The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-09-27
THE NEW wATRRwoRKs.
An Enterprise of Portland Capitalists
Nearly Completed.

Last evenings Biddeford Journal gives a
fall description of the new water works which
will supply that city and Saco with water
From the account we learn that the reservoir
of the new company is located two miles and q
half from Biddeford to the west of the Hollis
road. The work was begun May 10Th, 1884,
by force Of twenty men and tonight it will
be completed. Eight acres of land comprise
the site of the reservoir, and this was purchas-
ed of Mrs. Mary G. Hooper of that lefty. The
reservoir stands in a natural amphitheatre,
and is constructed of immense blocks of gran
ite that were qrarried close at hand. To fsci-
Itate the work, an iron railway was laid from
the quarry to the reservoir and around its
walls on the interior, and the granite cubes
were transported on fat cars, hosting engine
being ased in raising the stone from the bed of
the quarry The outside circumference of the
reservoir is between eight and nine hundred
feet, and the inside line of the coping meas
ures eight hundred feet. 1t has an altitude of
two hundred feet above the mean high water
mark and its greatest depth is thirty-fve feet
The walls are thirteen feet wide at the base
and iu their construction it was necessary to
blast downward into thu soh,, ledge, distance
OF fifteen feet to obtain wat0r-tight fouBda-
ton. Between thirty-fye and thirty six hun
bred yards of stone have been used or the res
ervoir, which was built of first class rubble
masonry, and consumed three months OF
time.
Through the side of the wall facing the
river, protrudes twenty inch pipe, by means
of which the water is supplied to the reservoir
and into the south wall a twelve inch has been
introduced, through which the water may be
discharged in case it becomes necessary to
clean the reservoir The river wall has been
constructed to Withstand pressure of more
than four hundred tons, and from its base to a
point within twenty-one feet of the crest of the
coping, there is a hip wall thirteen feet thick.
The reservoir las capacity of ten million gal
| Ions. A gate house of solid masonry has been
| erected outside of the southeast wall, which is
| to be aocred and roofed and is supplied with
twenty inch gate to shut off the water between
| the reservoir and the pumping station.
The pumping station will stand in close prox-
unity to the river bank, and will be hand
some brick structure, with a single story above
the surface of the ground, surmounted By
slated roof, with iron crestlng and panel Cor
NICE IN this building will be locattd The On.
CINE house, which is to be furnished with pa.
tent duplax engine capable OF pumping three
million galous "a ly aud attached tn which is
to be rs is',! chimney, pHnipiug well, filter
well, boiler room, 10 ba snpyiied With two boil
| ers, each Of seventy five horse poser, aud
| coal shed. The building viii be iu tbs form OF
| very irreqularly shaped letter L, the pump
| ing well and flteriGg veil being IN the main
part, With he engine house. adjoining the
| former 90 one side, and the boiler room and
| coal shed on the ether.
Tue Work IS the properly Of Tho Biddefcrd
| & Saea Wster Comuany, If which John P.
Gilman Of Haverhl, Mass is President, aud
George P. Wescotg OF Portland, ira ,urer
| James Cunningham Of Portland had the ~
| tract for the brick masonry work, Thomas,
| Thomas Jr., and Richard Shanuahan of Port
LAND bad the contract to build the reservoir, E.
| P Cummings of Portland was engineer, and
| l.. G. Cummings & Co.. furnished the cement.
| Ephraim Dyer OF S!audish, who laid the Port
land pipes will lay those fer Biddeford and
c.