The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-11-14

| me Great GuupoWoer Lake-WIu COSC
| Millions TO Construct.-With the So, 900. 900
water loan authorized, work upon the gigantic
task of building the proposed 20 600 600 900 gal
| Ion reservoir in the Gunpowder valley will be-
gin at once, says the Baltimore San.
First 81 100000 of bonds will be issued to
provide funds for the purchase of the 1000
acres needed, the preliminary tentative plans
will be revised and amplified, bids will be re-
ceived, contracts awarded and then the actual
| work Of razing villages and leveling fertile
farms will be undertaken This being done
and the dam built Baltimore will be assured
| pure water supply almost for all time. 1t is
| expected that the work will be completed in
| i've years, and those in position to know de-
| clare that the IS 900 will be sufficient to
complete the essential parts of the reservoir,
There are two features connected with the
| work to be done. First. and most important,
is the business phase, which entails the expen-
diture of millions and the vast constructive
work. Second, and more interesting to the ro
mantle, is the Arabian Nights. like feat of
transforming hamlets mills and farming lands
into lake of drinking water: True. the de-
vastation or transformation will not take place
overnight, but just the same it will be won
derful and mystifying work in its magnitude.
That the work will be reality, instead of
dream, as many opponents to the loan expec-
ted, is due largely to the fact that in 1900 there
was a particularly long drouth, which accentu-
ated the need of an unlimited supply of water.
heexperts ofthe Water Department, knowing
that such dry spells recur in cycles, proposed
loan making possible great reservoir. Because
Jones falls was polluted, its use for such pur.
poses was not considered feasible. After all
logical sites had been visited the experts de-
cided that to build the supply basin anywhere
other than in the Gunpowder valley would en-
tail an expenditure of at least Sic, 600 600, and
that the only other place the needed supply
could be secured was the Susquehanna river.
Further examination of the Gunpowder region
showed it to be the ideal site, because in its al
most natural basin supply of water could be
stored which would supply the city through
out any dry spell-even one lasting three or
four months continuously.
In addition, although there were several ham,
lets within the natural limits, the territory was
not built up to the extent of other proposed
sites, and therefore would cost much less
money. To the sentimental the wiping out OF
the homes in the hamlets, the razing OF the
thrifty mills, the moving of the railroads in
the valley the cutting down of the woods and
the rest of the necessary work is heartlessj job.
But to the materialists, who know the needs of
the 100000 persons in the greater city and the
many more who are to come with the future,
the work is one of absolute necessity.
Phoenix, Warren, Bosley and other smaller
villages are among those which will disappear
and be only memory when sheet OF water
ripples over their devastated sites.
Warren, the most important of the doomed
villages, is manufacturing town of prosperity
Ne
Cotton Duck Corporation has mill there,
where the majority of the people of the town
work. A -four mill, conducted by Mr.. Joseph
McMann, is also there. Besides these there are
four stores and postof6ce.
At Bosley there is hotel, blacksmith shop,
store and few small houses.
Between these towns and around them in
the fertile valley are number OF prosperous
FARMS some of small acreage and others ofcon-
siderable size. The ground there is famous for
its fertility. All these will disappear.
The Sweet Air turnpike will have to be di-
verted at least three miles below, where it runs
across the valley now and be rebuilt below
Loeb Raven dam.
The greatest preliminary task will be the &C.
QUESTION of the land. For this purpose it is
believed 81, DOC, 900. or possibly u, 100000 will
be needed, the present plan being to acquire
the entire watershed. The city officials are
aware that real estate men also anticipated the
final building of the reservoir and have secured
options on parcels of land needed, but they do
not anticipate any serious trouble from them
because of their condemnation power.
The method will be to secure the land where
it is possible without paying exorbitant prices
by purchase. Already the city has options on
the Warren Manufacturing Company's prop
erty and many landholders have offered to sell
their land at reasonable figures. Major Ran
dolph Barton, as trustee is among these.
Just how the work will be supervised has
not been determined. A commission has been
spoken of, but those most familiar with the
work to be carried out do not favor this plan.
They say the work is not similar to that of
building sewers. The task, they declare is not
one in which theories enter, but one of policies
to be carried out. The thing authorized is the
building of dam to inclose water, and the
ordinance of the City Council states that the
plans for doing this shall be approved by three
expert hydraulic engineers. After this is done,
they say, the Water Department is the logical
hcIx kA IN q innidnnkal
The Baltimore Water Board, as at present
constituted, is composed of the following gen.
tlemen in addition to Mayor Mahool and Water
Engineer Quick:
Mr.. Charles T. Mitchell, paint and hardware
supplies. 1120 South Charles street.
Mr. Henry B. Gilpin, Wholesale druggist, 300
West Lombard street.
Mr. J. Horny Strohmeyer, real estate opera
tor, $40 Equitable Building
Mr.. Henry Williams ex-City Collector and