Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-05-17
FRIDAY, MAY Il, 1901.
THE New WATER WORKS.

the old road on the south side of the
brook leading up to the Lathrop spring,
as we promised to in our last. In the first
place, levels were taken to find out how
much extra height could be secured in
the water supply and with what addition
al length of pipe, both as regards the
brook and the springs.
The committee have planned for two
intakes, one for the water of the springs
and the other for the brook water,
should that ever be necessary, in order to
make the supply sufficient. The intake
of the brook, as contemplated, is about
eight or ten rods above Mr.. Lathrop's
house; that of the springs is perhaps 20
rods. The brook above the first intake
rises rapidly, so that at 80 rods from the
intake ON the brook and 26 rods from the
intake on the springs, enough elevation
would be secured to enable the pipes to
be laid in the old road, with the exception
of two small detours through the woods
of about so rods for both. These detours
entering the woods but a short distance
would not be at all difficult. We would
have had them measured more accurately,
but letter to the committee from Mr..
Chas. n. Taylor, one of the responsible
bidders for the job, made it unnecessary.
AS it will be seen he offers to lay the pipe
by the old road or southern line, at the
same prices as by the new road, up to
the intake located by the committee.
Mr.. Taylor writes as follows: sit will
not be necessary for you to wait until
the line is decided upon up the mountain
before awarding the contract, as my
prices would be the same whether you
go up the new road or the old road"
In this offer Mr.. Taylor refers to the
with grade of one and one-haf feet to
hundred, from the intake down the
south side of the brook to the intersection
of this line with the old road, dis
lance of 2,735 feet, a little less than one
half mile OF which is in the woods
By careful surveys it is found that this
route is about 80 rods shorter than the
route by the new road. A portion OF
the way it is quite rough and portion
of the way very good but as Mr.. Taylor
offers to lay the pipe here at the same
prices, that matter concerns him rather
than US. From the point of intersection
of this line with the old road down tC
the foot of the mountain where the new
road lire would intersect. is 2,l77 feet
BY making a slight curve near the enc
of this old road a little saving in PIPE
could be made, and the only visible ledge
avoided.
1t appears from the above facts, tina
responsible parties have offered to lay
the pipe on the south side of the brool
from both intakes, as located by the com
mittee, at the same prices as by the new
road, and this would save, first, distance
of 80 rods, which would mean in pip,
alone about 500; second, damages TO
impeding travel on the new road, which
as the REGISTER has said, is the Onl,
thoroughfare for the saw mills on tn
slIedul, Ut llt ldImcIo living Hcdl dh'
above them; and third, the expense o
rebuilding the present highway after tn
pipe is laid. What such damages an
expenses would be it is impossible to tel
and no one, so far as we know, has mad
any estimate. They must be consider
able and they might be very large.
We believe that all these facts take
collectively must settle the question c
the route in favor of the old road.
now the suggestion of Mr.. McIntire
followed and the pipe down this moul
tain and through the woods Is covere
two feet instead of four, a very larg
saving will be made. This seems to be
very safe depth for this location, as tt
Waterbury pipe is but two and one ha
feet deep for the whole line, and the Ra
dolph pipe less than two feet deep
the open fields.
The REGISTER is not in favor of
shallow cover in the open fields
through dirt excavation, but we are
favor of making proper distinction b
tween different conditions, using what
called "horse sense" and thus saving
large amount of unnecessary expense.
After surveying by the old route to Il
foot of the mountain, we chained the d
lance from that point by Cobble h
across the meadows by the Preston pla
and thence to the old Moore place and