Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-09-11
WATER HEARING.
Experts Still Testifying About
the Gardiner System.
Another Big Crowd Shows Much H.
teres. in thursdays Session.
Witnesses Opinion on Condition ana
Value of the Plant.

Gardiner. Me-, Sept. 10.-(SpeciaD.-
Another large crowd, good evidence OF
the increasing interest of the citlZens OF
Gardiner in proceedings that naturally
concern their city, assembled to wit
ross the work of the commission which
began its eight session promptly at 3.5o,
this morning, with Mr.. Glass note book
and all. on the stand, who testified that
no found the whole number of shut
cffs 1888: in good condition, 515;
worthless. 10; not to be found, 480.
Under the side walls were a number
he could not get at and there We're So
Of the service boxes with so badly
lusted caps he could not open them.
The service pipe near Cedar street has
been uncovered the last few days. At
the house of Mr.. Lunt near there it re-
CURED minutes, So seconds to draw
- 1-3 quarts of water
BY Mr. Baker-His work was done at
the request of the attorney for the
Water District and he did not notify the
Water Co. of his purpose. Some of the
worthless shutoffs were thrown one
side or under sidewalks, others We're
broken off practically under ground
which parts he could not see; one OF
these at Nos 14-1G. Fountain street and
one at No. IL Cherry street, were in
this condition. He had no others dis
tinctly in mind, but had made notes OF
them and would present the entire list,
at the request of counsel. Where he
found boxes thrown aside, there was
no trace of others replacing them. He
did not look for shutoffs on the, pipe in
the cellar of the various houses.
Bv. Mr. Heselton-He found some
boxes completely plugged with dirt and
in every case made careful search for
missing boxes.
" George 4. H. Holmes. machinist
and steam engineer, had charge
of the steamer Cobbossee for II months
after the purchase by the city. At the
Baxter Mari fire, although he was not
their engineer, under direction Of Chief
Engineer Drake he went to the steam
er at the hydrant corner of High and
Winter streets and found she was get
ting an intermittent supply of water.
By Mr.. Baker--For a minute she
would work well, then her pump would
race as the water supply failed and the
tent She stood the length of her sue
ton hose from the hydrant and was
delivering two streams through 1850
feet of two-inch hose The fire s9qs
Cured between II and 1 o'clockTSat
noon. He has no theory as to lack of
supply.
Mr. Iittlefield here stated that an
agreement had been reached by both
sides that the general expenses. per
wear, of the Maine Water Co. are $1,000.
Frank Curry. a painter, said he did
the work of painting for the Maine
Water CO., this summer, and found the
ends of two beams and two rafters OF
their pump house under the gable next
the road rotten and the roof of the
gable worse still. He mixed 5 pounds
of putty at the request of his superiors
to make one place tight. He could
pick the tin off with his fingers and
produced piece of it in court. The
cracks between two parts of the build
ing had been filled with rags which he
forced in with his putty knife so he
could paint over that part smoothly.
By Mr.. Baker-He is what is called
an all round painter. The roofing OF
the gable over the door is tin about 3X4
inches each side. while the rest of the
roof is slate. He could give no esti-
mate as to cost of replacing the de-
fective part.
Artell Fossett. mason. did some
work pdinting up bricks under the
wirs1DWlO f the pump house on the side
next Us T{hH dam. There was a crack
y there zitb wide. Examined. this
= \ 4 r.
Of an inch. sHe also pointed up the
cracks in the annex Il little. Around the
( gable was the worst place, where water
4 had come deawn through. and this had
4 started again avery little.
BY Mr.. Baker--Those walls would
alast,tf constantly repaired. an unlimit-
L ed ltiyne.
By Mr.. Observation-Disclosures crack
Ing would indicate a settling of the
bdildinE
Henry Il. Merriam. agent for the S.
D.Warren Paper Co. for 80 years. said
in Juiygsf6. the works employed SO men
ana e Af6fen in go about the same;
ifl1 1908. 8e men and 10 women. His
COynEaIlysan August, 1900, and Novem-
bery s1ef2, did some pumping for the
i W63ersCo.. and took the water from be-
low Its dam, after it came through the
7 mill into which ran the drainage of
chemicals and the mill water closet.
The pump used was their regular fire
pump.
Ey Mr.. Baker-The age of women
employees does not run below is years.
The production of their plant has in
creased from on output of 2ia to g tons
day IN 'S5. to "A tons now. Probably
there is five times as much capital in
vested, today. as there was in 50. The
works runs night and day on three
shifts. and their agreement to pump
for the Water Co. in case of emergency
is simply mutual understanding. They
pumped 255 hours the first time at
rate of sc Ia cents per hour, nearly
500 day: the second 465M hours at
$1.21 per hour. Coal was very high at
the time, last November, and they
charged merely the cost of pumping by
steam. The pumping was intermittent
but we kept their reservoir full. The
work of repairing at the Water Cos