Connecticut western news., 1907-11-28

bdrQuIn, anu IOI6y SHdToS edCll 70 mllO
and James Richardson, total FIVE thou
sand dollars; now go ahead and put IN
your water works. Thus the introduce
ton of water into Sharon wyas a fixed
fact. The remainder of the stock need
ed was quickly subscribed, a meeting
called for reorganization, election of
officers held and bids advertised for.
Francis P. Leonard OF Norwalk, Conn.
received the contract and at once began.
the construction of the works which was
pushed rapidly and was completed and
water turned ON July L. 1888.
Then difficulties were encountered.
Naturally those who had taken their
names frorn the first subscription list
did not have the success of the company
licly that the obligations of the company
were not worth the paper they we're
written on- No money could be Dor
roWed ur}ess secured by personal in
amount OF three Thousand dollars and
Endorsed by Willard Baker and 1. N.
Bartram- But'm' the face of this lack
of confidence the list of patrons steadily
increased. The public soon began to
learn the necessity and Importance of
the enterprise and steadily confidence
began to be restored. But another grave
difficulty was encountered in the year
The waiter in the reservoir became
alarmingly low and finally entirely fail
ed. a pumping station was put up but
this was inadequate for a sufficient flow
of water. Water was drawn by teams
from Beardsley pond in milk cans and
poured into the filter at reser voir.
The company at once decided thai a
greater supply of water was necessary
The rights and the rights of way to take
water from Beardsley pond were Sc
cured and pipe line laid and connect
ed with the mains at Caulkinstown in
1892. At the.same time the main pipe
line was extended from the Sharon Inn
to the GiIbeht i. Smith corner opposite
the residence of Mrs. Anna B. Sewall
This largely involved the company
They gave a mortgage on their entire
property for large amount. This adj
dition afforded an ample supply but by
the rapid inorease of the patrons they
learned thatlt would soon be inadequate
for the demands that were pressing upon
the company and at times the water
had fishy, pond taste caused by the
water turning over or fermenting.
1t was decided by the company that il
must secure a larger supply of water of
greater elevation and that would be sup
piled by a larger watershed. First the
Whitford springs were bought, but it
was soon learned that the flow of water
would not be sufficient for the demands
upon it, as the pipe lines had been ex-
tended eleven Thousand two hundred
feet, which very largely increased the
amount of water required. They after
two or three years in litigation bought
the beautiful stream flowing down
from the mountain district through the
land of john McCann, where a proper
elevation was secured and the company
promptly decided to at once construct a
pipe line and erect dam that all ques-
ton of lack of water would be removed.
the work has just been completed
and on Nov. IL, 1907 the gates were
opened that sent the water from the
new reservoir through the mains to the
people of Sharon.
The company says they have one of
not in the country. A brief description
may be interesting. A catch basin is
constructed four by five feet. In water
tight compartment two feet from the
bottom is heavy copper screen support
ed by two concrete Orders. Into this
catch basin the water is taken through
gate. From it on the bottom is laid a
flushing or waste pipe. On top of the
copper screen is placed two feet in thick
ness of fltering material The water
from the inlet passes up through this
gravel and to another basin where it is
taken into the mains to the village In
this second basin is also placed waste
or flushing pipe. Over the gravel
is placed four-inch inlet pipe from
the reservoir so it will be seen that
any substance that may come in und-
er the gravel to the catch basin
can be drawn out through the waste
pipe. So you will see that by clos
ing the main inlet gate, opening the
flushing gate and opening the four inch
gate over the grave. the current of water
is reversed, passing down through the
filtering bed and out of the waste pipe,
thus washing and cleansing the gravel,
although twenty feet under water
Understand that all this is accomplished
without closing the gate to the outlet
pipe that takes the water to the village.
We are told that Mr.. Bartram has APP
piled for a patent for the filter