Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1905-01-11
FORD TALKS ON
R0CKLAND PLAN
Commissioners Discuss Water
Situation With Board Of
Trade Committee
MAYOR BIRD FAV0RS NINTH WARD

this evening and on Thursday night |
will make its report TO the special /
meeting of the Board Of Trade. Ii was
appointed last week for the purpose OF
looking into the present status of the
water situation.
This was the first meeting held by the
committee and Chairman Philemma
Chandler presided. In addition TO the
Water Commissioners, Chief Engineer
Theodore A. Lessen and Registrar
John Grohe were also present Two
features Of the session were the state
ment Of Mayor Charles ID. Bird, who
favored locating the proposed new
water system in the Ninth ward and
the denial made by Samuel Bancroft,
Jr., representing the Joseph Bancroft
and sons Company, and Water Com
missioner David Linsay of the Jessup
and Moore Company. that the Brandy
wine Is being contaminated by their
concerns. City Solicitor Robert G.. Har-
man also gave his objections 20 the
Rockland site.
Objected to the Word Investigate.
President Ford. Of the water COM
mission. objected 10 the word 'inves-
tigatlon" in connection with the pro
ceedings. but was assured by Mr..
Chandler that no such word appeared
lin the resolution passed By the board.
Mr.. Fords Statement
At the opening of the meeting MI
Fond made a statement He said the
project to locate the new water system
at ROclxland was taken up by the water
board several months ago. Personally
he had always regarded the Rockland
site as ideal. Engineers Gray and
Hazen were asked to make an eXami-
lnation OF conditions. No member of
the water board, Mr.. Ford said, ever
evidenced a disposition TO take the re-
sponsibility of locating at Rockland, or
anywhere else.
Mr. Ford contended that he had never
heard any real opposition by any COM
missioner regarding Rockland until the
meeting was held to formulate the con-
tracts. He spoke Of conditions appear
ing, which made the project look un-
reasonable and of the Ninth ward pro
ject being dug up. Under existing con-
ditions the alternative project appealed
! to all the members and he was heartily
an accord with 1t under the circum-
stances, but feels that ROclNland Is the
proper location.
Relative to the village water system
President Ford said there was always
something about Il which he did not
= like, but that the conditions had been
so modified that he saw no real dis
3 elimination on the part Of the city.
Under the conditions, the Bancrofts
and DuPonts would pay as much for
2 water as any other large concern using
90 tit..l /. ,,,,.,,7i,t at.t-I ft
IS Addressing his remarks to City So
;. Hector Harman, who is opposing the
Z. lagfeement to purchase water rights
Z, Mr.. Ford said that the majority OF The
commissioners, in what they did, did
so with no dislvspect TO him but thai
they did not feel that ne was a court
q Of last appeal. ,.-.-.., s. -,'.,.
Mr.. R6rd offered the report Of Messrs
"a Gny and Hazen, showing that Rock
F, land Is the place to locate water filters
- He called attention to the impression
which has gone out that there has beer
"a difference Of opinion on the part OF
1.-THE water commissioners, but declared
lthat there has. not been a thing done
= Ian connection with the matter which
, has not been fully discussed. Whether
70 the plant Is located in the Ninth ware
, or not he thought the time would com,
II when the plant will be located at Rock
: Hand. He declared that there has nevel
been q thing done by the Board o.
- Water Commissioners which has no
II lbeen done on the recommendation o.
the best engineers. backed up by Chic
I. Engineer Leisen.
In answer to a question from Mr.
IChandler as to the cost OF the Mint
ward project, compared with Rockland
& Mr. Ford said that Engineer Gray, IN
J. his estimate on the cost of the forme
l. location, had failed TO provide for sedi
q. mentation basins. which, he said, wa.
n q considerable amount of money.
m The Sinking of artesian wells he sail
t, had been considered, but were no
lr deemed expedient.
Discussion on Pollution.
r. ]. MacLean brought up the subjec
Of contamination and Engineer Leisei
a stated the prime object i'm locating a
If Rockland was to escape pollution.
ID Mr. Maclean asked who was respon
re sible for the pollution and Mr. Ban
= croft denied that his concern was re
sponsible.
He said that at Rockford the drain
age enters "a sewer, but that the drain
age from the Highlands does not. II
a admitted that the conditions are bad
II but said the riparian owners could no
ID prevent them.
Mr.. Lessen said it would be possibl
to build a, sanitary sewer which woul
carry off dry weather drainage, but no
IS storm water.
\ Mr.. Maclean. wanted to know why IN
city should pay the riparian owners 70
90 rights in order TO escape polluted waite
a. at Rockland when they caused the pol
luton.
i. Mr.. Bancroft again denied that tn
- riparian owners were responsible.
Mayor Favored Ninth Ward.
he After the contamination feature ha
been discussed. Mayor Bird spoke &
is favor Of the Ninth ward site. He di
not think the DuPonts, Bancrofts an
d. Jessup g. Moore Company want to b
disturbed. The city, according to gov
is lernment reports. is entitled to 100000
gallons of water daily, and as a result
n he was not in favor of paying one dol
lar for water Under the law the cit
is entitled TO as pure down the streaI
as above the other riparian owners
He spoke of the fact that the water /
the Brandywine as diminishing and di
not think It would be a good plan
move the pumping station from IL
present location as the time will com
u when manufacturing plants will hay
va to be supplied with water. He favore
the Ninth ward from an econom
a. standpoint.
It was brought out that the first COS