The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-12-14

PORTLAND.
Saturday Morning, December ID, 1867.

Saturday Morning, December IA, 1857.
* water supply.
Z REPORT OF The CITY opMNIrrEE
PORTLAND. Dec. I3 1867.
To the Honorable M0yOr and City Co,,nrii.
The Joint special CT ommittee to whom. on
the discharge o. your former committee
was ieierred "iurther investigation in regard
to supplying the city with pure water" beg
tO report. 6
THE SOURCES OF SUPPLY, rt
to which our attention has been directed, arc
the >ebago Lake nd its outlet the, Presump-
scot river. To bring water directly frUm the
lake involves distance OF sixteen or seven
teen miles, from the RIVER about four miles
You committee found that the water OF the
river can lie introduced at about half tn cost
OF that Vt the lake. 1t, therefore, became a
matter OF interest to obtain a reliable analysis
OF the waters of each. The services of DIR.
e. L. Goodale Of Saco. Srate Assayer, and an
accomplished chemist, were secured and the
results OF very careful and thorough exami-
nation OF the lal waters and OF the river,
taken at Two points, one near Sarcarappa,
and the other at the Lower Falls OF the Pre-
sumpscot are given in his report herewith
submitted.
These analyses were made at a season of
the year when the waters are most affected
by the falling leaves and decaying vegetable
matter. and when the river was turbid IRON,
recent rains. The results are very CRAFTY ing,
showing the waters of both lake and river to
be very pure and sort.
sEBAG6 LAKE,
with an extent OF by IL miles. an AVERAGE OF
III square miles or IA 8S) acres with numer-
Gus feeding ponds, some sixteen in number,
having an aggregate area nearly or quite
equal TO the laSe iL,eif VITA a large aud Ia
yorable rain and drainage basin, and with wa.
tiers OF unequalled purity and soitness, is
source OF supply such as no other seaport city
10 this couDtrs posse ses. *.-
Lake c ,chituate, the principal source of
supply to Boston, has an area, when full, OF
only 6S4 acres. Mystic lake, from which
Charlestown and Chelsea are supplied, has
2W acres. Croton lake, an artificial boly
OF water caused by damming the Croton r,
has only 4OO acres. A CON pIiisoL oi tne
analyses OF these 5aters is equally favorable.
IL viii be OF course understood that the solid
residue here spoken OF is that which remains
upon evaporation TO DIR, ness. aud subsequent
ignition. The figures in the following table
Indicate the number Of grains OF solid residue
per gallon:
Sebago lake, per DR.. Goodale, los
Sebago lake PR DIR. Goodale. 70
chi uate lax per Prof Silliman, LIZ
Cochituate axe, per Pro-. S lnlan, 2.21
Ny stic lake, Ier ROT. Siiman, 3.
PREsUMPscor RIVER
is the outlet OF the lake, and of course par
takes largely of its characteristics. Ii is prob
ably affected more or less by the inflow of its
small tributaries and by the vegetable and
animal decOmpostiJns upoa it's borders It
may also be slightly affected by chemicals
discharged into it by manufactures That it
is lite effected by these causes is shown by
the analyses OF DIR. Goodale. The banks and
bed OF the river are clasey, affecting the APP
pearance OF the water at all times, and during
rainy seasons 1t becomes rolled and tlubid. 1t
was in this condition when three OF the sam
pies were tested and partially so when the
fourth was taken. Notwths anding these
disadvantages its waters bear good compar-
ison with those used by other cities, as
will be seen BY the following statement which
shows the number of grains OF fixed constitu-
ents in gallon OF the water from the several
sources mentioned. Tue first anal, sis by r.
Goodale was ola sample procured ba him
self and the second OF one that was furnished
to him:
Presumpscot River, by Dr. Gooda,e, 1.5s
[ Presumpscyt yer, by Dr. Gso tale, 2.o9
SchuyIkill z. yer, b Booth 81 Gar.ett. 6.1O
,io River, Cincinnati, C.73
Passaic, Jersey City. Ge 1U ea IA
q OF n River. New York, 1921
n River, RJcuester, 1teI
Thames, Lonton, uuisT sI.i 2O.3O
A comparison of the lake and river water,
confined TO those samples which DIR. Goodale
himself procured, is as iollows:
Lake Sebago, LIP grains fixed constituents in gallon
Presumpscor Xiv T, at Sacca5 5appa, IsO do Il
Presumpscot Lower Fills, i.56 do la trshbi92
Let water from the river be emptied into
large receiving reservoirs, giving opportunity
Tor the subsdence OF the muddy AMI foreign
matter, especially il there be also care
tul filtration, and there can be no doubt it
will afford supply ofpure sort water OF ex
cellent quality.
The difference in the waters of the lake
and river is less than was expected. If COM
pared with the water of our wells, impreg-
mated as they are, in many parts of the city.
with the impurities and nlth constantly DC r.
cOlating throus n the soil arising from the CON
taninatiOn OF contiguous drains and vaults
a change to either of these waters will be
con ldered very desirable. W ater taken from
three wells al Hartford, Conn.,, showed solid
residuum OF 43.J43, 1866, IS 450 grams sew
eray. 1t is not likely that the water of our
wells is purer. t-oaA1
Ii PROPOSITIONS. uaa ar
= The Portland Water Company, General G.
| F. Shepley, President, hold charter for
! bringing water from Sebago lake. This
| chatter provides that the city shall be sup
| piled, tor all its municipal wants, tree and
=" shy titHC diteF SIX years rom the cOmpie-
tion OF the works, the city shall be entitled
| to purchase them, IT it choose, at a fair yalu-
| alton This company is Understood to be
| fully organized and ready to commence the
| works, in accordance with the terms OF the
charter, on the opening oil another spring
They now ask the city to grant them the
| right OF way in the streets, and such privi-
ieges as they need to carry the undertaking
| into successful operation.
| III the city lpam if aynadipnt IN aIIox,, tI,o
privilege oi the supply OF its citizens with
| water to pass into the hands OF any private
co p0ration. there is little douut that a salts
| factory arrangement can be made with this
coml.any. There are serious objections to
| granting this privilege to any private corpor-
| alton. and especially one likely TO be largely
controlled by parties residing out oil the
| State and in no way identihed with the in
| terests OF the city. The reasons are too obvi-
Gus to need presentation BY your committee
| Should the present condition OF tile city f.
| nances induce you to grant this privilege 10
| any private corporation we feel assured the
| city. sooner or later. will feel compelled to
regain control of its water supply.
FOR the purpose OF obtaining definite in
| formation on some OF the points involved
| the chairman OF your committee addressed a
note 70 Gen. Shepley. The only point to
| which your committee deem it necessary to
call your especial attention, in the eommuEi
cation OF Gen. Shepley, is, the small capacity
| of the reservoir he proposes-l2, ,00O,000
| gallons We donbt il reservoir of this ca
pacIty is sufficient tor the safety o. the city
| in case OF accident to the one single main.
one man is considered precarious at best,
and with but one large reservoir should be
| required. Chiet Engineer Stevenson in
report to the Commissioners OF the Charles
| town Water Works remarks that "no water
| supply TO city can he considered entirely
| sale with but one line of supply MAINS" 1t
| an arrangement is made with tins company,
a reservoir OF ade Itlate size should be insist
ed upon, reasonable maximum water rates
established, and such other precautions and
guards affixed as shall protect the interests Of
i the CITY.
McRee Swift. Esq Engineer and Supern
tendent of the Patent Water and Gas Com
pan OF Jerse, City. N. j.. IN behalf of his
company, has u ade proposition through
VIM. f. Could. Esq, OF this committee, based
| upon his report to your ionner waite
committee ard published with their report,
offering to build the water works at the
estimates therein given, for full partic-
| ulars OF which reference is made to his said
report. A synopsis OF his tstimates and
propositions IS as follows
| For c,L,lut and 20-inch In lin between All
| the Schago Lake and city, Si72 600
| Reservoir Branihall s.hil, with ca
| paci y f 360J0,a0 gall ms, with ui-
visi n wal: and stand pipe, 2s4,750
htlr