The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-09-26
OUR WATER SUPPLY.
improvements Now Being Made by the
Portland Water Company.

We have from time to time referred to the
efforts being made by the Portland Water
Company to increase the supply of water to
this city. When the works of the company
were constructed in 1868 conduit of brick q
known as the lower gate-house, which is II
miles below. From this gate-house the water
was and is now conveyed through twenty
inch pipe. This has not been sufficient to sup
ply the city as the complaints made have at
tested. The inadequacy of the water
supply was owing to the fact that
the fall of the land from the
lake to Wards Hill, four miles below, is but 80
feet, while from the hill to this city it is 237
feet. Consequently the trouble has been that
the water cannot. be brought from the lake to
Wards Hill as fast as it is required in the city.
To remedy this defect the company are putting
in 26 inch pipe from the lake to Wards Hill,
where it will be joined to the old pipe, and the
water brought through both will be conveyed
through the old pipe to the city. This addi-
tional pipe will supply the pipe from Wards
Hill to this city at all times, and will bring
three and half million gallons of water to this
city every twenty-four hours.
The work of laying. this additional pipe has
been very thorough and consequently very ex-
pensive. They have endeavored as much as
possible to keep an even grade To do this it
was necessary to make many deep cuts and two
long tunnels. Work was commenced about
year ago at the lower gate-houss by Ephraim
Dyer of Cape Elizabeth, the contractor, under
the supervision of Mr.. P. K. Otis, an engineer
from Worcester. After going 1900 feet from
the gate house they were obliged to tunnel
through for a distance of 49, feet and make an
open cut % feet deep and 300 feet in length.
The tunnel was SO feet below the surface. The
work was delayed here by the frequent caving
in of the banks of the cut and tunnel. Several
other deep cuts were made after passing this
one, but nothing of any account until they
reached Gambo Hill in Gorham. Here is
high sand bank, the very worst material to
work in. The engineer decided to tunnel this
hill for distance of 1850 feet, but after going
into the earth $50 feet the workmen struck a
quicksand ard were unable to support the roof
OF the tunnel longer. Consequently the rest of
the distance, 1000 feet, was opened from the
top to depth of 20 feet. This is the place
which remains unfinished. The work here is
much more than was expected, but the COM
pany are determined to keep the pipe as near
level as possible, thus giving the water much
more force. This is one great trouble with the
old pipe. 1t was laid hastily and winds up and
down over the hills like rail fence, impeding
the force of the water very much.
Representatives from the daily papers were
taken along the entire line of the improvements
yesterday and excellent facilities were afforded
to examine the progress of the work. The pipe
is all down in the deep 1000 foot cut at Gambo
and the men are now at work in the tunnel.
Only 400 feet of pipe remain to be laid at this
place and then the water will be let on. We
have already stated that the work was being
performed in most thorough manner, and
perhaps few details as to the manner of doing
it may not be embarrassing. To COM
mence with everything is done in systematic
manner. The engineer decides where the pipe
shall run, and the pickaxe and shovel brigade
make the trench for the pipe which is all the
way from six to twenty feet deep according TO
the elevation. The pipe layers then follow after
bed timbers have been placed in the trench to
rest the pipe upon. The pipe is made at the
Portland Company, Of the best wrought iron,
and is nine feet in length and 26 inches in
diameter. Before the pipe is used it is lined
with Jersey cement to preserve the iron.
The pipe is cemented into its place end the
layers at once begin to make joints, and they
put two iron pipes together water tight. They
are fastened by an iron band six inches wide,
which is wedged and cemented to the pipes.
Then over the joint is put thick layer of ce-
ment, making it perfectly tight. Not only the
joints but the whole pipe is covered with ce-
ment to save the iron. To give an idea of the
cement used we might state that upwards of
5000 barrels are used on this work. After the
pipe is put down short time is given before
the water is allowed to run through, that the
cement may harden sufficiently.
In working in the tunnel track is laid and
q car carries in the pipe and material from the
outer world. The pipe layers were at work in
the tunnel yesterday and the scribes had an ex-
cellent opportunity to see how the work was
accomplished. The work is progressing as fast
as possible, considering the many obstacles the
contractor has to encounter, and it is safe to say
that in ten days the water will be running
through the new pipe to this city.