The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-11-27
ROAD INSPECTION
Freeholders Go Over the Re-
constructed Paterson
Thoroughfare.
SEWER CARRIES OFF RAIN
Work Meets the Approval of
the County Officials
Only One COM
plant.

AS the main Boulevard has developed
the central section of the Heights and the
Weehawken loop the eastern portion Of
North Hudson, the improved Paterson
Plank Road should develop the western
slope of the hill along which it runs.
Although the latter road is not a speed
way for fast horses, yesterday afternoons
Inspection of it by the members of the
Board of Freeholders disclosed the fact
that the people of the north western part
of the county now have one road in the
section of which they can be proud.
After one of the most severe tests to
which newly built road could be put,
forty-eight hours of continuous rain,
the Freeholders found it in excellent con-
dition. The trap-rock pavement was even
and the drainage almost perfect.
The inspection began at Central avenue,
from which point to the Boulevard the
Jersey City, Hoboken and Rutherford
Railway Company will pay for the i'm
provement. From Traphagen street, where
the 24-ineh vitrified pipe sewer begins. the
F'reeholders and their guests walked to
the Homestead station, closely inspecting
the work on their way.
The road, originally about 20 feet wide,
is now 60 feet along its full length-S5 feet
between curbs From where the descent
of the hill begins a considerable portion
of the western part of the road is built
over filled ground. Despite the heavy
storm this portion, as we'll as the part
built over the solid maeadam foundation
on the eastern side, was found to be in
excellent shape. More important still the
storm had revealed the fact that the
sewer was sufficiently large to properly
carry off the immense volume of water
that pours down the steep incline to the
east of the roadway.
The engineering problems to be over
f.
erSon plank road were many and diff
cult. On the eastern side of the hill a
steep embankment had to be cut away.
while on the opposite side gaps in some
parts fifty feet deep had to be filled to
the line of retaining wall $50 feet in
length and extending along considera-
bic portion of the hillside.
The improvem of the road, when
completed, will be about u,OO0 feet in
length, of which 4,C00 feet is over the
meadows, from the Homestead station to
ter portion has been filled but will not
be paved until spring. The entire cost
of the improvement will be about $115,0t0,
of which 80 per cent. will be borne by
the trolley company.
AS the Freeholders accompanied by En-
gineer Ralph D. Earle and Contractors
Gallery and Murphy, proceeded over the
road and noted it's satisfactory condition,
only one complaining property owner ap-
peared. He owned a small house on the
western declinity of the hill and small
tine retaining wall in front of the prop
erty seemed to cause him much annoy
ance.
The overflow of water from the Asmus
property had caused slight washout
across the roadway. Here the paving
and curbing will have to be reset The
natural water courses that come down
the hill through the properties of Peter
Welsh and Theodore Weber had been
amply provided for by Engineer Earle,
and the immense volume of water from
leach was easily carried away by the new
ly constructed sewer.
At the Homestead station the sewer
connects with a 30-inch steel pipe that
runs under the tracks of the Northern
Railroad. 1t was not until Engineer Earle
assured the railroad officials that unless
permission to lay the pipe was granted
their roadway would be washed away by
the first heavy storm, that the contrac-
tors were permitted to lay this pipe
About 100 square yards of pavement at
the Homestead station remain to be fin
ished and will be done before the Free
holders meet on Friday next to formal
ly accept the work as far as completed.
After the inspection dinner was served
at ex-Freeholder Emil Groth's hostelry in
linton Hill. Speeches were made and the
engineers and contractors were compli-
lnenIed upon the excellence of their work.