Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-11-29
THE MAD RIVER.
Explanation OF the Plan Proposed
By the EsDemocrat."

THE MAD RIVER.
Explanation OF the Plan Proposed
By the ssDemocrat."
The above sketch represents the plan
proposed by the DEMOCRAT for utilizing
the Mad river water supply. The river
has its source in the town of Wolcott
and is fed by no less than four powerful
mountain streams besides an immense
area of water shed before it reaches
Woodtick, which can be located on the
map by the word "pond," which repre-
sents beautiful reservoir at the small
plating mill in WoOdtick.
A short distance below this point
Lindley brook crosses the road from the
east and adds to the volume of the river
Just below this the stream from the
Chestnut hill reservoir comes dashing
down through the hills west of the river,
in itself being a stream the equal in
quantity and better in quality than Hop
brook. Near this point is an immense
natural basin, where the proposed reser-
voir could be built at small cost. As
will be seen there is a narrow neck
formed by hills near the point where the
dam would be built, while the distance
from the present pumping station to
which the main is already laid, is less
than two miles.
The height we believe sufficient to
supply all the lower portions of the city,
representing perhaps three-fourths of
the consumption of water. IL deemed
best the reservoir could be located fur
ther back in the hills, but this would in
crease the cost, while the quantity of
water would not be so great.
Where the river crosses the Southing-
ton road another short dam could be
built at small cost. At this point there
| is ravine fully three-quarters of mile
in length and of great depth that could
be flooded, making an immense storage
reservoir for the factories.
The present pumping station is at a
point near the Plank road indicated on
the map by dot. A short distance be-
low this Beaver brook, another power
full stream discharges into the river.
This brook flows through the gorge be-
tween the Plank road and the Meriden,
Waterbury & Connecticut River rail-
road, just in the rear of the new Catho-
lie cemetery. 1t could be damned
easily, making anotherEstorage reservoir
for the mills if found necessary. The
two streams between the Wolcott and
Woodtick roads are good reliable feed
ers, holding their own in the dry seasons
AS to the purity of the water from
this source there is no question. The
only impurity that can possibly be
gathered is from what is known as
Cedar swamp, and the water commits
sioners themselves are on record as say
ing that whatever impurities exist at
this point can easily be removed.
Apropos of the quality of the water
the following incident will be of in
terest. A salesman for a water filter,
while in a restaurant near the center
the other day, attached his ytrainer to a
faucet and turned on the water, explain
ing that when the filter was removed it
would be found to contain vegetable
matter strained from the water. After
a trial of fifteen minutes it was found
that the strainer was entirely free from
foreign matter. The salesman declared
the water the most clear and pure of
any he had ever examined. The water
, was from Mad river.
A petition will be presented to the
: court of common council at Monday
, evenings meeting, signed by over one
hundred taxpayers, asking the council
70 secure the services of an experienced
hydraulic engineer to act with the water
commissioners to instruct said board to
make special report in regard to Mad
river, and to instruct the board in Their
estimates to make provisions for stor-
, age reservoir for the factories.
) Among the taxpayers whose names as
attached to the petition are: L. 1. Nun
son, Thomas Kelly, F. A. Spencer
George G. Horn, J. X. Smith, J. G.
Jones, d. H. Tierney, Charles Miller
Fredus Laid, Lawrence Ruth, w. F
} York, G. G. Hoerie, P. Holohan, j. w
, Webster, Thomas o'Connor, John Ber'
gin, George B. Scovill, James Fl. Reid
} B. G. Bryan, S. w. Chapman, and many
others. 1t is probable that the petition
} will be favorably received.
Below will be found two communica
. tions received to-day IN relation to tn,
i great question:
e Mad River For Sanitary Reasons.
1 Editor of the DEMOCRAT:
The suggestion to have a reservoir O.
basin made on Beaver brook or MAJ
river to give an ample supply Of waite
to the mills in very dry and hot weather
2 is good one.
! If this were done those pestilentia
ponds between Seovill's bridge and tn,
Jewelry shop could be done away will
? by having the pure water confined to
narrow channel and the mills supplied
from this pure stream and the dirt'
8 water and refuse coming from the mill
Z turned into the sewers. The way thing
are at present makes it very unhealth,
in summer time both for those who re
: side in that locality and those who worl
r in the shops along the route. For tn
dirty water and refuse coming from
0 Scovilrs mills mixes with the waite
/ that flows into the Web shop, and again
! to that is added the dirty water and re
fuse that comes from the Web shop, anC
then this doubly contaminated water
flows under the Jewelry shop into Bene
dict & Burnham's.
Everyone knows that it cannot b
healthy to breathe the hydrogen anc
- other foul gases that arise from suct