Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-11-14
BALTIMORE TO
SPEND MILLIONS
Whole Towns To Disappear 10
Make Room For Great
Water Reservoir

thorized. work upon the gigantic task
Of building the proposed 1000, 0OO, ,0O0-
gallon reservoir in the Gunpowder
Valley for extra water supply for Bal
timore will begin at once.
First, $1,000 900 of bonds will be is
sued to provide funds to purchase 600
acres of land needed. the preliminary
tentative plans will be revised and sim
plified. bids will be received and con-
tracts awarded and then the actual
work of razing villages and leveling
fertile farms will be undertaken. This
being done and dam built, Baltimore
will be assured pure water supply for
all time.
1t is expected that the work will be
completed in five years. and those in a
position to know declare that the $5,-
000,0 600 will be sufficient to complete
the essential parts of the reservoir.
The rest of the money needed, If any.
will be taken from the receipts of the
Water Board.
LIKE ARABIAN NIGHTS TALE.
Two features are connected with the
work to be done. First, and most i'm
portant. is the business phase, which
entails the expenditure of millions, and
the vast constructive work. Second.
and more interesting to the romantic,
is the Arabian Nights like feat of trans
forming hamlets, mills and farming
lands into lake of drinking water.
True, the devastation or transforma-
tion-will not take place overnight,
but nevertheless it will be a wonderful
and mystfying work in its magnitude.
Phoenix. Warren, Sweet Air, Bosley
and other smaller villages are among
those which will disappear and be only
memory when a sheet of water rip
pies over their devastated sites.
Phoenix, the most important of the four
doomed villages. is a manufacturing
town with a population of 600. the ma
jority of whom work in the mill of the
United States Cotton Duck Corporation.
There is also flour MILL conducted by
Joseph McMann. Besides these manu-
factories there are four stores and a
postofiice.
Warren has population of 900 and
three mills and a general store. The
Warren Manufacturing Company's cot
ton, flour and grist mill and Stabler's
grist mill employ many of the inhabi-
tants. The Woodward & Baldwin Com
pany also has grist mill in the village.
which is directly in the hollow to be
taken up by the reservoir. ar. is three
miles from the Northern Central Rail-
way.
TOWNS AND FARMS MUST GO.
Sweet Air, smaller village, with
but 50 inhabitants, has two churches. a
store. cannery. a saw mill. grist mill
and post office. AT Bosley, on the
Sweet Air turnpike, are postoffice,
road house, blacksmith shop and few
small houses. Surrounding these towns
is a fertile valley, with number of
prosperous farms, some of small
acreage and others of considerable size.
All must go under water. The Sweet
Air turnpike will be diverted three
miles and built below Loeb Raven dam.
The greatest preliminary work will
be the acquisition of the land. For this
purpose, it is believed 81, 900, 900. or
possibly 81. $50. 900. will be needed, the
present plan being to acquire the entire
watershed. The city officials are aware
that real estate men have 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
the States condemnation power.