The Portland daily press., 1869-11-23
progre.. ofthe Portland Water won E..

Il pro.rPss afthe fOfttuf0 w atef w OF %
PEEP AT LAKE sEBAGo.
One of the great undertakings in which a
large amount of Portland capital is invested
and to the completion Of which certain of oul
enterprisln3 citizens have long since devoted
themselves is the public water works connect
ing TINS city with Lake Sebago A good sup.
ply Oh genuine pure water for sanitary, if not
ior every other purpose, has long been requr.
| eu Tor this city and from observations we made
on visit to the Lake on Friday, we shall be
greatly disappointed if the American Water
Company of New Jersey City, will not within
short time from now, have fully established
the fact that blessing, purchased though it
may be at cost Of a million and half of dol
lars, and brought from a distance of some II
miles is within the reach of every citizen of
Portland.
10 lay pipe through country of more than
| ordinary gradients and to excavate fora whole
mile at depth, in some instances OF q teet
| and through soil where rocky lodges look like
| grim mountain passes, is an undertaking call
| ing forth the exercise of an amount of nerve,
| brain and muscle the Inheritance of men only
| whose practical experience has rendered them
| superior to the difficulties of the NEST irving
| situations. The whole line of the pipe is as
| direct as the course of the highway will per-
Il
| by short cut across fields and woods. The
main artery of this extensive water circulation
| is carried Immediately under Little River be-
coming at once, in miniature form, a second
Ihames tunnel, and at all points ON the route,
especially at Lords Hill, where there is a
good deal OF fine undulatng country. the rra-
ulehts are sueh as to set men rejecting wheth-
er water runs better up hill or down and the
ulsagreea6le consequences which must result
20 20 tle whole community by a'busting" up
UnryS -.
~ course we need scarcely say that such
thing is highly improbable if not practically
impossible, and the best discretion would be
that which would fearlessly make no provision
lor such an emergency. The great and sub
stantialy constructed reservoir at the westerly
end of the city is fortfication of itself, and
seems fully capable to sustain all the pressure
that Lake Sebago may send into it.
full compliment of workmen are still fully
employed, both day and night at the lake; and
the din of hammers with the continued blasts
OF powder and glyceriDe to be heard up and
down the line IS constant reminder that ev-
eerybody is diligently and faithfully at work.
-Four engines of twelve horse power were in
full operation when we were there, in bailing
water and bringing to the surface the atoms OF
exploded rock. The tunnelling is progressing
satisfactorily and the time caunot be far dis
tant when the whole undertaking fraugbt with
so many engineering and other difficulties will
De completed and the entire work, let us hope,
be pronounced, both for the interest of the
shareholders and the public at large, a g.eat
and conspicuous success. Lake Sebago with
It's woodland views aud mountain scenery (for
here you best see the White Mountains in
thelr most glorious majesty presents a multi
tude of charms, requiring but little money,
plenty OF leisure, and good warm, sunny
weather to enjoy. In summer it is calm and
beautiful, without so much as a ripple to dis
turb its surface, but during rough and windy
weather the contrary is the effect and then its
waters appear as agitated and as ruf1ed as
tnough they formed part of the broad and
tempestuous Atlantic. Lake House lat the
loot OF the lake, excelently kept by Mr.. Chad
Dourn and near to which the little steamer
leaves periodically for the picturesque village
OF darrison) commands a splendid view of the
surrounding district and affords a comfortable
retreag 10 the increasing number OF tourists
who make this their place of rendezvous during
the summer months. -. 5
Lake Sebago, which is but the first of So. |
ries OF Lakes in Maine and New Hampshire, is |
nearly zoo teet above the level of the sea; it is
transparent, in fine weather, to a distance of |
60 feet; Its chemical qualities a. said to be the
best on this continent; it never failing source
OF supply, and if it fails to brew good tea, pro-
mote the cause of temperance, and administer
to the ninety nine other virtues in the human
needs, it would not be the fault of the water
company but of water itself. We hope to see
another day by the industry of some enterpris-
ing person, complete lemical analysis of the |
properties of the water from this beautiful
lake and to learn that Portland possesses one
OF the finest, purest and most abundant sup
plies of water in the whole country
General SheDley we believe, stands at the head
OF Portland Water Company. Mr. L d. Shepley
is its Secretary and Mr.. A. G. Bentley its Su-
perintendent. The American Water Com
pany is represented by Mr.. Halliday, Presi-
dent, Mr.. James Crawford, Treasurer &c., and
MIR. G. H. Bailey, Engineer, who have de-
voted themselves most assiduousy to the
prosecution of the work they have taken in
hand, and which now we are glad to say, is
rapidly approaching completion G..