The Portland daily press., 1884-05-21
BEDDEFORD AND. sACO WATER
COMPANY.
Description of the New Work which
VIII Furnish the Water supply for
the Two Cities.
Biddeford journal,

(Biddeford Journal)
VA force OF twentysmen in the employ of
Ihomas Shanahan & ISon, of Portland, con-
tractors, and in charge of j. R. Hinckley, of
Mechanic Falls, began Tuesday, the work of
clearing the land for the erection of the reser-
volr OF the Biddeford and Saco Water COM
pany, OF which George P. Wescott, of Port
land, is president.
This land is situated on the Goodwin's' Mills
road about two and half miles from the citv.
and four thousand feet west of the Saco river
and was purchased of Mrs. Mary @. Hooper. II
contains ten acres heavily timbered, and is sit.
uated on high hill overlooking the surround.
ing country. The reservoir will be built, in q
natural amphitheatre of solid masonry. The
OUTSIDE circumference will be between eipht
and nine hundred lineal feet; it will hava an
altitude OF two hundred feet above the sea Law.
81 and Will have capacity of eight million
gallons, which can be increased if desirad
The water company has also purchased twenty
acres OF the Staples homestead farm with
Dullolngs, bordering upon the river to the ga 9,
OF Tue hooper property of Hon. e. w. and O
ID. Staples, OF this city. On this will be locat.
Cd tne pumping station, with engine, boilers
ana coal pens, as well as the dwellings for the
engineer and manager of the works.
Inc water will be pumped from the river by
q duplex engine capable of pumping three mil.
lion gallons daily, and thoroughly filtered
through hitering basins, the system being sim.
liar to thai in use in Lewiston. From the res.
ervoir, the water will be carried TO the bisb.
way in twenty-inch cast iron pine. and
thence to Elm street in this city. From Elm
street a main pipe sixteen inches in diameter
VIII conduct the water through Main lstreet
W. Iar as Olty square, and another main Of the
same diameter will be laid along Elm street Ia
Saco to conduct the water to that city. From
THESE smaller pipes from four to twelve inches
IN diameter will radiate. Nothing but cast
iron pipes are to be used by the company.
The contract for clearing and grubbing the
site for the erection of the reservoir, which
Will contain between four thousand and fifty
hve hundred cubic yards of masonry, was
awarded to Thomas Shanahan g Son.
The pipe will be laid by Ephram
a Dyer :. o. T. istandish, who has had
Portland Water Company for five years, and
in this department about two thousand tons Of
cast iron will be used this season, r. ID.
Wood, of Philadelphia. will furnish the pine.
as we'll as the gates. The joints of the pipes
will be of lead, of which fifty tons will be
consumed. Two cars laden with thirty tons
OF this lead are at the present time at the
Eastern railroad station in this city, awaiting
transportation to the company's land. The
lead was furnished by Holden & Herrick, OF
Boston. IL. y. Cummings & Co., of Portland,
furnish the cement for the masonry.
The reservoir will be constructed, pipes laid
and water will be introduced into both cities BY
the tirst day of November, and during the next
year the entire work will be completed. Sam
pies of the hydrants to be used will soon be
furnished the officials of Biddeford and Saco
for their inspection, and the company will put
in between thirty and forty, as may be re-
| quired. II. b. Cummings, civil engineer, OF
Portland, will arrive in the city in few
days to take charge of the masonry and W. s
bennett OF Saco has been engaged to make
drawings for the company. The business
office Of the company will be located in the
Goodwin building on Main street. AS ii
stated above, there are now about twenty
men employed on the work, which number
will soon be largely increased and the work
will be pushed forward with the utmost
despatch.