The Portland daily press., 1870-07-06


chan'cal power and muscular power, but tn
torrent of water was wanting. Millions c
property were destroyed because of that wan
and other millions were in imminent peril
To-day you have the hydrostatic pressure of
lake nearly 250 feet above mean tide water
yet the pressure of this magnificent head upol
the distribution pipe of this city will be n
greater than the pressure upon the leather hos
OF steam fire engine. This vast reservoir o
water is SO elevated that the city can be sup
piled by gravitation without the Intervention
OF mechanical appliances. The city is fortu
nate too in the purity of the lake, as pur
nearly as distilled water, and therefore admira
oly adapted to the finest processes in chem
istry and the arts, more economical than hare
water in the department of mechanics and to-
domestic uses.
l need not here suggest that which il
patent to all, that the valuation of the city
will be enhanced, the rates of insurance re.
duced and the industrial and sanitary
condition of the city greatly improved by th'
introduction Of water. The city of Portland
has given generously to railway enterprises, te
draw hither the products of the farm and o
the shop, and to develope the commercial facili
ties OF the city. You contemplate with pridt
and pleasure the fact that within two or three
years at the farthest, Portland will be con.
nectcd by railway with St. John and Halifax
you are looking for large provincial trave
and perhaps still larger international travel
You hope for an increase of trade as the rail
way system of thei State is extended. You
have already made proclamation to the grea
West of your commanding commercial
position. You propose to restore the old trade
with Northern Vermont by the Ogdensbure
81 aol,
city by more direct route, and at the same
time to attract new trade from the interior o.
New Hampshire and Vermont. believe that
these expectations will be realized. 1t is moi
too much to believe that within few years
the Dominion of Canada will be a part of the
American republic, and that Portland will be
the Atlantic port of that vast territory laying
between the two oceans and the Arctic circle
and the great Lake Basin. This is the pre-
diction Of your great Senator, whose name and
fame are associated with the city of Portland
and with the State of Maine. My friends, be
patient and you will witness marked changes
in the condition of trade at this point but
if you would have an increase of valuation
you must have means of preserving that
valuation if you would invite capital from
abroad, you must see 10 it that the visible
wealth of the city is fortified against fire.
Would it seem then, that the project of
connecting the Sebago basin, with all its
amplitude of waters, with this city, is sub
ordinate to the projects that have engaged
the attention or absorbed the capital OF the city!
Is it too much to assert that the credit of our
city has been more firmly established by the
construction OF these water workss Not only
have you been relieved OF the expenditure OF
vast sum OF money IN the construction OF water
works, but you are better enabled to bestow
aid upon public enterprises because of this
relief, and because OF conviction that you
can preserve the valuation upon which your
city loans are based. l would not overesti-
mate the advantage OF these works. know
iull well, and SO do you, sir, that at an
moment, when the city most
ton had Int inst commenced amid ali Tho
doubts and uncertainties that beset the scheme.
the Portland Water Company was formed and
assumed the responsibilities of this UNDER
taking. We have tried to do our part faith.
fully. we have doubtless encountered the
crlucism OF some and the III Will OF others
anu We nave encountered thas whlch Is more
''nna o.n1ao ~ sne pny sical o1stacies 'nas oP-
poseu ~. plosLcSS r anu greatly increased tne
loss y. sno WIZ. inose ops'acies nave Deeh
l.a.1a-
n. III eocve, We may .nelP ourselves we nave
EFT. suou W .,cs sn.s eN!. we ale ue.el-
tran. d. .ha, " ontna. an, W. po.e .ne .un-
~ VIC. aSs We orc "ons tnas
" '. ~. % c oe' .ho 1";."a P1 e. .opahy ~ any oown
;, - ivy VI nc on',eu o.a'eS, nas ever oheleu
,,,,so,,sss , '.o =" nro w - no" w. "e u.Ts. "
y, ,ra ,.o,, NJ NJ .J c'uy 49, ";.;a W.. .tas. %s
= ,,;1, ~ 49, "... '..es
- 80 do.;.o ~. ' Sns1 W.. po.po'e a"u ouI
,aa t",.,.. ~ =. aai "I1 w.sn Ne oiy Jusuy
nv ' In 80, 10 "A 4ue'e.ois ei"Nne "
,u up" i"'. 'e, no, can We iol = monen, ~,
Dus .,aS ."ese Ienaiy Sentneh.s WIZ
- .noes oe.oi"'y ieIiploca,eu. !. an1las 9le
5lca1 pressure, mere oeiore tnis vast mul.itude,
~ y suo rt am ,aa .aa' oe"u'iu' iouh'aln' .'he
"'ei' VI 0eo"so '"Ae'
At the close of Mr.. Gilman's address, three
cheers were given for "Sebago !" "a the water
was let on to the fountain-tbe sunl;obt s,r;L.
NO unon thu snrov nro5,,o;no 81, 49,
he rainbow p'>N '-e OH 'No S0io'' VI
W ,y.vo
"AnoN n'Nesno-'fs REPLY
was tnen denvered' at follows:
Fellw o citizens,-We learn from the able
address OF the eloquent gentleman, who rep
'esents the Portland Water Company, to
which we have just listened, that the enterprise
Sebago Lake INTO our city is essentially COM
dividually and as municipality, cordially
that energetic company, as well
as ourselves, on the result. The Fourth of
July was in former years almost exclusively
devoted TO the commemoration of the revolution
which severed our connection with the mother
country. And this We continued to do, from
the force OF habit long after the fact itself, and
the principles involved in that contest, had be-
come forgotten or deadened in the popular
mind. But in these later times we take this
occasion to celebrate all movements that tend
to elevate man, and secure true independence,
whether political, religious, moral, financial
Or sanitary; and this is peculiarly the fitting
time with us to recognise this important
event. gts<
Four years ago to-day, as we have been
reminded by the preceding speaker, the sun
poured its genial rays, as now, upon happy
people, enjoying as is our wont, the festivities
of the occasion. The next day found third
of our city in ashes, and thousands of our
citizens houseless in the streets. Had we
been sufficiently supplied with water, in all
natural probability, this terrible calamity
would not have occurred; a
which we trust will never trans
pire again; for now the waters OF Sebago, by
iron arteries and veins, flows through
all portions OF our body corporate, as the life
blood through the human body, finding its
way into all our public buildings; penetra-
ting our private dwellings,, and creeping up
through our manufactures and setting in mo-
ton and giving power to the wonderful ma
chineries that tend so largely to the general
wealth and growth OF the CITY. The crv for