Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-01-22
MlnnlEauRY VILLAGE MEETING.

hall Wednesday afternoon. Officers
were elected as follows Moderator, DR..
w. II. Sheldon: clerk, NJ. A. Brooks;
trustees, Prof. w. +. Howard. f. j. But
tolph, John A. Fletcher, DR.. K. II. Mar
tin, G. f. Pinney, f. II. Button, w. IL.
Thomas water commissioner Tor three
wears, II. S. Benedict; CHIEF engineer -
IL. Sargent; auditor, b. ), Beckwlth'
A tax of 20 cents on the dollar OF the
grand list was voted. After EXTENDED
debate concerning the intake pipe of the
water works a committee of five was APP
pointed to examine it, and, If they found
a new one necessary, ascertain the cost
thereof The trustees are to call meet
ing when the committee is ready to re-
pOrt, A committee was also appointed
to investigate modern methods OF road
building.
DR.. Sheldon called the meeting to or
der at , o'clock. Clerk George Ham
mond read the warning. DR.. Sheldon
was chosen moderator by reclamation
and Mr.. Brooks was made clerk IN the
same way. The auditors report was
laid upon the table temporarily.
THE INTAKE.
Article of the warning, $50 see if the
village will vote to put in new intake
for the water-wOrks and provide means
to paw for the same" was next taken up.
Along. animated and enlightening discus
sion followed. Water Commissioner Sar-
gent said the present intake was sound
and good enough so far as it went, but
in his opinion it should be extended high
er up the river into deeper water, so that
less sand would be drawn down to iniure
the pumps. There is no filter at the head
of the intake. The whole trouble with
the plant is thatit was not properly put IN.
The intake pipe never should have been
placed in the bed of the river; water
enough for all purposes flows throw the
intake. which is inches in dameter-the
latter statement being made in reply to a
question by r. NJ. Chapman. w. ii.
Matthews complained that the pipes at
his house were filed with mud every
time the water was shut off. George
Hammond suggested that the filter
should be at the inlet of the intake. Mr..
Sargent said that the injuries hitherto
sustained by the intake pipe were due to
logs: this damage had been repaired.
DR.. Noble said that it was impossible to
tell whether the intake leaks or not
when it is covered with water. lie found
several leaks in it two years ago and last
July discovered hole in it near Mr..
Hayes house. In his Judgment the pipe
was too frail, too small and generally I'M
suitable. a. II. Langworthy gave it as
his opinion that the pipe is in perfect re-
Sair. Two years ago it was damaged in
several places by logs, but those breaks
were at once repaired. The portion of the
pipe in the deep water above the lodges
is all right so far as it can be seen: por-
ton of it is covered with foot of sand
and some of the way the pipe Is 20 feet
under water. Prof. McGlltOn said the
sand complained of was of the least pos
sible consequence IN sanitary point of
view. The points to be considered were :
First, is the upper end of the pipe high
enough upstream to get pure water, and,
second. is the pipe sufficiently tight to
keep the water pure till it reaches the
pumps. 1t is admitted that impurities
reach the river from sewers and drains
at various points along the route of the
pipe and if these can get into the pipe the
whole thing is wrong. Diseases are prop
agated by germs entering the human
system through drinking water. He had
been Mortified to find that there was at
the pumping station a gate through
which water could be drawn directly
from the flume into the pumps. Sewage
pumped into the mains would remain
there as a menace to the health of the
community for long time, and if the in
take pipe is not large enough to supply
all water needed every day in the year,
one of sufficient capacity should be
put in Immediately. such an intake
could be put on dry land-it is not re-
quiste that it descend all the way. VIM.
Jackson moved the appointment of a
committee to take charge of the job of
putting in a new intake, that the pipe be
laid on land and that it be extended far
enough to take pure water. George
Hammond moved an amendment to the
effect that the trustees have charge of the
matter. G.. NJ. Wilds opposed summary
action. 1t might not be found best to
put theipipe on land. Perhaps the present
intake is as good as we can afford to have.
The village should not 60 into the pro-
posed move without first ascertanlng
the cost. The water commissioners say
the pipe is sound; if it is and the water
which enters the upper end is pure,
nothing needs to be done. No sewage
enters the river on the west ide above
the intake, and if the village could af-
ford to sewer the west side of the town
no sewage need enter the river at any
point above the falls. He moved an
amendment to the pending motion to the
effect that committee be appointed to
ascertain the exact condition of things
anu ItDOll dl d luluIt lnttllbS' JOccDH
Battell asked the cost of the present in
take. Mr.. Wilds said he did not know.
Mr.. Battell expires sed himself as in favor
of having a safe intake, whatever the
expense might be. Prof. McGiltOn in
sisted that the gate at the pump ought to
be closed permanently al d at the earliest
possible moment. George Hammond
said the rolled steel pipe of which the
intake is made is poor; a ten-penny nail
could easily be driven through iC any
where. DR.. Noble SAID sewage from at
least - houses finds its way INTO the
river within 100 feet of the upper end Of
the intake and there is great danger that
this may get into the pipes. The water
system at Windsor had been in use for
30 years and never made trouble till
two or three years ago, when single
case of typhoid fever occasioned $50
cases in the town. G. a. Piper, Pres.
dent Brainerd, VIM. Jackson and others