally at a point
about 1900 feet above the original loca-
ton and on the Banta' roperty the I'M
foreground conditions were found to be
such as were satisfactory to the contrac-
tor. But with this comes another d1sap-
! p~ointment. The original proposal of the
/ contractor rendered a dam which would
provide the storage demands for a so mill
ion gallon daily supply, and which, being
raised 1914 feet, would store the quantity
of water essential for q 70 million daily
supply. As q result of a hasty and. inn
perfect typographical examination the
contractor was convinced that a dam on
! this last location, while affording suffi-
cient storage for a SO million daily sup
ply could not be raised so as to store
water for a 10 million daily supply. and
so. being forced to depart from his origi-
nal tender sent a ~letter-under date of
June rs, 1S99-to the engineer in charge
! making application (under the clause of
the specifications permissive OF such a
request under the conditions as found for
permission to change location of the main
I dam TO one on the BdnId property, ana
rendering a new location in the Longwood
/ Valley, as a site for a storage reservoir
when it might become desirable to in
/ crease the storage to the amount demand
engineer notified the contractor that in
order that Jersey City might act fntelli-
gently in the matter of his request it
! would be necessary for him to furnish all
requisite data for determining, in the
event of Jersey Cfty's purchase of the so
million plant and thereafter desiring to
- { = - - IN M n7anf Nv fIn
construction of the Longwood Reservoir.
whether the cost would exceed that of in
creasing the height of dam on the origi-
| nal location. Your engineer also called
| STABILITY of a careful and elaborate sur
vey and cross-sectioning of his proposed
main reservoir in order that it's capacity
might be definitely ascertained.
The contractor Immediately
| ed work on both of the lines indicated.
'sBorings on the location rendered in the
LongwOod Valley soon showed that it
would rave to be abandoned, but test
ings at other points in the yaley were
continued with the result that a new To-
cation was found satisfactory as far as
the obtainment of proper foundation was
concerned but hardly satisfactory as to
probable construction cost. In hopes OF
! getting something more favorable, boring
and search in the Longwood Valley was
continued up to the time of the compile
ton of the survey and cross Sectlon1nS
of the main reservoir and of the calcu-
lations necessary to determine its approxi-
| mate capacity.
Then the whole situation changed and
on the twenty-third Of August your En-
tractor that there would be no further
necessity for considering any storage res
ervoir in the Longwood Valley, that the
J main dam on the Banta property would
provide storage for a SO million daily sup
ply and could be heightened SO as to pro-
vide storage for a 20 million daily supply.
Thus apparently a very troublesome ana
vexatious question was disposed of.
your engineer expects shortly to be in
receipt of a written communication from
quest Of June Is, 1899, so as to make it
accord with the new conditions. When re-
ceived. a copy Of same will be promptly
forwarded you so that necessary action
can be had Immediately.
ut is possible. however. that the con-
tractor will defer such notice until a sur
fix positively the level of the affluent pipe
the determining of which is absolutely es-
sentia1 to an accurate ascertainment of
the reservoir capacity.
This survey is far from being a simple
matter, the greatest accuracy will be re-
quired in its execution and several exceed
ingly intricate problems in hydraulics con-
nected herewith will require not only abil-
ity but time for a satisfactory solution.
'While this will require more time than
would be necessary for action based upon
J present {and probable safe) approxima-
tons, yet when the requisite Information
is obtained and the matter is definitely
settled, action thereon will, of curse, be
more intelligent and safer for both par
ties. " hen. as a result, the dam location
is definitely decided the contractor. for
the first time, can reasonably be expect-
ed to vigorously prosecute actual con-
struetion work.
Your engineer would add that he Is
glad to be able to state that he learns
from the counsel for the contractor that
all legal hindrances to the construction
of the special railroad for bringing stone
to the dam from the extensive quarries
opened by the contractor have been overs
come. and that the completion of the road
will be pushed vigorously"
Respectfully submitted.
GARWOOD FERRIS,
Engineer in Charge.
Received and ordered filed.
REPORT OF THE CLERK.
Jersey City. Sept. 10, 1890.
Honorable Board of Street and Water
Commissioners
conference.-the Commissioners of As
sessment have filed with me on this date.
final assessment mar and report for the
construction of a sewer in Winfield ave-
nue. formerly Jackson place.. from Old
Of the summit of the grade on Winfield
Respectfully sumbitted.
GEO. 7. BOUTON,
From the same officer
Reporting that the contractor for street
cleaning has filed with him a schedule OF
the streets to be cleaned during the week
commencing Sept, II. 1885.
Received and ordered filed.
REPORTS OF CHIEF ENGINEER.
The Chief Engineer reported certificates
in favor off