Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-03-07
ENGINEER CAIRNS DISCOVERY.
A Stream Near Reynolds Bridge That
May Serve as = Water Supply

ing OF the DOard or aldermen last night.
The claims for damages on account of
injuries caused by accidents on icy side
walks, presented by the following, were
referred to the law committee: Daniel
Carmody, on Pemberton street; Michael
White, Bishop street; John Client, on
East Main street; w. E. Buckley, on
North Elm street.
The petitions for catch basin and cleo
trio light on Jewelry street; and change
of grade on North Willow street, were
referred as usual.
His honor stated that Representative
SAKE wanted to present a resolution ask
ing an Endorsement in the matter of a
union passenger station, for the city,
which is now before the legislature, and
City Engineer Cairns wanted to present
communication suggesting a new wa
ter supply. 1t was voted to ask for a
joint session in the district court room,
which was granted.
Representative Sake presented a reso-
luton asking the moral support of the
council for the senator and representa-
tives of Waterbury in demanding q
union station according to the provisions
of Mr. SaXe's bill, which he explained in
detail.
Councilman Fitzpatrick objected that
| the present legislation in the mat
ter was sufficient if made effective, and
offered a resolution ordering the city
attorney to apply for a mandamus re-
quiring the railroads to construct the
union depot and eliminate certain grade
| crossings.
Alderman Cross thought that Mr.
| Saxe's bill was in the main right and
that we should give him the support he
/ asks for. The matter was laid aside to
be considered in the separate boards.
City Engineer Cairns then told the
assembled members how, by pure acct
dent, he had discovered a stream, of
which he was about to speak, while
looking over the ground in connection
with the matter Of trunk sewer. Mr.
Cairns stated that having made the dis
covery he was prompted by curiosity to
investigate and having concluded his in
designations his conscience prompted
him to make the matter known, He
presented the following communication:
To the court of common council:
Gentlemen: For the past five wears
the question of an additional water sup
ply has been the question before you in
one form or another, becoming each
year more and more urgent matter.
During the past year the discussion has
been as to the relative merits of certain
sources of supply commonly designated
as the eastern or Wolcott source, and
the western or the WATERFOWL and
Middlebury source. l desire to invite
Iyour attention to another and distinct
source which l will for convenience
designate as the northern source.
There is a considerable stream of
water entering the Naugatuck river on
the westerly side, at a point a little
south of Reynolds Bridge. The stream
is commonly called "The Branch" II
is stream somewhat smaller than Mad
river, as we see the latter flowing
through our city. Its general direction
is northerly, tending at first somewhat
westerly from Reynolds Bridge. II
flows through rugged, billy, rocky
and largely wooded country, a country
peopled and, from its topographica
character, not likely to become closely
populated. At a point about three
miles from the little village called
Reynolds Bridge it flows through a mar
row gorge with steep aud rocky hillsides
on either side, forming an admirable
location for a dam. About this point
the valley opens out somewhat, form
ing a basin for the reservoir to be
!. created by the dam above referred to-
/ Above this point on the stream there is
a watershed of eighteen square miles
with abundant opportunity to construct
additional storage reservoirs when
needed, the general character of which
reservoirs will be narrow and deer
bodies of water we'll calculated to main.
tain a good quality of water. The
upper end of the watershed is as far
north as Litchfield and somewhat east.
erly therefrom. Litchf1eld itself is not
in this watershed, the only village in il
being East Morris, a small and
struggling cluster of houses. The
greatest extent of watershed north and
south is about eight miles, and east and
west about three and one-half miles
For the sake of comparison I will quote
from Mr. Hering's report: Area of water
shed: Hop brook $50 square miles
Quassapaug pond 1.76, Mad river s. o.
Chestnut hill 1.46, Lindley brook III.
That is to say, the combined western
sources have a catchment area of ATE
square miles as against the area on the
"Branch" of eighteen square miles. The
combined eastern and western sources
have total catchment area of 1919
square miles as against an area on the
; I"Branch" of eighteen square miles OF
nearly 80 per cent greater than all others
combined. Using as basis of compari.
son the very conservative estimate OF
6OO, 900 gallons per square mile per day
which was adopted by Mr. Herring in his
comparisons between the eastern
ohO "CoOCAh bOuICO6
to a watershed of eighteen square miles
we obtain daily yield of 1O,8OO,OOO gal.
Ions
This may be compared with an esti
mated possible yield of 4, 800. 900 gallons
per day from the combined eastern
sources and an estimated daily yield OF
100000 gallons from the combined
western sources.
For the present it would be sufficient
to provide storage enough to ensure a
delivery of from 100000 to 5000, OOC
gallons per day, the additional storage
being readily obtained when the growth
of the city demands it. The mill privi.
leges on the stream are few and appar.
emily of little value, consisting of several
sawmills and the old knife shop al
Reynolds Bridge, which has recently
been transferred for a valuation, in.
Guiding everything, of only some $685..
900. Of this sunni the water privilege
seems to have been a very small part
From Reynolds Bridge to Waterbury
are no water privileges except that
of the Waterbury Brass company Of
whose water power the Branch" consti