Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-01-25

| China and partly in Vassalboro. 1t was
generally hoped when this District bill
| was gotten up in the alarm of the cpl
demic that China lake would be the
source that would give us relief.
During 1908 and as long as work could
be carried on, our engneers-and We
had the very best in the country
| were not only aiding us in preparing
| ,nis case for trial, but were carrying
| along with it thorough investigation
into these four sources of supply dhe
Kennebec river being out of the quos-
| tion). to which the District could law
| fully go either under the charter of the
| Water Company, or under it's own char
| ter Wabber pond was rejected quite
| early so far as the money question is
| concerned we could just about go there
as | remember the figures. Unfortu-
natey the water is exceedingly bad
We had, for all health questions,
George G. Whipple of New York. one of
the most slillful men in the country. or
in the world, who has, or did have
charge then of all the health features
connected with the water supply of
Greater New York. Mr. Whipple found
by a long series Of examinations, that
|
was unfortunate because there Is "a
great abundance there. The water IS
| safe enough from the STANDPOINT or
| health. but there are two months IN the
year when the microscopic groWths are
such that if the water was drawn
| from a faucet and used upon n table
the smell of it would be so bad that the
people could not use it. 1t had to be re-
| jected for that reason. CobbOSsee was
next looked into by Samuel NJ. Gray OF
| Providence. the engineer then IN
charge. a gentleman of long experience,
an eldrly man once connected with Wa
ter works of Philadelphia, Washington,
the city Of Mexico and other cites, 4
man of splendid capacity. The trouble
| with CCbbossee is the matter of eX-
| pense The expense there is prohlblto-
nv. Cobbossee is beyond our high bills
and there is TO route by Which pipe
line could be brought from the lake to
connect with our present piping SHS-
| fem. so as to carry water to the pump
ut the Edwards mills and cnthle IN:
| water to be lifted to the reservoir with
out goine way down by way OF Garhi-
per That would involve 20 miles OF pipe
line; of course that is entirely out of
the question. 1t would require nearly
| a million ot money to do it. If water
We're to be taken from Cobbossec
| Their. would have to be large and eX-
pensive steam pumping station erect
ed out here four or five miles. and the
| water lifted about $50 feet to the
| reservoir The expense Of pumping
would put us where we could not meet
the interest on our bonds. To reduce
your income $4,000 a year is the same
as adding 100000 to your burden. be-
cause YOU have got TO put out enough
more bonds to make up for the annual
| cost.
Ny Recollection is the real burden
of the Cobbossee scheme would ba
about $50 600. 1t is Impossible TO go
there. \ good deal OF ;Nl End a good
deal of work was spent ~ 'T he China
lake problem because the 10y is very
attractive. The city Of W:tt, lille has
gone there to get its wac. II is fine
water. 1t is about - ,nrics distant.
My recollection of t'.,- y, ,turt is that the
entire burden would he upward of
$4,000. Ii had to he reluctantly
abandoned on that account. There is
another trouble thore that does not
apply 10 tie city Of Watervile. They
only run Il short distance and WHOM
their water comes to the pipe system
is i'll constant circulation; but here
we have long arm reaching out to-
wards Tocu% ard there is a micro
SCOPE growth in China lake. which in
that long arm. might fill up the pipe
according to Mr.. Whipples report.
That was a serious objection to China
I,,I- I'll,
us. as we haven't the means to go
there.
A great deal of money was properly
spent upon the Silver lake proposition.
1t is Il most peculiar country up there,
With some l. or 20 la!ics-practically
holes in the sand. About Il mile this
side of the lakes the water comes out
of the ground in Il country full of
springs If the supply had been suf-
iicicnt 1t would have furnished the
most perfect water in this State. All
cur people were anxious to so there, if
possible. The only trouble was the
question of quantity: and that QucS-
ton was left unfinished when the hear
ing WAS through. ON account of tn"
sickness OF Mr.. Gray Il change Of en-
| GincelS was made. We employed and
Eow have under our employ Allan
HaZen Of New York. an enGinee. of
| world wide reputation. a very con-
servatiVe man, | know of no engineer
more eminent Mr.. HaZen took up
this question Of the Silver lake supply.
completed the work. and demonstrated
beyond doubt that there was not
enough water for us. We had to aban-
Con it with great deal of reluctance.
That ran out all the water sources
that we had the right to go to by law
| Not one OF them could be used. We
lad to wait for this Legislature.
This whole season down to the freeZ-
Jig W of the ground. has been used by
Mr.. HaZen and the engineers that he
las employed under him, in running
out every possible source that there
was upon the East and West sides of
| the river not named in the charter
Togus pond, Three Mile pond and
Three Cornered pond upon the East
side of the river; and upon the West
side of the river. Lake Maranacook
Greedy pond. Belgrade stream which
/ ] believe includes all that would be