The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1891-03-20
NEwToWN, MARCH go, 1891.
BETHEL.
FRIDAYS BOROUGH MEETING.

FRIDAY BOROUGH MEETING.
BY practically unanimous action, the
borough of Bethel has voted to contract
with a responsible bidder for filter at
the dam of Eureka reservoir, which sup
plies the borough with water, at cost
of $4,000 to $1,000. The special borough
meeting, called for Friday evening at 8
o'clock at the Town hall, to consider the
ACCESSIBILITY of ordering filter and of
providing means for paying for it, had
been well heralded and the matter was
thoroughly discussed beforehand. The
hall was well filled with solid citizens,
tax payers and representative men and
the matter was calmly and intelligently
talked over and the meeting remained
deeply interested until nearly II O'Clock,
when the filter was voted and the meet
ing adjourned. There was no doubt as
to the desirability or imperative neces-
sity of a filter, the only question was as
TO the best system and the least money
for that system. 1.-The water has been
so bau," said prominent business man
to BEE reporter, "that it has been al
most miracle that we have been spared
pestilence or epidemic. | never use
the water myself, if possible; spring
water is far preferable. But my ac-
quaintance with it has been sufficient to
convince me that it is unhealthy. There
has been a strong, disagreeable odor,
with often a tishy smell and taste"
One of the water commissioners also
said: "The simple fact of the matter is,
we had to do something. People have
told me that, unless the water was bet
ter than last year, they wouldn't use it
at ALL"
In the absence of Borough Clerk II.
Gilbert, M. A. Banks read the warning,
Friday night, after meeting had been
called to order by Warden A. II. Dimond,
George A. Shepard moved that the ques-
ton of removing the distractions from
the brook running past Cole & Ambler's
be first taken up. This brook runs
through the village and so much COM
plant had been made that the warden
had been asked to have the meeting vote
upon it. No one presented grievances to
the meeting, although there was COM
ment in the audience. At last, Samuel
Kyle arose and said that a bridge near
his house, which had once been large
enough, had grown so small that there
was not room for the water to flow free
ly and it had several times flooded his
cellar. lie had spoken to the borough
officers about it and they had done as
we'll as possible, perhaps, but, if it was
not improved, he would be compelled to
move. Private subscription, possibly,
might aid in this. 1t was finally decided
to proceed with the business of the meet
ing and, if necessary, have the records
ofprcvions meetings read when the books
arrived. Clerk Gilbert, however, arrived
with the records. E. c. Oakley, one of
the water commissioners, briefly stated
that they had followed instructions in OBJ
tanning plans and specifications for a
filter and to obtain bids. Specifications
were on hand and he asked that they be
read. 1t was discovered that the original
motion of Mr. Shepard, to take up the
question of Instructions of the brook had
not been settled. A motion to lay it on
the table was lost and Mr. Bates asked
that the borough officers be instructed to
have all sluices on this brook, from the
Glen shop to its intersection near Mr.
Kyle's, made two and half feet square.
Water Commissioner Hart asked if this
was not foreign to the question and an
other gentleman said that the town, not
the borough, should care for these sluices.
Richard Schmidt asked if hat shops
should be allowed to throw dye stuffis in
to the stream Mr. Hart amended to re-
fer the entire matter to the town and it
was carried.
The real business of the evening began
when Clerk Gilbert read the specitica-
tions of the new dam and filters, as drawn
by w. b. Rider q Son of NorWalk. All
material must be furnished by the con-
tractors to be of the very best, accept
able to the engineers. The supply pipe
must not be cut off unless by consent of
the engineers and a full supply of water
to be furnished while building the dam
and filter. The ground below the pres
ent dam, where the new dam will be
built, is to be thoroughly cleansed. The
cement to be used shall be BILE to with
stand a pressure of 40 pounds to the
square inch. The construction of the fill
ter was given, drain pipes, broken stone,
gravel, sand, as given in the BEE some
weeks ago. The engineer is to have full
control of the work and, in case of dis
pute, will have authority to decide, his
decision to bind both borough and con-
tractor. Each month, So per cent of the
money for work done during the previ-
Gus month will be paid and the remaining
Is per cent. retained as guarantee of
faithful work. The contractor will not
be allowed pay for extra work, unless
specifically agreed upon and distinctly
stated in writing before such extra work
is begun. The work must be entirely
finished in July of the present year. At
ter the specifications were read, Commits
sioner Oakley explained that bids had
been opened, March 2, the time having
been extended. The bids received were
read by Engineer w. B. Rider as follows:
No /, $3.50 so; No 2, 1896 20; No 8, se43s So
No4, $ll 1897 40; No 8, $55l7 68; No 6, $685. 80;
No Z, $605l.
Commissioner Oakley again arose and
said that the water commissioners had
fully carried out their instructions in re-
gard to this matter and the subject was
now fairly before the meeting. Mr. Ri
der was here; let the people ask him
questions. The estimate of the engineer
was about $4,000. Mr. Shepard asked
that Mr. Rider explain the draft of the
water works upon the black board and
he did so, clearly and lucidly. The draft
showed the position of the present dam