The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-08-14
PIPES UNDER THE RIVER
Engineer Van Keuren
Thinks a Single Line Is
Not Sufficient.

At yesterdays meeting of the Street
and Water Board Chief Engineer Van
keuren presented the following interest
ing report concerning the recent break of
the thirty-six inch water main under the
Hackensack, which came near causing
water famine in the city. The Chief En-
gineer advocates the laying of additional
mains under the Hackensack and Pas
sale Rivers. The contract for the new
water supply contemplates a single line.
The report is:-
Herewith I have the honor to report
that the repairs to the thirty-sx inch
City were completed Thursday night, Au-
gust l, since which time the water has
been delivered through this main to the
High Service reservoir
The break occurred on July 13, at 4.45
T. NJ, as registered by the Self-recordihg
gauge located at Belleville gate house.
The nature of the break was the part
ing of the pipe lines at joint, it having
pulled apart leaving a space of three 90
inches between the spigot and bell.
The break was located in the channel of
the Hackensack River at a depth of over
forty (40) feet below the surface of the
water.
After consulting with Commissioner
Heintze, Chairman of the Committee on
Reservoirs and Extensions, 1t was de-
cided to employ the Merritt & Chapman
Wrecking. Company to find the break.
Iney mace a thorough examination ana
located it after two days search. 1t was
suggested that we take the pipe line ana
relay 1t. This would have consumed at
least two months time, and to have "a
lowed this main to remain out of service
for this period would have meant that
Jersey City would receive only nineteHE
the small quantity which the New York
and New Jersey Water Company and the
Hackensack Water Company might be
able TO furnish U.S. This quantity would
nrOhahlV NOT four (41 mill
ion gallons per day, that Is to say, the
greatest quantity of water we could
have been twenty three (23) million gal
Ions.
1t was, therefore, decided to place
sleeve around this opening. which was
successfully completed at the time above
stated, nineteen Q9) days having elapsed
from the time the break occurred until
the water was again turned on.
The employees of the Merritt 6, Chap
man Wrecking Company did all in their
power, working both day and night, in or
der to complete the repairs as speedily as
possible.
Your employees, under Superintendent
Carroll, gave valuable assistance in re-
ducing pressures in all sections of the
city in order to curtail the waste of water
and thus confining as much as possible
in the reservoirs.
Men were detailed at a number of the
water gates in several sections of the
city who were to receive their instruc-
and thereby allow the Fire Department
to receive full supply.
We used, from the time the break oc-
Cured until the repairs were made, an
average of twenty-six (26) million gallons
per day. This average shows a decrease
in the consumption of five million five
hundred thousand (5500,000) gallons per
day when compared with the same period
of last year.
This large decrease demonstrates that
the consumers of water in Jersey City,
realizing the danger of a water famine,
assisted US very materially by curtail-
ing in the use of water.
The contract for our new water supply
contemplates a single line.
The recent break makes clear the neces-
sity of laying additional mains under
both TIE Hackensack and Passaic Rivers.
If a break should occur in this new line,
under either of the rivers. it could not
possibly be repaired in four (Q days, at
the end of which time Jersey City would
be without water, as we have only four
(D days storage capacity in our distri-
buting reservoirs
There might be available from either
the New York and New Jersey Water
Company or the Hackensack Water Com
pany a small quantity of water, but the
quantity which they would be able &c
supply would be such a small percentage
of that which we would require that it
could hardly be taken into consideration.
Respectfully submitted,
Signed) c. A. VAN KEUkEN,
Chief Engineer.
Dated August 10, A. D. 1901.