The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-03
L. A. Taylor Says Millbrook
Can Be Lowered.
HIGHEST AUTHORITY
Declares Depressed Tracks Plan Perfectly
Feasible With Little Cost Quick
sands Are Only Bugbear.

The engineer who built Mill brook
says it can be lowered easily.
The grade crossing commission
viewed that engineering feat from an
,x-parte standpoint, and concluded
that the feat would be impossible at
first. Then the commission came down
little and said it would be imprac-
ticable., A little later the statement
was qualified. The commission said
the feat would be costly, and was
therefore not feasible.
The engineer who constructed the
channel says it is perfectly feasible;
not only that, but there is no difficulty
to frighten anybody.
Lucian A. Taylor, who lives at s
Dean street, is the engineer who built
Mill brook channel. The Spy man
talked with him last evening concern
ing the depression of Mill brook or the
diverting of its channel in order to
obtain a lower grade than that of the
present sewer
not a question of practicability at all
Either plan is perfectly feasible. It's
only a question of cost, and 1t Wont
cost so much that anybody should be
frightened"
No better authority on the Mil
brook sewer than Mr.. Taylor can be OBJ
tanned. 1t is not necessary to speak
of his ability as an engineer. Every
body knows he stands at the top of his
profession. But it might be said thai
he possesses greater ability than many
an engineer of equal reputation, be-
cause he combines ability as con-
tractor with what he has as an en-
gineer.
What makes his statements of ex-
ceptional authority in regard to Mil
brook is that he is the engineer who
built it, In 1867, when Phinehas Bal
was the city engineer of Worcester
Mr.. Taylor was his assistant and ha6
entire charge of all the work in Mil
brook sewer. He dug the channel anc
stoned the bottom, so that il anybody
knows the difficulties which the lower
ing of Mill brook would bring forth, il
is he. Mr.. Taylor was the first engineer
ever engaged in the office Of the city
engineer of Worcester. He served il
the city engineers Office for IL years
and witnessed the departure OF no less
than six city engineers He knows as
much about Mill brook as 1t Is possible
for anybody to know. And he says II
is perfectly feasible and easy to divert
or lower Mill brook.
Mr.. Taylor knows there are quick
sands under Millbrook and quicksands
IN the valley through which lit flows
He met them when he was building
Millbrook channel and he didn't lose
any sleep over Them He just went
to work. and put in the channel as he
wanted to and he didn't have much
additional trouble on account Of quick
sands From his knowledge of Mill
brook in particular, he says there is
nothing to be feared from undertaking
the task of lowering or changing the
route Of the sewer. From his knowl-
edge of tunnelling through quicksand
regardless of location. he says it La not
feat which he would halt at. IT may
be attended with difficulty, and cost
more than tunneling through ordinary
dirt, but it has been done so often sue
cessfully by others and by himself, that
he wouldn't hesitate a moment
He casually mentioned that it is not
long since that he tunneled through
quicksand 50 feet deep, and he didn't
use compressed air, at that. Everybody
knows that using compressed air re-
moves much or the olfncultles or tun-
neling through qulcksand. Mr.. Taylor
SAID TO me spy man that ne was not
even considering tne use OF compressed
ar when ne sag the plan 10 tunnel
Mlllprook IS feaslple;
other bugaDoos winch almost threw
the grace crossing commission INTO con-
vulslons' were laughed away by Mr..
dayIor. Ohe Oh these was the use OF
summer street Dy the northern rail-
roads II the tracks were to be depressed
and the regular work or the roads
could not pc USED while the excavatlng
was being done. The commissioners
said 1t would be necessary to allow the