Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-04-19

win number CT citizens, among whom We
noticed Ex-Mayor Whitehouse, DR.. Hsrlov
Dr' North, d. A. Cony, Oscar Holway, and
otners' They were met At Gardiner. at the
station, by Mayor Laid and Weston Levi.
PRESIDENT of the Water Company, where car
rlages were provided for all.
The first point was the High Street Gram.
mar School House. The hydrant at that
point has twenty feet less head than the
weakest hydrant proposed in Augusta. Dur.
ing the first test the hydrans was worked
under pressure direct from the pump., the
reservoir being shut off. Two stream,
through an inch nozzle were thrown with
great force over the vane on the cupola tho
Duliding being two stories high. At the re-
quest of Chief Engineer Morse, one nozzle
was changed to an inch and quarter stream.
one-elghth larger than the nozzles now used
In Augusta. The stream was thrown to the
same hight, though throwing more water in
the same time. One stream striking the hell
on the cupola caused it to ring, showing its
force even at that high point. Streams we're
thrown horizontally, vertically and at differ
ent angles. All we're satisfied that with
pump pressure, the hydrant was capable of
handling any fire likely TO occur in its neigh
borhood. The pump pressure was then taken
of, and with the gravity pressure from the
reservoir alone two fire streams reached the
roof of the building
The next test was at the top Of Methodist
Hill and was gravity test alone. Powerful
streams were thrown over the surrounding
buildings, illustrating actual work in case of
fire.
The next test was taking three streams
from the hydrant near the grist mill and four
from that at Jewett's mill. The seven streams
made magnificent sight. Nozzles of vari-
Gus sizes were used, 50 that streams of all
kinds were playing at the same time. 1t Was
clear that no great confagration could ever
sweep over this territory again, as it had at
two different times. The body of water from
the seven streams shown would with ease
have stopped either of Gardeners great fires.
The hydrants during the tests were man.
aged by Chief Engineer Cross assisted by
eight hosemen.
Tie next point visited was the pumping
station at the Upper Dam, at the New Mills
The powerful pumps tl,5OO,oO0 capacity
were started, and their working carefully in
spected. The precautions taken for preserv-
ing the purity of the water were also noticed.
1t is well known that the system at Gardi-
ner is pronounced "s eminent engineers as
one of great efc. MY and first class in every
respect. The steamer mas been removed to
the New Mills, and is only kept as a reserve.
The other steamer was sent to South Gsrd-
ner. The system at Augusta is in principle
to be the same as the Gardiner system, with
larger pumps and reservoir, however. For
this reason the visit of the committee was of
interest.
The May Flower.
This is the season of the year when the
trailing arbutus, fragrant and fresh, blooms
in the fields and meadows, and already the
urchin has secured every nook and corner
where the blossoms are wont to grow, 20 And
any stray blossom which may have bloomed
under exceptionally favorable conditions. In
this connection the following pretty sketch
entitled 1.-The May Flower" will be read with
pleasure:
Growing in oak and pine woods, from New
foundland to Kentucky, we find the wax-like,
IL. hn1t in ire nos a IL
ice the sweetest fragrance of the springtime.
1t is a member of the heath family of which
there are more than four hundred species, all
of which are remarkable for handsome, gen.
erally fragrant flowers of all shades of color,
varying from white to pink, red or purple
rarely yellow. Many of the species are val
liable in medicine, and are mostly evergreen,
MANY trailing in shrubby vines on the earth
Most of us know that the BURBERRY, buckle
berry, cranberry, wintergreen, laurel, azales,
Princes pine, Indian pipe and rhododendron
belong to this same order, Ericacaa.
Can we wonder at the delight of the Puri-
tan maiden, when she found these earliest
darlinQs of the late New England spring, look
ing with sad, yet brave eyes, day by day over
the wide waste of water which separated her
from childhood's home and girhood's loving
friends, who, even then, were gathering IN
many a green meadow the Primroses, IN tar
off, "merrie England" The one link be-
tween her and that dear old home was the
white-ssiled vessel which. only few weeks
before, had gaily sped away from these dreary
shores, homeward bound and the little How
er. lifting its pearly clusters to catch sun
shine was named, with the thought in her
heart of the May-pole twined with Hawthorne
buds and cowslips and the merriment about
it that she might not share, the May flower, 4
precious link between tbs old life OF ease so
csre-free and happy, and the new life OF 'or-
row, toll and hard privations.
MANY gloriou. springtime, with singing
birds and opening buds, has since dawned
upon the earth, and in each of their long,
bright. sunny days have fair young girls gone
forth into the dim old woods, in quest OF the
flowers so dear to girlish hearts, to come
home, in twilight may be, with hands filled
With these pestlings of the oak and plne'
thanking God in their hearts tor the coming
hack of the wild flowers sin the old familiar
places"
Fast Day Shoot.
TLara vill he a Fast Day shoot on the