Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-06
FORTY MILLIONS FOR WATER.
stupendous Plan of the New water
Works for Boston,

stupehoous Ran of the New Water
Works for Boston.
An article in the Municipal Journal and
Enquirer on the subject Of water works i'm
p~rovements, discusses one OF the greatest
problems confronting large cities and de-
scribes the work now under way In Bos-
ton and Philadelphia in the construction
OF hltration plants and storage reservoirs.
Work either planned or already under con-
structfon has to do with the Improvement
OF the systems in New York, PHILADELPHIA
Boston, Washington, New Orleans, Louis
Vile, st. Louis, P%ittsburg, Cincinnati.
Cleveland and several smaller municipali-
ties. A number of the cities are OF smaller
population than Kansas City and the sue
cess of the improvements already inaugu-
rated may suggest plans worthy Of con-
sideration in the betterment Of the system
here.
The Improvement Of greatest magnitude Is
In Boston, whose system has been put
under way at great expense and with the
overcoming Of very large obstacles. For
instance, the construction Of the system
necessitated the removal OF an entire viii
lage, including six large mills. eight school
houses, four churches, $50 dwelling houses,
a large cemetery and many trees. Land
for a new cemetery had to be purchased
and the bodies were removed to another
place and headstones and monuments were
properly reset, under contract.
The Metropolitan water and sewage board
created by the state Of Massachusetts, in
1895. has the work of Improvement under
control. An aQueduct twelve miles long
has been constructed from Clinton. through.
Berlin and Marlborough to the Sudbury
reservoir, constructed several years ago. A
great reservoir on the south branch of the
Nashua river includes territory within the
limits OF Clinton, Boylston, West Boylston
and Sterling. The north dyke, two miles in
length, is nearing completion and the
foundation for a dam at Wachusett have
been made from the underlying rock to the
surface of the river bed. An auueduct now
building, Is to extend from the Sundbury
reservoir, in scarborough, through Franz
ington and Wayland. to a distributing
reservoir in Weston, which will increase the
supply and pressure to the norther end
OF the Metropolitan district.
Up to November l Of last year $50, 044, e37
had been expended on this work. OF this
amount SIC, 2s7, 1886 was paid for land, water
and business damages and general expenses;
$12, $50, 1909 for existing water works, prin-
cipally to the city of Boston, and 1897, 020.2 2
for maintenance.
The western reservoir will be the greatest
in the world, having a capacity Of SO, OOO,-
0O0, 900 gallons. It's location is thirty-fve
miles northwest OF Boston. From the 1000
acres comprising the area Of the Wachusett
reservoir 1t has been estimated that $500, 900
cubic yards OF earth will be removed. The
soil will be removed to an average depth Of
one foot from this entire surface. so that
H. a. 49,
by organic matter. The town OF Oakdale
was included in the land to be comprised
in the reservoir and this was removed.
When the reservoir is filled the water will
stand at a depth of thirty-six feet over the
towns site. AS rapidly as money has been
needed for the carrying on of operations
bonds have been sold in lots Of from 81, OOO.-
600 to $4,000, 900, at from 3 to 81 per cent
interest for a term OF, generally forty
years. The premiums on the sale OF these
bonds have aggregated about 1000, 900.
When the work has been completed. esti-
mated at about three years from the pres
emit time, the total expenditure will have
exceeded $40, 900, 900. Provisions will have
been made for all demands OF pure water,
both for manufacturing and domestic pur-
poses. for the next fifty years, not only in
Boston, but for fifteen smaller cities in the
vicinity. This estimate allows for the in
crease in population and a gradual increase
In per capita consumption.
Philadelphia. In casting about for a plan
to increase its water supply. had to deal
with a more intricate problem, though one
which proved a somewhat smaller under
taking. It was decided to drain a larger
section OF the country And install an i'm
mense filtration plant OF the slow sand III
tration process. The city councils au-
thorized the Issuance Of bonds aggregating
312, 900. 900, and this amount may be in
creased by several millions more.