Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-03-28


At that session three witnesses We're
put on the stand by Mr.. Baker, the at
torhey for the company: Mr.. Tibbetts.
submarine diver; Mr.. Cummings, the
civil engineer, who supervised the put
ting in OF the system here in 1857, and
Mir. Dyer, who was directly in charge
Of laying the pipes. The direct testi-
mcny of Mr.. Dyer was concluded when
the hoard adjourned. Saturday noon,
and his cross-examinItion by Mr.
Heath will begin, this morning.
William s. Tibbetts of WOolwich. was
the first Witnt s. of the day and testi-
fed a., follows: Am Il submarine div
er and on Nov. -, 1903, made an exam
iliation Of the pipe from the headgates
To the crib Il distance of abOut 600 feet.
Found the pipe in good condition. A
few Joints needed re-cementing and
this | did. Ehe pipe is a 20-inch pipe
The a ib is made of timbers about Gy6
inches and is about .SxS feet. was in
good condition. The pipe was about 10
feet under water ANA the top of the
crib .,Dout four feet below the water
I'll" river was then very low. The crib
is built to protect the intake of the
pipe"
ON croeS-eXamination by Mr.. Heath:
The water WAS then about q foot be-
low the dam. The crib is made of
sawed timbcrs. There is screen
across the end of the pipe. The pipe
is laid right on the bottom of the mill
pond. NV investigation was only from
head gates t. crib and not from the
head gates to pumping station. Took
thre" days for the examination. The
end Of the pipe is near the middle OF
the river. The joints of the pipe are
c"m"utrd in 4 box and not loaded In
several Spots the current had washed
out places under the piper.
Edward F. cummings Of Portland
testified as follows: Have been
civil engineer since 1867. Was in charge
of putting i'll the water system in this
city m 1887. Gave Mr.. Getchell the
quantities ana computations to which
IL has testified. Have here the origi-
nal plan of the system showing lines
ANA hylrants as put in. The reservoir
| Was improved and reinforced in 1887.
after being built in 1885. There We're
about 1900 yards OF new material used
| in 1S>1.
ON cross-eXamination Mr. Cummings
| testified: The ledge work in putting
| in the system was paid for at s. per
lincal foot. This would be considered
| from S. to > 4 cubic yard. The pipes
were laid 5l9 feet deep. The trenches
We're about "A inches mide. but that
made no difference if the depths We're
sufficient The JOINTS were not regular
! ly inspected 1T the time. Was engaged
"n several other systems at the time.
Cannot recall VINO was in charge when
was away. Ephriam Dyer laid the
pip" line He was Il sub-contractor.
| rh" general contractors We're Joseph
Wc&rutt /; son. The son was George
+. Wcscott, who was then doing bust
n"ss under the firm name, although his
father was dead. The reservoir was
| d, signed by J. Herbert Shedd of Prov
idcncc. and built by Thomas Shanahan
| of Portland. The plans for the res"r-
vOr called for q clay puddle at the
bottom. but ~ built part Of the bottom
| WAS left rs found. No part was on Il
Irdg" bottom The part that was sandy
WAS treated to Il clay puddle. Perhaps
one half WAS left in Oroginal condition,
being thought tight enough. Clay was
tuFon from old Milliken farm, about
| iun6 or $500 feet away. 1t was good
clay ana in abundl lnCc. Sand was TAX
IN from the comrany's land close at
hand. This was also abundant ana of
good quality. Water was turned into
rcStrVuir in December. 1856. and the
| Wnolc system filled and tested. The
reservoir was found to leak badly that
winter. Was SO defective that use Of it
had To be given up ana extensive inn
IrnV, mruts had to b" made i'll 1854.
More clay was put on the inside slope.
pudd"d the entire bottom with clay
alout two feet thick and put several
III, hcs of sand over this. Was called
h,', a few years later to repair 4 leak.
tn" ToGus work was done in 1851.
| on redirect examination: The pipe
lsyst"m was tested by direct pumping
pressure which was the most severe
that could be made. There We're q
few leaks, but with these exceptions
the system stood the test Well Any
system will show few leaks at the
IStart. Mr.. Dyer, who put in the pipe
system. WAS then well experienced in
,he business. The pressure when test
ed in the winter Of 1887, was about 120
pounds as indicated by the guage at
the station. but went as high 145. >
| ON re-croSs-eXaminltion The clay
|
two feet from the top of the embank-
ment. Should not call it safe to have
water higher than this in the winter
F,phridm Dyer Of CAPE Elizabeth.
was the next witness: Have had 81
wears experience in pipe laying. Had
entire charge of ripe laying in Augusta
lsystrm. Had charge Of laying first iron
lripes in Portland which We're the first
in Maine Have laid pipes in 25 or 80
towns ana cities. In this city we found
the digging hard. The rock being so
scattered it was not practical to use
steam drill. The trenches We're 80 feet
deep. Boulders of less than a cubic
yard were not counted as ledge. When
the pipes were joined there had to be
fell holes below the 5i2 feet. The
trenches had to be wider and deeper
where there was laid and Joined in
careful fashion. Think the system can
speak for itself The pipes We're given
severe test. One pipe burst under the