The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-23
Governor Cranes Commission to
Close Its Labors at Clinton
Early This Week But Hearings
May Be Continued in Boston
CITIES IN THE DISTRICT
HAVE CLAIMS TO OFFER
Review of the Evidence Submitted
by Clinton, Holden and Sterling
As Well As What the Common
wealth Has Offered in Defense
of Its Position

| WCdllII IIoO ShSi w ~
of Its Position
Special to The Spy.
Clinton. Dec. 22.-The close of the in
vestigation into the damage sustained
by Clinton, Holden and Sterling is near
at hand and Governor Cranes Commits
| sion will close it's work the early part
of the week 1t is possible, however
that a hearing may be given in Bos-
ton. for the benefit of the cities IN
| the Metropolitan district which desire
to be heard in opposition.
| Assistant Attorney General M ma
! lowell will open the arguments. tie
will be followed by Webster Thayer OF
I Worcester, who will speak for Holden
and by Arthur P. Rugg, city solicitor
| of Worcester, who will tell what the
evidence has shown in Sterlings ia
vor. and Hon. John w. Corcoran VIII
close with a presentation of Cilntons
| claims.
The hearing of last week developed
! tie states ground of opposition to the
| claims of the towns along lines IN
dicated by The Spy. Almost the sole
witness for the state was Chief Engl-
neer of the Water Department, Fred
N. Stearns of Boston, who was armed
with many sets of tables, got together
by the Metropolitan engineers, OF
| which he had no personal knowledge.
Clinton received some information
| of the purposes of the water board
which is interesting. For instance Mr..
! Stearns said that 5000 electrical morse
power would be developed at the foot
| of the DAM several months in the year,
and that the minimum development
will be 2000 horse Part of the towns
| -, lvtToX hgC
should have the first right to and free
use of any power produced at the dam,
| subject only to the cost of production.
Mr.. Stearns also explained the man
ner in which the old lake below the
dam will be filled by reconstructlng
the Lancaster Mills dam, which was
| torn down He said this body of wa
ter would be for the free use of the
people of Clinton and would restore
to them the privileges of boating, fish
ing and hunting that were taken away.
| A great deal of interest was taken
in Mr. Stearns discussion of the rea-
sons why this big dam cannot possibly
break away His testimony developed
the fact that Mr.. Stearns was familiar
with the exact reason why certain
dams that were presented to be sci
entifically" safe were actually unsafe,
| and were swept away with greater or
less loss of life and property.
In speaking Of the YOUNGSTOWN dam,
he said it gave way, because 1t had
| too large wasteway The dam in
Clinton he said will have a wasteWay
$50 feet long, which is large enough,
according to engineers he had consult
| ed. Under cross examination ii was
developed that not a few unique pro-
| blems have been met in the construc-
ton of the dam in Clinton.
The rock beneath the foundation is
E..TT &c I'll hot
science can do there will be leakage.
Mr. Stearns view Of these seams was
that it would be at least 900 years
before they would open wider He be-
lieved also that the great spiles driven
at the dixie would prevent underground
leakage and erosion from the reservoir
| on that side The cross examination
was directed to showing that this be-
| lief also was merely belief in prob
ability
Regarding the pest Of mosquitoes
! and the epidemics of malaria that
have made Clinton unpleasant since
! the water works were begun, II was
claimed that they were temporary nui-
sances, and would abate as soon as
| the work was done.
-, The same claim was made regarding
| the depreciation of property in Gin
| ton, Holden and Sterling. An effort
was made to show that property was
not deprecated in Clinton, and figures
were offered to show that there has
| been an increase of valuation in the
| years since the reservoir was begun,
! over the same number of years prior
| to that time, relatively and absolutely
| The ratio of increase was alleged to
| be 1 3-S per cent
Witnesses were put on in rebuttal to
| impugn the accuracy of these figures
and the conclusions drawn from them
!.
water works had benefited Clinton by
! giving 1t a better method of dsposing
Of sewage. Judge Corcoran developed
the fact that the town has got to pay
! for the plant, at anytime when it can
| be shown the town produces a greater
quantity of sewage than the Nashua
River could have taken care of In the
condition in which it was before the
state seized 1t.
One of the humors of the session was
the appearance Of Andrew J. Bailey,
corporation counsel of Boston who en-
gagged in a great deal of persihages
with Judge Corcoran, who as some
Boston Democrats are saying. is
scheduled to succeed him in the Office
! which he holds.
About the only serious idea advanced
by Mr.. Bailey was the suggestion to
| the commission that any laws to give
Clinton remedy should be general ard
not special laws
Inasmuch as the Worcester County
towns claim relief in equity and not
at law. the Bailey proposition is OBJ
jectionable because it would run them
out of court The claim of the towns
from the first has been that the dam
age they have sustained is so unique and
along lines so unfamiliar that they
can be considered only by themselves.
/ For instance, Clinton claims a dam
age by the reason that a third of its
territory has been taken which was
| territory most available for growth.
general law covering that claim
would give town whose land was
taken for a state armory a claim fer
damages.
Most of the people of the town be-
lieve they will receive substantial just
ice at the hands of this commission
and if not. at the hands of the leg
| islature.
Senator John P. Munroes claim to
a second term will be judged by his
effort in this direction If the judg-
ment of the people in this part of his
district is favorable he will get the
second year. II it is not favora BILE,
there are plenty of Republicans and
Democrats who say that the next Sen
ator will be from the county Mr..
Muuroe has been constant in his at
tendance on the hearings and means to
give the claims all the effort that he
1 can.
A MAGICAL LIFE SAVER IS DR..
| Agnew's Cure for the Heart After
years OF pain and agony with distress
| ing Heart Disease, 1t gives relief in 30