Evening journal., 1904-11-23
Public Sentiment in
Favor of Building the
Water Plant There As
First Proposed Because
of Many Advantages
Lawyer Says That If De-
partment and Industries
Cannot Agree COndem-
nation Commission
Could Be Named

VUuIu DO lNQtttOO
The abandoning of the Rockland water
project by the Board of Water Commits /
sioners because. il Is said, they claim they |
cannot reach amicable agreements with |
the DuPonts and Bancrofts relative TO
water rights along the Brandywine, is |
causing considerable comment among the
taxpayers and citizens of Wilmington.
When the Rockland site was first advo-
Gated the Water Board and Chief En-
gineer Theodore A. Leisen Of the depart
ment were loud in their praise of the pro-
ject. 1t was pointed out that no better site
could be found anywhere near Whining
ton, and the water at that point was the
best that could possibly be obtained 1t
was also pointed out that by constructing
the filtration system and reservoirs at
Rockland, considerable money would be
saved annually in coal by reason of the
fact that il would not be necessary
to pump the water through pipes to VIII
mington, as the water would find its way
to this city by natural gravity.
Plans All Drawn.
Plans and specifications were ordered
drawn by the Water Board and for this
purpose Engineer Leisen was allowed TO
employ several assistants.
These craftsmen are still in the em-
ploy of the department and are now bps-
fly engaged in drawig plans for the Ninth
ward scheme. So it is, one project is given
up for the other and there is a lilSeli-
hood that If the present condition of af-
fairs continues, the people OF Whining
ton will be obliged TO go down in their
pockets year after year and still get no
filtered water.
Bids Received.
Proposals have been received for the
RoclSland water system and experts from
all over the country have been here to
look over the field and also TO submit
bids for the work The contracts were
to have been awarded this month and
work on the water system well under way
by the spring of next year.
The people were beginning to congratu-
late themselves that the riddle OF water
had finally been solved. when to the
amazement of everybody it was announc-
/, ed that no amicable agreement could be
entered into between the city and the Du-
Points and Bancrofts relative to water
rights. For that reason the Water Board
refused to give out the contracts until
some satisfactory arrangement was
reached.
! This condition of affairs has continued
for several weeks until Monday last.
when the Water Board practically aban-
doned the Roclxland project by ordering
the return of all checks to the companies
which submitted bids on the construction
of the plant. Messrs. A II. Garrett and
David Lindsay were present at this meet
ing and in the absence Of President Peter
> ]. Ford, Mr.. Lindsay acted as chairman.
The question is being asked on all sides
why the Board of Water Commissioners
cannot reach an amicable agreement with
the DuPonts and Bancrofts, especially
after the Jessup and Moore Company
signed a contract with the department
which was satisfactory TO all parties con-
cerned. Chief Engineer Leisen said
sometime ago, that it would cost the city
in the neighborhood of about s200,OO fol
the necessary water rights In the Bran.
= dywine An authority on such matter,
d claims that this price is reasonable ant
Y only fair compensation to the com
5 panies, who will suffer in consequence o.
t water being taken from the Brandywin'
at Rockland.
Question OF Lc9dutys
. The question arises as to the legal.
: ity of the Waters Boards proceedings
:. in the matter. There is a doubt al
: to whether the commission can do any.
= thing toward purchasing water rights
without first consulting the city So
licitor as to its power TO bind the cit!
= lperpetually, which it would do If i
: leased the water rights in perpetuity
When the matter came TO the at
tention of the city solicitor and of tn
= attorneys interested in the severa
u companies involved. they reached tn
conclusion that the Water Commits
sion had no power either to enter int
a contract involving a million or NOR
of expenditure or TO bind the city il
lperpetuity TO pay certain amounts 70
\ water rights.
= 1t was then suggested that thesi
2 water rights be purchased outright ain,
z one of the concerns involved sent
z letter to the department with that sug,
Z gestion stating the reasons and in re-
z Iply received only a restatement of tn,
(? loriginal proposition. The probabl,
z treason for abandoning the Rocklant
z project is that these water rights ar,
> in fact immensely valuable and il Il
Z said to buy them outright at any rea,
Z sonable valuation would require
( much larger sum than the commission
z has at its disposal.
( Value Of Rights.
& A great deal has been said abou
{ purchasing these water rights. estimat
Z ing their value in the number OF gal
Ions taken per hour. That, it is point
ed out. represents only the value I,
1.-THE city. but the value to the owners