Waterbury Democrat., 1901-03-29
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
Back Water Doing Considerable Dam age in the North End.


 age in the North End.
 The board of public works held an outing yesterday afternoon and looked over the roads in the vicinity of For est park, where back water from the north end reservoir has done considera- ble damage. Last summer the Water bury Manufacturing Co built a new dam at what is commonly called Lake wood, which confines q large body of water in that section, but before the company is through with the job it is likely to cost them thousands of dol lars more than they figured in, that Is provided the city insists that the roads and bridges which the back water caused by the raising of the dam have left in such condition that they are a menace to life and limb, be put in proper shape for public travel. At present the water is eighteen inches below the spillway and yet some of the streets are inundated and impassa- ble to pedestrians. Mayor Kilduff and everybody else connected with the . city government are coming in for some sharp raps from residents of that part of the town for not taking action in the premises before this hour of the day. Instead of removing the trouble on the public streets by letting the water off. the company started to raise the roads at the points where they are flooded, and. notwithstanding the fact i that this is contrary to all law and precedent good part of the work has | been done without any one represent, ing the city being asked whether such change would be permitted. Some . people have to go to a lot of rounds i in order to get permission to eXcavate in the public streets. or change exist | ing grades. but in this case all formal | iries were relegated to the rear and 1 the work taken hold of in the most cN- peditiOuS manner possible. It took the people a few days to learn that the job | was not being done by order of the | city and when this became known q | shout of indignation went up from in- l terested parties, and as q result Mayor filduff summoned the board together and went up there. A force of men was hustling at the road south of For est park and about 6 o'clock, q tempo rary bridge had been constructed over l the gully that crosses the street. so l that by driving through a foot or more 1 of water and mud people could pass ! there. The road on the north side of ! the park has been filled in, but the i water is to the level of the new grade and is sure to rush over it at the next rain storm. The situation was worse 1 than the board supposed. and it being
 
 ! with some one representing the owners of the dam, it was decided to adjourn until I:3O o'clock tonight and that in the meantime the company be notified to send a representative to the meet ing. when some definite plan of action will be decided upon.
 The work of properly caring for the streets that have been washed, to say nothing of the question as to whether ! OS rh hl nc ;to,r f1n In can be done without taking the regular course. will entail an expense of prob | ably S5,OOO. The low points will have to be raised several feet, substantial i railingS constructed at either side. and
 two bridges rebuilt. The street north of the park will have to be widened at the ice house. People who were
 heading in that direction yesterday and couldn't get acrosS' were very in- dgnant and wanted to know why no public notice had been given of the closing of the street. Looking at the
 matter in one way it might be said that the company is making the best
 hand it can of bad case. and one
 would be prompted to say that the management deserves credit for what
 it is doing: but on the other hand, il should be remembered that it is bold
 piece of business to set a force of men
 at work changing the grades of city streets and rebuilding bridges with. out consulting the authorities
 But, as d matter of fact. no one has . power to authorize the company to dc what it has done, and perhaps the : management was aware of this and ; concluded to go ahead on it's own hook
 rather than draw off the water.
 Several pieces of private property
 have been deluged and the owners
 state that they will claim damages
 but this is something the city has 7 nothing to do with. One man in formed the board that lis meadow which yielded three tons of hay las : year, is covered with mud. water ant - debris and that some one will have tt ) settle with him. It is q big Ullestio but the parties who are responsible fol it can afford to make good all the loss F, es and then have a good thing out O !, ii. There is an immense amount O
 water stored behind that dam an.
 those who are fortunate enough to owl it will not be apt to make much of fuss about Squaring accounts with al
 who can show that the raising of tn
 dam has worked an injury to them.