AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 627 



10 til December, 1852, invited proposals for the further sum of 

 $300,000. These were opened on the 19tli January following, 

 and found to amount to $976,000, at rates of premium varying 

 from 2| to 5 per cent, and the average rate on the bids accepted 

 was 4.266 per cent — the amount received for 300 bonds of $1000 

 each being $312,798.80. Such parts of the work as could be 

 executed during the winter without injury were carried on with- 

 out interruption, and such as were necessarily suspended during 

 the severe weather were resumed as eaidy as the return of the 

 warm season permitted, and prosecuted regularly until their 

 completion. 



In June, 1854, the steam engine was first started, and the 

 several parts of the works were so far completed that a small 

 quantity of water raised by it reached the distributing reservoir, 

 when the failure of a valve chamber of the large pump caused a 

 suspension of its operations for some weeks; and it was not until 

 the latter part of August that the water commissioners were able 

 to commence the regular distribution of Passaic water to their 

 tenants, which since that time they have regularly continued. 



These works take water from the Passaic river at Belleville 

 and raise it to the height of 157 feet, into a receiving reservoir 

 on Belleville ridge, from which it flows through iron j^ipes to 

 the distributing reservoir on Bergen hill, and thence through 

 distributing pipes to all parts of Jersey City, and will no doubt 

 soon be furnished to the citizens of Hoboken, as negotiations are 

 now in progress between the municipal authorities of that city 

 and the water commissioners intended to effect that object. The 

 works comprise. 



First. The inlet conduit and pump-well which receive the 

 "water from the river. 



Second. The engine house, pumping engine and boilers, 

 pump, and rising main tlirough which the water is raised to the 

 reservoir. 



Third. The receiving reservoir. 



Fourth. The pipes which conduct the water from the receiv- 

 ing to the distributing reservoir. 



Fifth. The distributing reservoir. 



Sixth. The distributing pipes which conduct the water from 

 the reservoir to the consumers. 



The inlet conduit, the bottom of which is four feet below ordi- 

 nary low water in Passaic river, is about 375 feet in length, and 

 of the form and dimensions shown by the annexed drawing. It 



