Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-10-29
Experts Card and Freeman
Occupy the Day
Before the Appraisal Commission Of
Wateryi|Ie Water Plant.
Statistics and Statements Given and
Criticized-It's About Over.

the water hearing had been sus-
pended. Tuesday afternoon, allowing
Mr.. Coodhue to make his esti-
mate of the value Of the water system.
The continuance of Prof. Cards cross
examination engaged the attention Of
the commissioners for a. while on
Wednesday mornig. The professor had
q big armful Of papers but he hadn't
everything figured out just as MI.
Thayer wished it and after few ques-
tons adjourned to the anteroom 10
make out a new table.
Prof. Card said that an Englishman
had written 4 treatise on a method TOT
finding the typhoid fever germ. That
he had tried this method but without
result. He has not used the method In
the examination of the source OF supply
here. Mr.. Thayer asked him ABOUT
cn,,nting microbes and he thought he
could count as many as there were in
n cubic centimeter Of water If he got
his dilution right. Prof. Card was very
anxious to tell about his dilution meth
cd. hut Mr.. Thayer did not care to hear
about It. However he lei the professor
tell some InlHSS CoHScl - 1890
sor Card had not confined his exami-
nation to Waterville, and the other
towns included in the water works sys-
TEN. but had been on hunting trip in
vassalboro. Sidney and North Angus
ia. for typhoid fever and where he had
found it he examined the source of
supply. At this point the professor left
the, court room to make up the figures
which Mr. Thayer wished on the a.
wells which he had examined. ard John
r. Freeman of Providence, r. l., was
called.
Mr.. Freeman is an hydraulic engi-
neer, who has had long ana varied
experience in his line of work. He was
in Lawrence, Mass, for 10 years in the
employ of the city, and since 1896 has
been a consulting engineer. In 1883 he
became connected with an insurance
company and his duty was to examine
water works plants. In 1885 he was
appointed a member of the Metropolitan
Water Board in Boston. He has also
been connected with the water supply
Of Greater New York. After he had
assured the court that he had made an
examination of various tables of figures
and maps and had carefully gone over
the physical plant he told where he had
discovered weak points in the system
and told how he thought they should be
remedied. Mr. Freeman told lot about
filtration plants His ideas on this
subject are n great deal like those of
other engineers who have testified. The
filter he would build would be oc the
slow sand variety and would cost about
ANnhn VI q 4 hn IL yvtd nI
that when one compartment was Shut
down 1t would it would filter about
100000 gallons of water per day. Mr..
Freeman spoke or chemical f''t""G.
but, although their oriri0"l cot
about half that of 4 SLOW sand filter. ;hp
cost Of operating is about twice that of
the slow sand variety. and the danger
Of getting impure water through the fill
ter Is greater. The mechanical filter
works rapidly and like most rapidly
working machinery requires more Skill
full operation than that which works
more slowly.
Mr.. Freeman said that the slow sand
filter was more nearly foul proof. He
knew Of n typhoid fever epidemic aris-
ing from water which had been through
a mechanical filter because 1t had been
Entrusted to some one who was not
competent to run it. He said that
water might go through a mechanical
filter and come out very clear and yet
contain many patheogenic bacteria. so
the clearness of a water is not a neces-
sary indication Of it's freedom from
disc ase germs One reason why the
mechanical, filter is more expensive t"
70 no Glow sand is that
alum and sometimes lime have to be
purchased to use as coaEuient. inc
cost Of filtering by a slow sand filter
would be about $3.50 per million gallons.
Tie supervision of the filter would cost
about $3.50 and $500 should cover the
cost of a monthly visit from an expert.
On such p plant as above described ne
would consider a depreciation of two
per cert. a year as reasonable.
he finds that in parts of the system
the piping is insufficient, but jim other
parts 1t is adequate. He says that the
danger from breakage and freezing OF
MIGRANTS has not been provided for
and that there are many houses when
can be reached from one hydrant only.
He thinks the fire protection on Main
street from Elm street to the Lockwood
mills is insufficient, as the water main
is only eight inches in diameter. He
also thinks that Water street needs
better protection, as that is the most
probable place for a conflagration and
the main is too small. The main near
the pumping station is, also, too small.
and for this reason the pumps cannot
run at a sufficiently high rate of speed
when under fire pressure.
The fire protection in Fairfield and
Benton is entirely inadequate and the
piping system should be reinforced IN
some way. Mr.. Freeman thinks that
this could best be done by running a
main up Drummond avenue to western
avenue in Fairfield. Another weak
point which Mr.. Freeman pointed out
II, the system is the 4-inch pipe in rem
plestreet. An S-inch. or preferably Il
1V-inch pipe should be laid in the place
Of this 4-inch pipe.
Mr.. Freeman told the danger OF
pumping water from polluted water
supply into a city's system for fire pur-
poses. as was done at the Colby Col
lcge fire, and knew of case where
very very serious results followed do
fng this.
Mr.. Freeman said that there were