The Portland daily press., 1875-08-14
SEBAGO WATER.


The Por tInnd Water WOrlks-The Present
SuppIy-The Capacity to be Increased 10
100000 Gallons Per Day-How il is
to be Done. etc, etc.
The people OF this city who have for six years
enjoyed the benefits which the Portland Water
Company has brought them at great expense
from Lake Sebago, would best appreciate the
extent of the blessing of pure water should the
gates be shut and no more water be allowed to
run into their houses. With no Sebago our fine
Fire Department would be of little avail to
check CONGREGATIONS. The wonder is that
the people of Portland went so long without
system of water supply; and it is past
comprehension how parties owning good
houses in which they live, neglect or think it
not worth their while to have Sebago introduce
ed. The person who thinks about it without
prejudice, must come to the conclusion that the
introduction of Sebago water into the city is
the most important event that has taken place
for years. People have grumbled, and it has
been the regular thing to complain about the
much less fault-fnding since the works have
been under the superintendency of Mr.. Gilman,
who has experience, tact and rare executive
ability.
PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS.
The present capacity of the works is 100000
gallons day. We are gratifed to learn that
the present company have decided to take meas
ures to more than double that quantity, and will
begin the work at once. Messrs d. w. Clark,
President of the company, 81. M. Payson, Gill
man and few others of the company having
faith in the ultimate success of the enterprise,
have induced prominent business men and cap
italists to make subscriptions for the improve
ments, and have also shown their faith by TAX
ing on their own shoulders the larger part of
the large sum necessary to double or rather in
crease the supply to 100000 gallons per diem.
HOW IT Is TO BE DONE.
The water is received FROM the lake in an
oval brick conduit q 81 feet. And here it
may be remarked that this conduit was extend
ed into the lake seventy feet the past spring,
and the mouth is now 81 feet below the surface
of the water. This conduit is $40 feet Ia little
over mile) in length. Its capacity is 10000
600 gallons a day. From the lower gate house
at this end of the conduit, the twenty inch pipe
is laid to the city-a distance of seventeen miles
to st. Stephens church. The capacity of this
pipe is 800, 900 per day. From the lower gate
house to Wards Hill-a distance Of four miles
the descent is less than thirty feet In fact
the lake is only 20 feet above the surface of
Wards hill aud the pipe is but few feet low
er. In addition to this moderate descent, the
pipe is laid over a succession of gulcbes and
hillocks which must retard the flow of the wa
ter Wards hill is 23S feet above tide water,
so that there is fall sufficient to cause the wa
ter in the pipe to flow with great rapidity from
that point to this city. On the other hand,
small difference between the level of the Ia Ike
and that of Wards Hill is not sufficient to
cause the water to flow through that four miles
of main with near the velocity that it gets this
side of that point. Indeed, so great is the diff
ference in flowing capacity that it has been
found by practical tests that the pipe this side
of Wards will readily bring to the city all the
water which two twenty inch mains will bring
from the lower gate house to that point. The
plan is to put in another twenty inch pipe over
the four miles from the lower gate to Wards
hill, and then connect with the present main.
The company has fully decided to do so, the
material has been ordered, the survey will be
begun next week and, the work commenced at
once. This is no small undertaking. Parties
have estimated that the work would cost 500,
600, but now that materials are low, Mr.. Gil
man is confident that he can put it through for
about $4,000. For this work $50 ton of iron
will be required, which has been contracted for
in Philadelphia. The pipe will be manufactur-
ed by the Portland Company, and all the other
work which can be done in Portland will be
given to parties here. Mr.. Ephraim Dyer of
Cape Elizabeth, who worked on the works when
built, will lay the pipe. Mr.. Otis of Worcester,
who has had experience in surveying lines of
this kind, will make the survey. The matter
is one of great Importance to the city.
AS before remarked, the territory is very hill
ly. In one place tunnel of 400 feet will have
to be made, and in many places the cuts are
long and as deep as twenty feet. There is a
great deal Of ledge on the line.
VARIOUS TOPICS.
A few weeks since Phinehas Ball, Esq, of
Worcester, Mass, one of the few men having
the widest experience in the construction Of
water works, went over the line with Superin-
tendent Gilman. He says that the city can
have from Lake Sebago the best supply of the
purest water of any city in New England. MI.
Ball applied tests to Sebago water and pro-
nounced it the 'purest lake water he has ever
examined.
There has always been some question in the
public mind respecting the strength Of the pipe
used, which is made of plate iron of an inch
thick with an inch of cement inside. Mr.. Ball
gives his unqualified opinion that it is better as
water conductor and as durable as the best
cast iron pipe. He would use no other. On the
whole length of the line one will not find any
evidences of leaks. Indeed, there has been
but one break of any importance on the line
this season, and that was in joint, easily rem
edied. 1t is held by men of experience that
the pipe will improve with time, the cement
growing harder and the iron being SO coated as
not to rust.
We are glad to learn that the prospects of the
company are improving. 1t is able to meet the
interest on Its bonds and make many improve
ments on the line of the works.
Under the present management the number
of services have been nearly doubled, and large
| numbers are having SebagO introduced. The
number of services at present is about $500.
At Libby's Corner pipe 1000 feet long is to be
| laid for fire purposes.
Many parties at Cumberland Mills and Sac.
carappa have applied for water service.
| 1t is certainly matter for congratulation
that the present energetic managers of the
company have decided to make SO large an out.
lay to secure to Portland the best water supply
of any city in New England. We certainly
wish them most abundant return for the en-
terprise manifested.
BASE BALL.-There is going to be very in
terestiag game of ball at the Presumpscot
Park this afternoon between the Dry Goods
and the Hayrnakers. 1t will be very exciting