The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-07-26
NORTH SECTION.
Boulevard, From West New
ark Avenue to the Loop,
Inspected Yesterday.
FORTY NILES OF GOOD CUTTERS
Troubles That Arise From the
Opening of Streets
Roadside Watering
Place.
FORTY NILES OF GOOD CUTTERS

Boulevard Commissioners Daniel Y.
Lewis, Charles Birdsall and Robert Ur-
quhart devoted all of yesterday afternoon
to a careful examination of the Boulevard,
from the intersection of West Newark
avenue north to the beginning of the
Loop. This is the worst section of the
twenty milesNf road because of the steep
grades and Consequent damage to the
road by washouts, old water course cross
ings, and that serious matter of heavy
traffic
Practically from St. Paul's avenue to
the West New York hill the work on the
road has been construction pure and
simple, and not maintenance. The Com
missioners have in same places, to remedy
the extraordinary grades and curve of
the road, been obliged to lay sixteen
inches of material in the centre. thus
causing a shed to carry the surface water
TO the cutters.
Few who use the Boulevard ever think
of the damage to the road by a rain
storm. Last nights rain alone means
tons of the road washed off into the gut
ters; catch basins choked with the
screenings: channels cut in the surface,
and all of these Will involve labor ma
terial and dollars It is of course inn
possible to keep the cutters very clean for
many reasons; but considering everything,
including the wilful conduct of property
owners along the road, who evidently
think the cutters were specially construct
ed for them in which to deposit ashes,
paper, tin cans and put boards against,
the forty-two miles of cutters are in good
condition.
You see,'' said Commissioner Birdsall
yesterday to a News representative,
pointing to curious looking piece of
mechanical skill driven by a horse, that
sweeper you see there goes over the en-
tire road once a week. 1t cost us $3.50 and
50 a day to maintain, and we are pleased
with its work The forty-two miles of
cutters are swept once week"
Driving slowly up the road the Com
missioner pointed out the good points as
well as the defects. drawing particular at
tention TO the several spots laid bare by
the washing off of the screenings. Big
stones appeared, and the only remedy for
that was TO break these, put on one
inch and a half stone, then roll and finish
with screenings, but all of this means
money. and how can it be done when the
Freeholders are penny wise and pound
foolish in their appropriation for the
Boulevard?
Commissioner Lewis at several places
drew attention to the intersecting streets
of the Boulevard, and a nice mess some
one made when the Boulevard was
first built. In many cases where these
streets have been opened the grade is
changed and the width of the streets pro-
duces anything but pleasing conformity.
When these streets are thus opened the
Boulevard Commissioners have to connect
with the catch basins and in many in
stances have to replace the sidewalk, all
of which means money, to come out of
their small appropriee-on, to the dimi-
mutton of the funds to buy material for
the Improvement of the road
On to the north went the Commission
ers until they reached Dubois street, at
or at certain times after heavy rain
storm the hotel may be termed a water
ing place, because at that point of the
road, after the elements have had their
own sweet way, there is water enough
to row a boat. The proprietor ac-
tgally showed his visitors yesterday a
photograph recently taken of his house
and a man is seated in boat rowing on
the Boulevard!
This extraordinary state of things is
caused by the water coming north and
south from the steep grades of the Boule-
ward and west from an old water course
from North Bergen township. Thus after
every storm, thousands of gallons of sur
face water race down three ways TO this
spot, carrying tons of the road into the
hollow and giving no end of trouble and
expense to the Commissioners. The
remedy for this is to have joint sewer
built by the action of the townships OF
West Hoboken and North Bergen
Every time" explained Mr.. Birdsall
1--WE have this state of things here, and
it is all too often, can assure you away
goes our top dressing, and with other
damage it means an expense of twenty
five to fifty dollars each storm for ou,
Board to pay out Not only does the
dressing Of the road go, but these streams
from the townships bring down tons OF
sand which we have to cart away
Commissioner Urquhart listened to the
td2S VI woe dlu duueO lndt the ld0QlOrC
Of the Boulevard Seaside Hotel had re.
Gently developed suicidal frame of mind
On the occasion of the last storm, after
viewing his cellars flooded and the new
lake in front of his hotel, he exclaimed:-
"Mein Gott, Wy do you not improve this
alretty? If you don't I commit me sui
eide
From this point on the road is in re
narkably good condition and gives every
evidence of not only maintenance but re
construction, particularly at the foot o.
the New York avenue hill, where tht
Commissioners were obliged to put hun
dreds of tons of stone to give the badl,
graded road, one side of which was
considerably higher than the othel
and in places the sides of which
were higher than the crown of tn
road, sufficient slope to carry off surface
water. Were it not for the heavy trafh'
on this section the Boulevard there woult
compare favorably with the southern end
..But what can we do exclaimed Com
missioner a3irdsaIl, when we have thii
sort of t1nng?" pointing to a procession