The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-09-18
LESS POLLUTION
Newark Health Board Finds
Improvement in East
Jersey Water
shed.
GANIsTEAR CONDITIONS BAD
A Number of Foul Places
Still Exist---surroundings
of Echo Lake Need
Cleaning.


pleting the annual inspection of the
man c. H. Herold, president of the Board
of Health, and speaking for that body.
stated that the condition of the watershed
is much better than it was last year, and
that the nuisanees which were of special
and immediate import then, have been re-
moved.
| On the whole, he thought, the water
shed is gradually approaching form
where the natural condition of it, as one
| of the finest water basins in the country,
may be easily brought to a state of per-
| lection.
Such an end, he thought, could be easily
accomplished if the city should get control
| of the watershed.
| There are some relative sources of poll
luton that the city could more easily
| have abolished than can the East Jersey
| Water Company, and there still remain
some that the East Jersey Company has
no power to obviate.
| This is particularly the case about Can
| istear reservoir The East Jersey Com
pany has the right to use the name OF the
] city, if it should desire to, in prosecut-
| ing parties who maintain nuisances. It
has used this power in abating them near
! Oak Ridge and Clinton reservoirs, but
| has not done so where only Canistear
reservoir is liable to pollution, and not
| the other reservoirs.
This, it is presumed, has been in pur-
suance of the policy the company has
followed of not considering Canistear a
part of the system to be turned over to
| the city next Monday. The city's aid
| was therefore not solicited to abolish poll
| luton of only Canistear in order that the
| city might have no evidence that this
| reservoir was built to carry out the city
| contract or that it was ever considered a
! part of the plant.
| There are several direct sources of
/ pollution into Canistear reservoir. One
| inhabited house stands within twenty
| feet of the shore, while north of it is a
country hotel that is much Datronized
| during the fall and winter by hunters.
The possibility of pollution is much great
| er in cold weather than in milder wealth
| er when rains tend to dilute any deleteri-
| Gus matter and to wash into the ground.
| Barns and other buildings besides those
| mentioned are scattered on the highlands
around the reservoir, and all tend to
| injure the quality of the water.
| If the city had been called on by the
East Jersey Company to require the re-
moval of these places, the accumulated
| filth of the four years the reservoir has
/ been in existence would not now be in the
water.
1--WE want to see the city get hold of
! the whole watershed as soon as possi-
ble," said DR.. Herold, "and as soon as
| we do we will get rid of the most dan
| gerous places.
| Dr. John L. Leal, of Paterson, sanitary
adviser of the East Jersey Water Com
pany who accompanied the Board Of
Health officials. said that the company
was removing all the pollution it could in
the watershed The trip to Canistear was
made Saturday afternoon. DR.. Leal said
little about the conditions of Canistear.
and what he did say was in denial of any
rights the city might have in Canistear.
The party had visited the Macopin in
| take and Echo Lake before going to Can
| istear In the former the water was
| found to be very clear, and showed no
appearance of algae.
1 Litter of all kinds, however, covered the
ground about Echo Lake, especially in
L
| tins. paper and other refuse made the
place uninviting, but this was only a
| small matter in comparison with an out
house within fifty feet of the shore. This
/ was in vile condition. The water in. the
lake, however, was very clear. Near the
picnic ground, and on the shore of the
! lake, corps of men were busy repairing
| the big icehouse and putting it in condi-
/ ton for the winters work. On the hills
/ above the lake is a settlement of quite a
! size, from which the drainage is into the
/ lake. while into stream that flows to
| Echo Lake flows the drainage from sew
1 eral settlements. In this country are cat
/ tle hogs and fowl, as well as the people
| themselves On one of the streams is the
residence of David Wickham, a rassaic
! county Freeholder, who has a pond that
was made by building small dam. This
was in bad condition last year and, had
| a pigsty directly on the shore. This has
| been placed back from the shore now,
| and some other dangerous spots that ex-
| listed have been altered, SO as to lessen
| the danger that might exist.
| '.It is not so much said one Of the city
officials, ssthe immediate danger that we
apprehend as the possible ones. The det-
rimental matter that may be drained into
the reservoirs at present may not effect
the water supply, but by accommodating
| filth the danger will increase. Then, too,
we look to prevent the spread Of disease.
| Suppose some of the people in the waters
she should become affected with a conta-
gious disease and the water should be-
come affected, the result in the city, not
only Newark, but Jersey City and the
other places that get water from the Pc
quannock, might become affected also
and innumerable deaths would occur. It's
vigilance and preparation that will pre-
vent such disaster
The inspection was continued Sunday
and clinton and Oak Ridge reservoirs
were visited. AT the latter place. Dr.
Iseal gave q statement of the company 3
reasons Tor keeping IT dry. There Is row
flowing through It only q small quantity
| of water from the small streams that feed
the reservoir. This water, when Il enters
lie reservoir. - clear and clean but 1T
the gatehouse, where II leaves ID doW to
MacorIn Intake Ii il yery muddy After