Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-08-02
WANTS MORE BATHS
City Engineer Cairns Suttsstion ts
 Board of Public Works

The board of public works met yes terday afternoon, Mayor Elton, Com missioners Holmes, Wade and Bron son being present.
 The following communication was received from City Engineer Cairns: The Honorable Board of Public Works,
 Gentlemen: For several years past there has been an increasing demand for public bathing facilities, demand especially urgent i'll the warm weather such as we have had for the past few weeks. To provide public bath equipped for use the year round would he rather expensive thing, although ill the general opinion the expense would Dc warranted
 It occurs to me, however, since ob- serving the wonderful popularity oi the swimming pool at Hamilton parkr that it might be worth while to try another similar experiment out there, and make a place where men and old. CT boys could bathe in warm weather. Darlington brook flows through Pro. prietors' common, and has on it the re. IGa.ns of an old dam, where at one time there must have been a small pond. The spot is quite retired, being screened by trees. At this point public bathing place could be arranged, either by restoring the old pond or by constructing one or two basins. The brook would supply sufficient water most of the time, and city water from East mountain could be piped there and used for a fountain, giving cool shower bath.
 I would suggest, if the board thinks we'll of the scheme, that the board of aldermen be requested to make spe. cial appropriation of $1OOO for the cleaning out of the pond. repairing of the dam, laying pipes and doing what other work may be necessary to carry out this scheme
 Yours very respectfully,
 R. A. CAIRNS, City Engineer.
 Whether the matter will reach the aldermen or not Monday night nobody appears to know. The mayor thought n special appropriation for this pur pose would not find favor with the board, but this is doubtful. It is move in the right direction and the aldermen should help it along
 A. was ICdu HUH Highway Commissioner Macdonald ap. proving the award of the MIddlebury road contract to John Fagan's Sons. Talking about the work already done on that road it appeared to be the opinion of the board that it would be we'll to make repairs on Frank Pid. geon's contract with the percentage withheld from. him. The highway com. missioner has not yet approved of I1dgeOn's contract and as a conse- quence about $1,OOO of the money is still in the hands of the city. Some think Pidgeon did a good job and should be paid in full, but Mir Mac. donald, the boss of the whole bunch, says no, and there you are The mat. ter oe removing Eole from the middle of driveway at Meadow and Bank streets was referred to the city attor. ney. The Western Union Telegraph Co was granted permission to hang 3 sign on the telephone pole at the cor. her of Bank and Center streets.
 The city engineer was instructed to advertise for bids for grading Ed. wards and Oak streets, the bids to be opened at 8 p. m., August 15.
 An application was read from the Southern New England Telephone Go for the purpose Of making short tun. Tel under the brick pavement on North Main street, near West Main, and the announcement was made that the work had already been done. This is the way most things are being conducted under the business administration. The big corporations do what they want and then when they are at leis. ure they ask and receive permission to do what has already been done. En. gineer Cairns suggested that the of lenders be arrested, but the matter was brushed aside by referring it to the superintendent of streets, after which the same company was granted permission to make excavations in East Main street.