The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1904-11-30
at Boonton and up to the road u Sum
MAIN DAM.

This massiye structure requiring about
250,0o0 cubic yards of masonry and
about 10000 yards of earth embank-
ment, being 3,1l5 feet in length, and
having height from lowest part of cut
off to top of dam of 127 feet, is COM
pleted, though some grading and clean
ing up in front of dam remains to be
performed.
Some dampness and seepage shows on
the front face, but the aggregate is
small in quantity and negligible as to
any reflection upon the character Of the
work, the which regard as exception
ally good. Two small springs are in evil
dence in front of dam, north and south of
the gate-house
Water was found at at least one of
these locations before any water was in
the basin, and it had to be pumped d1r-
ing construction. 1t is reasonable to in
fer that water from that source is the
water now appearing The Granolithic
paving on top of dam shows cracks in
places. 1t is claimed that they are to be
expected under the conditions, and that it
would be useless to attempt to repair
them. They are quite fine, and in pres
ent condition can hardly be called SER
ious detriment / believe in practice it
win be found essential to provide STAIR
way from the lower to the upper gate
house.
All changes in delivery are to be eff
fected by means of the gates in upper
gate-house, and in order to reach it one
has to walk along top of dam-this is
without railing, and in sleety, freezing
weather with high winds would be dam
gerous, and have so advised the Water
Company.
CONCRETE sCONDUITS.
The concrete conduits (aggregating in
length about 20,50O feet have been the
subject of several of my communications
to your Honorable body and Of humorous
letters and conferences with the Engin-
eers of the contractor. While the work,
as it progressed was largely complained
of vet remedial work on the interiors was
kept up co-incident with construction.
so that finally, after inspection, notified
the contractor that would not pursue
the subject of 'strueness Of interior
lines any further, provided the conduits
on test, proved their ability to deliver
the stipulated quantity of water in a
satisfactory manner. While have not
as yet, received the records of observa-
tions, taken with great care, of the flow
of water through the conduits, on the
contractors tests of Oct. %, 23 and 20, L
have no doubt but that they will show
conclusiyely that the delivery ability of
the conduits is in excess of requirement.
Whether they will do this in a satisfac-
tory manner is another matter.
As now operated to meet Jersey City's
present requirement, they run only partly
full and have called to the attention of
the contractor that it was desirable that
the plant for some little time should be
so operated that the conduits. as nearly
as possible, would run as full as they
would do If delivering their specification
maximum of seventy millions daily and
thus furnish a test of their tightness un-
der the conditions for which they were
designed.
The Inspection Of the dlfferen. conduits
showed temperature cracks, occasional
cracks where sections joined and cracks
through which exterior water percolated
or in some cases streamed in. | deem it
important after the test above alluded to,
that the city should have the opportunity
of going through and inspecting the con-
duits to ascertain if, as constructed, they
give evidence of permanence, and if the
cracks have taken up or have widened
so as to be an element of weakness or
source of annoying leakages. have lit
tle doubt but that the conduits, in the
main, would pass successfully but ! think
circumstances dictate that favorable
result of such test and inspection
should be preliminary to their accept
ance.
TUNNELS.
The tunnels are two in number. Hook
Mountain LOO feet long, may be con-
sidered as properly constructed under
the specifications.
AS regards Watching, which is 7,404
feet in length. your engineer does not
consider that the invert is such as is call
ed for by the contract. The specifica
tons provide that the tunnel shall be