The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-04-16
Concerning the Water Supply.

Aldermen call the attention of the cit
liens of Frederick to the need of more
water TO supply the wants of the
city, and request them to express
their opinions for or against the
plan proposed, by ballot The
personelle of the board is three
Democrats and two Republicans, and
each member has attached his name
to the notice, showing that it is purely
business and not partisan or polti-
zeal proposition. For nearly year
7 past the city authorities have given
unlimited time and attention to the
consideration of this matter and hav
I ing ARR at a satisfactory and unan-
imous conclusion rs TO what they con-
slider a pressing necessity, have
offered the peoples chance to either APP
prove or condemn their course. Every
householder in this city whether he
owns property or not is directly inter-
ested in the question of water and wa
ter rents, and that is the reason the
board decided to submit the case to the
qualified voters instead of only to the
tax payers. Our people have for many
years past seen for themselves the in
adequacy of our present water supply
and personally experienced the dis
comforts of hard and inferior water as
artifieially supplied last summer by
pumps and artesian wells at great ex-
pense and Inconvenience. That some
means of getting more water is needed
is admitted by even those who oppose
the taking in of Fishing Creek, for
personal or other reasons, and this be-
ing the case the matter resolves Itself
to the elementary question. "How can
we most economically increase our wa
ter supply? This problem the Board of
Aldermen consider they have most
thoroughly solved aud their eonserva-
tive estimates, plans and drawings
show that the proposed pipe line from
Fishing Creek to connect with the
main feed pipe from the new receiver
at point not far distant is the most
practicable and desirable means that
can be devised. The CITIZEN advO-
Gated the building of the new reservoir,
but was under the impression that an
addition to the then visible supply of
water would also be made. Without
this the spacious storage basin is prac-
tically useless if it cGnot be properly
supplied. The tapping of Fishing
Creek, will not as many suppose in
crease the tax rate either on property
or TO water renters, and the saving
each year of even two-thirds the ex-
penditures of last year TO supply Fred
erick with water, will be added TO the
sinking fund to pay the borrowed
money at maturity. As far as the
quality and purity of the water of
Fishing Creek and its never failing
supply is concerned, we can speak au-
thoritively in saying that it far sur
passes that of the Tuscaroras, the
source of our present supply. 1t is
larger stream and in the dryest
weather would give enough water with
out affecting the working of the several
mills along its course TO supply Fred
erick at population of double its pres
ent number without the use of the Lit
tie Tuscarora. This, of course, is not
the intention of the alderman: it is to
be used only as reserve supply in
summer when the increased use of wa
ter in this community and the lack of
rainfall makes it absolutely necessary.
If the Little Tuscarora, which by the
way runs several mills, fails in a sea-
son of drought, how necessary it APP
pears for our city to provide, and at
once, for such an emergency. An
other thing to be consideed by our peo-
pie in connection with the construction
Of the proposed pipe lineis the fact that
only our own laborers and local con.
tractors will be allowed to do the work
and enter bids on the separate clauses
of the specifications How beneficial
this will be to those now out of work.
aud they are legion, and also to our
can readily be understood.
Each portion of the work, such as dig
ging the trench, getting out the limited
of stone calculated to be en-
furnishing the pipe and
hauling the same to the line, and other
will be let out by contract
to the lowest responsible bidder, and
the prices and all the facts relating
thereto then made public The detail
cost of each portion of the work as es-
iimated by the engineers, and which
oy the way is much above the figure
that it can be done for, cannot now be
given in justice to all parties interested
Is it would give an advantage to those
iesirous of doing the work, and allow
Dom for possible combinations. The
,pecifications are very clear and devoid
If all complex or deceptive calculations
hat might in the future cause trouble
md extra expense. The gross estimat- |
d cost S3l 900 is the maximum figure |
md the aldermen confidently expect 4
o be able to considerably reduce this /
um. In several items alone, saving /
low in sight, amounts to about $1,000. /