The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-16
WATER COMPANY'S SCHEME
1t Proposes Piping Lehigh River
Water to This City.
1T MAY CAUSE A LEGAL FIGHT
Lchish Coal & Navigation Company
Claims TO Own the Rivcr-TwO
Wilkes. .Barrc Water Companies
Arc Also Anxious for Fight.

In connection with new plan of the
Scranton Gas and Water company Tor
increasing its present large water sup
ply and storage. there seems to be
stiff legal fight in prospect. which may
involve the Scranton company. the Le-
high Coal and Navigation company and
the Citizens Water company and the
Crystal Water company. of Wilkes
Barre. The issue is destined to be of
especial importance to Wilkes-Barreans
and Scrantonians for many reasons.
The Scranton company has for sew
eral years been following a policy OF
increasing its water storage capacity
away beyond the present needs or de-
mands of this city. This policy has
met with the commendation of Scran-
ton people generally, and its wisdom
was shown as recently as few weeks
ago, when, during the severe drought,
this city had big reserve supply
of water when cities and towns through
out the state were suffering for want
of the same article. During last sum-
mer the company conceived the idea of
tapping the headwaters of the Lehigh
river in the vicinity of Gouldsboro and
piping The water few miles into the
Stafford Meadow brook or into a reser-
voir to be buiM upon It.
bCSlgVS pu tUc icUlGU
The plans of the Scranton company
have, however. been disturbed from
three different sources: First. the Le-
high Coal and Navigation company
claims 1t has a right by special act of
the legislature to the Lehigh river,
which is the main source of supply to
the company's canal which runs along
the line of the Iehigh Valley railroad;
second, the Citizens Water company,
Of WilkesLRarre, as long ago as last
December had designs on the same
headwaters of the Lehigh and made
surveys preliminary to constructing a
dam across the river or piping water
from 1t. ard, urged alon-' by the re-
cerl. drought and Wilkes Barre's foul
water supply, a fews days ago began
preparation for damming the stream
at Wagonhurslt's; third the Crystal Wa
ter company, of Wilkes-Barre, has
been preparing to get water from the
same river az a point further south.
The positions held by all the corpora
tions in the four-cornered fight are va
rious, the Crystal Water company
seeming to have less established posi-
tion than the other three companies
involved. that company being apparent
ly content to be in the melee and take
whatever falls to its lot. Notwith-
|
pany's assertion that it owns the water
right of the entire Lehigh river. the
Citizens company claims the Navi-
CATION people have the right to only
that part of the river below what is
known as Big Falls, near Stoddarts.
vile.
win Tap the River above.
The opinions of the Scranton com.
pany cannot be learned as it's officers
and attorney refuse to be interviewed
but ITS movements Indicate that it pro.
poses to tap the river near GOuldsboro
above the Citizens objective point
stand or fall with the legal outcome OF
the case. and meanwhile let the NaviGa
ton, Citizens and Crystal companies
| whistle.
Everybody in Scranton connected
with the Gas and Water company are
silen't when approached for any kind O
information on the matter further thar
to say they have no intention TO con
struct a reservoir at Wagonhurst'.
Thus far they seemingly have the bes
of the fight. The Tribune was in
formed last night that the company haC
men on the scene and had distributed
pipe in a direction indicating that tn,
water would be piped to the bed o.
| Stafford Meadow brook. This informa
tion was dvulged to the Citizens com
pany officials in Wilkes-Barre Monday
and they were disposed to take by fore,
| If necessary the Scranton company!
selected reservoir site in the river, anC
| from which 1t Is the evident intention
| to pipe the water. 1T was ascertainet
| later. however, that the Scranton com
| pany's site was above that of tn,
! Wilkes-Barr company, and no immed
| late action was taken.
They Are Anxious at wilkes Barre.
| Meanwhile the Wilkes-Barre publi
Is suffering from bad water; it is bount
! to have good water and much of 1t, ant
| consequently the Citizens company Il
being roasted, prodded urged and co
creed to prevent the Scranton compan,
from building its new line and reser
| voir.
A point which may cut some figur
in the story Is the settlement on Mon
day of the case of William Dagger
against the Meadow Brook Water com
pany, which is an offshoot of the NOR
extensive gas and water company. Da
| gems land in Roaring Brook TOWNSHIP
was valued at $4,000 by viewers, pre-
lhminary to the company's possession o
1t for reservoir purposes. Dagen insti
tuted proceedings but settled last weel
for $13,500. 1t Is rumored as a possibil
! fty that the Lehigh water will be pipe,
| to a reservoir on the Dagen land TO
the erection of which bids have beef
TO-,