The Somerset reporter., 1885-01-28

A rEnexvRRiNo AND sUccpsasut 1919 =
MADE unDKn GREAT pfry1cUEss


A rERervRRiNo AND sUccpesut hykeIsx
MADE unDks GREAT pftyscUiss
ovNrLnnxN tit 10, perhaps. generally
known In ,hisl locality, shat The aasedocs
which supplies water to the people living
cn the Island, comes over the long BRIDGE
The water 10 here brought over the river
In an iron pipe which passes through
tight box, fastened to the west side OF the
bridge. This 10 cold cality and ually
It has happened that the nrst spell OF Sc
we're weather 10 December has put an end
TO the fiow of water through this channel,
ard the "Islandsis" have been obliged to
wait for genial Spring to uoloose the icy
letters and bring back the lost blessing.
Meantime they have had TO depend for
water-supply upon the river and the gener-
osity of the people living Oh the "Conti-
nent." How to avoid this regularly recur'
ring calamity, has been the question which
for years has agitatsd the minds OF some
of the wlsest men In this community. The
SUBJECT, at times, has bech cold one, and
many have turned from 1t in disgust. At
last, an a consequence of much cogitatioD
aud long continued, concentrated intellect
usl fire aud heat, the thought was evolved
that ruunin. steampipe 10 close proxlmi.
ty to the waterplpe the whole length Of the
box, would prevent the dreaded evil.
The thing was done. Steam was taken
| from the Wooden Mil of Messrs. Shepherd
| & Anderson. We went through the cold
| weather OF December and early January,
without freeze. Our hopes grew strong
er with every recurring wintry blast. But
alas the uncertainty OF humsn expecta-
lions. On Wednesday morning last, on
| raising the cover If our water-bOx, We saw
| what TO put the thing mildly was sad and
| disgusting to US. The order of things Mas
| reversed. The water was running out in
stead of running IN. We diagnosed the
case at once. The fluid had become a solid
body In the water-pipe upon the bridge,
and was likely to remain 80 for months.
| We bad seen the same symptoms before,
and had come to learn that whenever they
were present, after u cold spell VI weather,
they indicated precisely Mis-nothing more
aud nothing l-ss. We deny that we used
any Improper language on that occasion
| We eudeavured to maiUtain true equil,b
rum. We sought the aid Of philosophy
anu GALE d 10 mind the example Of th0s,
wise philosophers, who prided theniselve
upon their sbili,y to keep calm under cir
cumstances of excitement. We though
Of Socrates, who, when his wife, Xtntippe
terribly iniuriated by PASSION, eDptitd iron
q chamber window upon his head, as h
was walking below, the contents Of slop
bowl, quietly remarked that he expected
| ahoUpr After n muct, lhundpP
The principal manager Of this aQueduct
Mr.. Drainard, after having ascertalned tina
the trouble was due To the accidental q
willful shutting of the steam from tn
steampipe above mentioned, addressed him
self at once 10 the Herculean task Of r.
pairing the damage. He found both III
watcr-pipe and steam.pipe burst, In man
places. During all the hours Of the col
Thursday Of last week, when the thcrmom
eter WAS fur below Zero, aud the wind wa
blowing u gale, he, with some Ave or ri
meU, supported BY temporary staging
suspended from the side OF the bridge, an
with nothing To SHE'D them from the fur
OF the biting blast, worked with deaau
will and energy, king out injured section
Of the pipe aud putting In new, and doln
whatever seemed necessary to the complr
ton Of the job. Friday morning, with tn
temperature twenty degrees below zero
found them ready to renew the contes
with the elements; and ere the day closed
the water was passing through the usus
channels, aud filling the tanks 10 the hous
es. Al once there was feeling Of Joy an
c0ngraiula ion all over the Island.
broad smile was upon the faces Of tn
wom.n, and, il at this opportnne moment
Mr.. Brainard had appeared upon the scene
he would have been greeted by pleasan
words, earnest expressions OF gratitud
and good wishes, apd-and-and- Well
Mr. Editor, you can put III the rest. P.
Skowhegsn, Jan. 18th, 1885.