The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-08-31

city depends more, perhaps, than upon any
other. -.ss-'.-..s...ss-....'-.
But to-day we propose to be brief, and shall
not go at length into the merits of the main
question. ,e.. ..a...zx Is ,.,oa,a
In the Advertiser OF yesterday is an article,
one point of which we regret to see urged, be-
cause we are confident it has no force. and
that its tendency is only to odium upon
the whole discussion, and to cast suspicion
upon some of the propositions that have been
made touching the matter. InreplyEtoanoth-
er paper the AdOerttser says; mon assolsaa =
Does not the argus overlook the fact that
taking the water in the Lake, the same diver
sion which must be paid for to the Water Power
Company, must be paid Gor, also, under the
same rate of appraisement, to the Cumberland
Mill, of Congin Fall Co. -?
And, again, be paid for to every owner of
the two sets OF waterfalls at Saccarappa?
And, again, to each intermediate power in
Guiding the Lindsay Fails, at the outlet Of the
Lake, although this last might be but nosni-ii
nal, and yet the only one that would be nofnis
nal, in the whole range of Falls, equalling III !.
Villa pIoieet that thus inEol yes payir g for
each cubic foot III Water supply to. the city seIa
times 0ger, commend itself eoen TO the city OF
Portland, as the economical method of obtain
ing that supply? S-..'- - 80
We have heretofore noticed this pretence
that every owner ofwater power on PresumI-
scot river has a claim upon every gallon Of
water in Sebago Lake and all its feeders. We
do not believe the doctrine. The water En-
the river may not be changed from its natural
channel or course to the damage of any, own-.
er upon that naturel channel p But Sebaco
Lake water has no course. That Lake afy
fords no mill sites. Its waters arc quiet, land
it is a natural and common reservoifs to BIZ
drawn from for common purposes, every own
er upon its shore having right to draw. water
from it to irrigate his lands; --ands the State
may grant the same or more extended priv
leges to others. To our mind the idea that
the drawing Of water from that Lac, to water
the city of Portland, would afford grounds for
claiming damage by water power owners on
the river is perfectly preposteroas. The State
has power, in our opinion, ttoeutachanne
from Moosehead Lake into the head waters of
the Penobscot, and make that river instead of
the Kennebec the outlet of the Lake, and own
ers on the latter river would have no redress
If this can be done land it has been attempt
ed, and was not resisted on the ground setups
by the 4dOerttser, who can doubt the power
to authorize the city of Portland to tap Seba-
go Lake for the purposes under edanesidera-
ton. ssia 1913 iodw ,s3a0msYoTgnl H1sDom e.s 10
But, supposing we are wrong, and that die
city soouId be liable, as we have shown M a.
former article it would be liable only for ,qc-e.
tIat damages, to be estimated BY jury; and,
there are, probably, no twelve men in.rthea
county, who could be be drawn from the iury,l
boxes, who would ever agree that one cent Of
damage had occrued or could occrue to any
water power owner on the river from st,elpa
slight diversion of the,water, of the. Lake; a
lake SO situated that almost any amount Of
water may be held back BY the construction
of requisite dams at The outlet, So that, il the
lowest seasons Of drought, an ample supply,
might be available for all water-Ro ii pnr1
poses. We are quite sure our people have no
fears on this score, and would be wiling to as
sumo all the risk of damages from vsuehea
quarter. g il aaEaaass 81 sssss1-9 y re.
To hold up and attempt to menace' the city
with such damages, in the discussion of this
question, as we have already irtindated, has
the two-lold effect to bring needless odium up-
on the whole discussion in the mindssa ~ q
large class and to create the impression that
those who urge this argument desire to force
the city to single alternative, and thus make
a speculation !put of ito The writer ofIhaa
above extract will agree with us, that such an
impression, widely prevailing, would operate s rat
greatly to the disadvantage Of the enterprise,
and retard work which every publie-spirited
friend of the city is anxious to see cotnmenced
and carried forward to complete success. 1sa1isl
There is one other point in relation to which
we think much error prevails, and that Is that
good water can be found onty in the lake, while
water from the river it would be necessarily
impure and undesirable This is a mistake.
Phlladelphia water is taken from the river
Inc water to supply the large towns on the
Canada side, at Niagara Fails, IL taken from
the river, and forced up TO the reservoir 81.
pumps driven by water-power Great Falls
N. H., and Diddeforl-those portionEs MI
ing to the factory corporations, at. any rate
are watered with river water, forced into the
reservoirs by pumps in the factories Is ~
are not greatly mistaken in our reading and
information, impure water cannot be carried :,
long distance in running stream There q
a constant tendency to publication. Dead
water only stagnates and becomes foul. Stir
up the water in a cistern that has to
smell badly, and bring all its parts in contact
with the air, or draw it off through a faucet,
and the impurity is lost. The water acquires
from the OXYGEN of the atmosphere the quality
needed to restore It's sweetness. Running water,
especially if the surface be broken, cannot
stagnate or retain its impurity, while the naiu-
RAJ tendency Of the earthly substances mixed
with 1t 70 settle TO the bottom in the form of