The sun., 1903-12-23
OPPOSING JERSEYS SEWERS.
TESTIMONY BEFORE NEW YORk'S
POLLUTION COMMISSION.
Witnesses Agree That staten Island Gets
the Most OF the Harbor's FlOtsan,
but Those Who Testified Yesterday
We're Not Experts as 10 Sewage.

| VuHcsseS ABTcc luat SNeten usIaUu Sese
the Most OF the Harbor's Flotsan,.
but Those Who Testified Yesterday
We're Not Experts as 10 Sewage.
The New York Bay Pollution Commission
appointed by Gov. Odell, which has been
considering for some months past the pos
sibility OF injury resulting to the city OF
New York from the proposed $4,000, 200
intercepting sewer which is to carry the
pollution OF the cities along the Passaic
River to point in New York Bay near the
Robbins Reef lighthouse. held it's first
public hearing yesterday In the Office OF
Borough President Cromwell at st. George.
s. l.
Capt Frank Van Pelt, secretary and
superintendent Of the New York and New
Jersey Sandy Hook Pilots Association;
Capt. G.. H. Koler of the Staten Island ferry
service and Capt. John j. Silva, an old
time Clifton fisherman, gave expert testi-
mony as to the set OF the tides in the vicin-
ity Of Staten Island and their probable in
fuence on the flow of the sewage.
All were agreed that Staten Island gets
the benefit OF most of the harbor's f1otsam,
but they didn't venture any very positive
opinions as to what would become OF the
| sewage.
Or. George A. Soper of the Commission
introduced in evidence map OF the clam
and oyster beds in the vicinity OF New
| York, showing the areas which might be
| expected to show visible traces Of the sc wage
based on experience at Boston, where
sewer discharging 100000 gallons per
! hour empties into the harbor.
DR.. Soper declared that the ultimate
| outflow OF the proposed sewer would reach
! 10000. 900 gallons per hour. and that after
careful study Of the currents In New YORK
harbor it was safe to say that wish traces
Of the Passaic sewage would be found as
far north az Spuyten Duyvil Creek on the
Hudson and the heavier materials would
be carried along the river bottom many
miles further upstream.
he said. had fixed upon 5000 600 gallons
as the maximum flow per hour which could
safely be allowed to discharge into Boston
harbor There the sewer is opened only
with the outgoing tide. and here, he said,
it is proposed to allow $1,000 900 gallons per
hour to flow into the bay at all tides.
The Commission is composed OF DR.. Daniel
Lewis of the State Board of Health, Prof.
| o. H. Landreth, consulting engineer Of the
State Board Of Health: Myron 8. Falk, DR..
| George A. Soper and Louis l.. Tribus.
| THE Suns account, printed Monday,
| OF Engineer C. G. Vermeule's views against
| the two big sewers that New Jersey is
preparing to run to tidewater proved OF
| interest to all the oyster and fish men
| in this vicinity. Engineer Vermeule's con-
| tention is that these two great trunk sewers
will dangerously contaminate the waters
| of New York Bay and probably destroy
the oyster and fish industries as far as the
| nearby shores Of Long Island, Staten Island
| and New Jersey are concerned.
Although four expert engineers have
! said that there is no danger to be expected
from the sewer which is planned to empty
into New York Bay, and which will be built
at a cost Of Sl0,0000Oo to carry away the
pollution from places along the Passaic
ing to protest against its construction.
A Sun reporter had a talk with several
of the local oyster dealers Among them
is John Keeley, Jr., the general manager
for the big wholesale e. oyster :n firm fhI Of =: c,
views to express on the situation thought
about the same as Mr.. Keeley.
Il don't think that l am going too far,
he said, when l tell you that nearly all
the oystermen and fishermen hereabouts
will oppose any sewer scheme by which it
is proposed to send sewage into any bay
in this vicinity. am sure that we are
against the plan . of sendirg SNh Y., sewage from
I don't pretend to be. Maybe theee engi-
neers who say that the tide will remove
the sewage so that only small deposit
will be left are quite right, but have an
idea that they are all wrong.
Il know what the experience OF the men
who had oyster beds near the outlet OF the
F'latbush avenue sewer over IN Brooklyn
was. Those men were financially ruined.
I understand that this Flatbush avenue
sewer is to be discontinued.
Il think it very likely that the same
damage will be done around the Staten
Island and Long Island shores if this new
Island oys'ermen had trouble years ago
when the Bayonne oil companies let some
of their refuse into the water.
at would be particularly hard on the
local oyster market if any damage were
done to the Staten Island oyster beds. Down
into the market a month or two ahead OF
the Rockaway oys ers. which are, generally
speaking, the representative oysters of
this section. The Staten Island beds are
extensive, and many of them are owned by
comparatively poor men.
"The most impo rtant thing to be con-
sidered. however. is. in my opinion, not
the actual danger that the sending of
sewage into the bay will work, but the effect
that the news will have on the oyster
II am one OF those who don't believe
that there is much danger Of oysters taking
up typhoid germs from sewage: The
oyster is pretty good filter all by himself
that he drinks in. But there are many
people who are believers in the typhoid
theory.
"Now, the New York market, believe
sells about $25 600 900 worth of oysters be-
tween Sept. i and May. 1. That includes
both local and outside sales. If sewer
is put in the bay that fact will cut down our
sales immensely.
what will happen is this: The fact of
the sewers existence will be, extensively
advertised by our competitors in Baltimore,
Cape Cod and elsewhere. They will be
glad to circulate the information that we
have sewage running over our oyster beds.
We couldn't deny 1t, could We?
they'll also say that our oysters will
be typhoid breeders. We might deny it.
but we'd have a hard time selling our
oysters
"I am not 80 suse that the Staten Islanders
would be the only sufferers il this New
York bay sewer were put in. The Long
Island shore would probably get some OF
the filth. At any rate, you can depend upon
it that we are against the sewer