The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-16
FOR A VAST JERSEY LAKE.
THE ESTIMATED COST PUT AT
SEVEN MILLIONS.
would Cause the Relocation or Parts OF
Three Railroads and NJ Many wagon
ROads-Argument That II Would ne q
Paying Investment From sale Of water.

~ ISL" ~ S"s@ -
Paying Investment From sale Of water.
CALDWELL, n. j., Dec. &c. c. YER
meule, a civil engineer connected with the
o flee Of the State Geologist at Trenton,
whose plan for a lake on the site of the pres
Q mt lowland meadows of the upper Passaic
from Little Falls TO Chatham has attracted
attention, proposes to dam the river at the
former point with a mighty dam reaching
from the highland at the base Of Second
Mountain, on the Essex county sid OF the
river, and stretching across into Passaic
county, coming to a termination in the hills
at the upper end of Totowa township.
Such a dam as he suggests building would
not only flood the lowlands In Essex count
that are under water during freshets now
but would cover 10 a depth of more han
seven feet the greater part of the rich farms
Of Fairfield and Clinton, as well as much
more Of similar lands all the way up TO
Chatham.
The heaviest loss of property woul1 occur
in Passaic and Morris counties. In the
former county the present villages OF
Singao and Wayne and a portion Of Moun
tin View woull be placei under from
seven to seventeen feet of water. The
powder works at Wayne, the large brick
yards in that section and the rich farms
that line the si1es of Singac Brook up
through the Freshness Valley would cease
70 exist. In Morris county the villages OF
lincoln Park and Pine Brook would be the
greatest sufferers as the food would cover
Slem to the base OF Hook Mountain. The
Rockaway Valley would he flooded as far
~ as the old Zabriskie mill at Lower Mont
Lille, the Pompton River would he held
sack 70 Riverisle and another wing of the
Ske would cover the bottom lands Of the
Nhippany from the village Of that name
D the Passiic.
Before the dam is completed and the
mighty mass of waters impounded it will
De necessary to relocate three railroads for
several miles. These are the main line OF
ne Lackawanna from Totowa to Towaco,
) distance of six miles; the Greenwood Lake
from Little Falls to Pequannock, nine
miles. and the Morrfstown and Erie, the
grade of which will have to be elevated for
3 considerable distance.
Many wagon roads will have Il be aban-
noned and others reocated. One highway
&hich will be left to GROSS the lake between
Little Falls and Chatham is Bloomfield
avenue, which will be carried across from
She base of Franklin Hill to the southern
point Of Hook Mountain, three and one-half
miles. on a huge embankment, and then by
INV AONNC Oi NbO cAAV VI IVY
slountain to lower Montvile. The roads
crossing az Hanover and Columbia Bridge
ore also provided for by raising the grade
lbout twenty feet for a short distance. 1t
& also proposed to run roads skirting the
shores of the lake, where such highways
80 not already exist, and to cross different
arms of the lake at several points with roads
built on entertainments. Mr. ermeule says
that in no case should a bridge be less han
twelve feet from the water, so as to allow
n ala Ua FOR afRQ nhnQfa Ar Varnnaula haa
fixed the price OF this vast enterprise at
100000 Healso says it would be a paying
investment.
The waters impounded could be partly
cold as a water supply to the many towns
and cities in the lower Passaio Valley and
partly to maintain a uniform flow to supply
motive power at Paterson and Passaic,
as well as flushing out the sewage that Is
How turned into the river from these cities.
But its greatest benefit would be the pre-
vention of such disastrous foods as those
which did such great damage to the above
famed cities on March ?, 1902, and October
10. 1903. These foods did damage almost
equal to Mr.. Verrneule's estimated cost
of the proposed lake. After the foods
of 1902 and 1908 Paterson and Passaic sent
delegations to Trenton to urge on the Legis-
lature the advisability Of the State taking
steps to prevent such a recurrence. The
sgitation resulted in the appointment
Of a food commission to consider the matter
and Mr.. Vermeuls's plan, it is said, is likely
70 be recommended by the commits
sion, and the Legislature may be asked
at the next session to take steps toward
its contamination.
Several plans for financing the scheme
have been proposed. One Ii that the State
do the work, assessing the cost On the cities
and towns benefited. Another plan Is for
the State to construct the lake and re-
imburse itself by the sale of water and
water power. 1t is also said that a number
of Morristown and New York capitalists
are ready to finance such a scheme at any
time the State gives them permission.