Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-05-25
AN ENORMOUS
WATER SUPPLY
Company to Dam Railway River
to Furnish Wafer to Factories
Along The Sound.
FOR PIPE LINE PRIVILEGES
Union County Authorities Grant
Privileges to Subsidiary to Middle
sex Water Company - Control of
Entire Watershed of the Railway
River--One of Largest Water Sup
ply Sections in State of New Jersey.

ply Sections in State of New Jersey.
ELIZABETH, May 25:-The Board
of Freeholders has granted the re-
quest of the Consumers Aqueduct
Company for permission to make i'm
portant changes in the line, grade
and character of Madison Hill road.
the Raritan road and two bridges
near Railway, thereby opening the
way for the complete development of
a gigantic scheme for controlling one
of the largest water supply sections
in the state.
The Consumers company, which is
really subsidiary connection of the
Middlesex Water Company, was
formed for the purpose of building a
dam across the Robinson branch of
the Railway river, just outside of the
Railway city limits, SO as to form a
great reservoir nearly three miles in
length, 400 to 500 feet wide and four
to thirty feet deep for the avowed
purpose of supplying the manufacture
ing establishments along Staten Is
land Sound When completed the
works will be one of the largest in
New Jersey
While the application for permis-
sion to make the changes referred to
was pending the Elizabethtown Wa
ter Company laid pipe line of large
capacity from a point adjacent to the
new reservoir with the idea of util-
izing it as a reserve water supply in
case of necessity.
When the request of the Consum-
ers' company was presented to the
Board of Ereeholders it was referred
to committee consisting of Henry
Krouse, G. A. Smith, T. j.. Pierson,
George B. Cladek and Robert G.. Maui
rer.
Middlesex Company's Activities.
The Middlesex Water Company, by
purchasing nearly four miles of the
: Robinson branch of the Railway river,
from Milton to the lower boundary OF
Ash Swamp, secured a valuable
source of water supply.
Ash Swamp is the natural drainage
point of territory covering a radius
of about five miles. Three brooks
feed this swamp. One rises in New
Dover, and runs east and north; an
other rises at Oak Tree and flows
east; the third rises in the watershed
south of Plainfield and flows south
The swamp itself is about two miles
square and drains territory bounded
by Colonia, Metuchen, Oak Tree, AL
ton and Plainfield
The swamp is the great water re-
serve plant on which this company
depends to fill it's big reservoir ant
keep up steady supply. 1t is like {
huge sponge. In dry seasons it has
numberless springs and small tribu
4 taries which send out streams of soft
pure water.
After the water leaves the swami
it unites with three brooks from tht
| Westfeld watersheds. Two of these
brooks yield pure water. One has iti
head in the Lambert mill pond a
Willow Grove, which gets it's suppl.
in the slope south of Fanwood. An
other rises in the center of the towr
of Westfield and flows southwest
where it finally passes the sewer beds
and then joins the main branch abou
one-half mile below. The third rises
at Picton Park and flows southwes
| about one mile, where it also join
the main stream. Where the three
brooks meet is also the meeting poin
of three townships-Clark, Westfielt
and Fanwood. From this poin
southeast the water company is build
ing great storage reservoir whicl
will be over a mile in length. Th
spot seems laid out for this particula
purpose. High bluffs on either sid
will hold the water in check withou
any fear of breaking away. A grea
dam is already under way at Moier'
Bridge. The dam, which will be o
concrete, will be twenty-five feet il
height, built on a rock foundation
1t will be about 200 feet above tn
bridge, and will span the valley a
this point about so to 900 feet.
From this reservoir will run tn
huge pipes that will supply the dis
tant towns with water. The dam
built just on the outside of the cit
line of Railway.
Already it is understood plans ar
under way by this company to TAX
all of Westfield sewerage to tidewate
and thus remove the only possibl
source of contamination for man
years to come.
| The city of Railway is going t
l take legal action against the waite
/ company to try to prevent it fror
using the water in the Robinso
| branch of the Railway river, as tn
| city claims prior right
\