Norwich bulletin., 1910-03-31

| Mems league of the Central Baptist church, made topic of much interest for the annual meeting of the league chapel and attended by about 45 mem bers- It followed a supper and the election of officers and led to some per- tinent discussion of the subject. At 6.S0 turkey supper prepared by Mabrey, but furnished and served by a committee of the ladies of the church, was enjoyed, the tables presenting an attractive appearance with their dec orations of towering potted plants. The following were those in charge or the supper and serving: Mrs. Charles p. Moves. chairman. Mrs. Luther R. Charles W. Vaughn. Mrs. George w. Carroll, Mrs. John E. Hawkins and the Misses Helen Hamilton, Ruby Vaughn Marion Powelson. Ruth Hamilton and Ethel Morgan.
 Election of Officers.
 When the business meeting was call ed to order after supper. President reports were presented by Secretary Treasurer Andrew B. Davies which were accepted. A vote of thanks was passed to the ladiee for the supper. The following officers were elected: President. Gilbert s. Raymond; vice president, Lucius Brown: secretary treasurer, Joseph S Adams; board % Of Church Gone year). F. l.. Arnold and Charles L. Stewart (six months). When the business was concluded George A. Turner was heard in two we'll rendered solos and he also sang later in the evening, his selections be- ing For All Eternity (Nfascheroni), The Rosary (Nevin), With You (Salmon) and Daddy's Little Baby Boy (Neidlin- ger).
 Brief words of greeting were ex- pressed by Charles H. Haskell, presi- dent of the Park Church Mems league.
 In opening his paper on the water to 1888 the only water supply avail able had come from independent springs round about, but in 1866 per- mission was secured from the legisla- ture to issue bonds to s100.000 ''to pro- vide the city of Norwich with a supply of pure and wholesome water" A committee appointed at city meeting recommended the establishment of what later became known as Fairview reservoir and the securing of an addi- tional supply from Trading Cove brook. The former was estimated at thirty gallons daily for 1000 people; the lat ter barrel daily for 10000. This lat ter project called for pumps on Central wharf and a distributing reservoir on Jail Hill. The total cost of both plants was to be $150.o00. The legislative act was then amended, allowing the issu- ance of $5o,00o more in bonds. The first regular board of Norwich water commissioners in their first report (1S6D, recommended the building of F'airview reservoir and this report was council. One month later the anvil chorus struck up in the press over various pen names, fool proposals were made, city meetings were held and the whole matter was again thrashed over, but at last the plans were approved with single dissenting voice" and the business was under way The present Fairvdew dam was built 35 feet icl1 "a rSy, f0n i'm pounded the water from 483 acres, or, roughly speaking. three-quarters of square mile. A peculiar feature of haarvisw 1fs IS that the reseavolT ser atseir S long to the principal valley whence it slopes southerly to the Yantdc, while se acres naturally drain northward into the head waters of the Byron brook and thence into the Shetucket.
 A low dam in the Byron brook serves to turn these acres of watershed into Fairview reservoir. while the waterway discharges by this same brook into the Shetucket.
 Fine Water.
 Fairview reservoir was one and one eighth miles long. 48o feet wide and Is 1-2 feet average depth. with a sur face of 66 acres At full pond it held 333, 800, 900 gallons at 253 feet above the city wharves and 1S feet above the highest point of Jail Hill. The pres
 
 square inch Counting on 70 inches annual rainfall, the watershed was ex- pected to produce 40 gallons daily for the S:ss avepage Ps' rainfaii 1s7iAises has been @ 46.59 inches. The water, despite the omnipresent, ubiquitous and chronic kicker, has always proved of excellent quality when subjected to chemical an- alysis. In 1870, 370 families were sup piled through IS miles of cement lined pipe. The pipe system was gradually extended Greeneville was supplied in 1875 and Laurel Hill in 1878. In 1879 a new 16 inch cast iron main was laid clear from Fairview reservoir to the Great Plain, thus giving a better head and insuring against the possible fail- ure of an only pipe line. The original pipe line has also been entirely relaid in Is inch cast iron pipe.
 Increased supply was first proposed in 1875, when an extensive survey of Meadow brook was made, but the re- port when presented to the city meet ing was rejected almost unanimously. In 1880, after an exceedingly dry win ter and spring, the use of water was first liraited. At this time 2.11S fami- lies were being supplied through B miles of pipe. A scheme was now pro- posed to pump from the Yantic to fill Fairview reservoir each spring-the plant to cost $54,000. This proposal was rejected by the common council, but this body appointed a committee to again consider Meadow brook. The committee prepared two reports, one to dam and flow 200 acres 25 inches deep to contain 1000. 100000 gallons at s165.0o0; the other to flow 12 inches deep at $135. 900. Both were rejected and at a city meeting s57,230 was vot- cd to build a low dam and lay a divert ing pipe to Fairview reservoir, which was first filled from the new source in 1882. In 1883 F,airview reservoir was full three and one-half months, though the rainfall was but 37.25 inches, the least since 1870. and this though the city did not enjoy full rights to all the water from Meadow brook, for the agreement with the Fall company only allowed them to take water when at least six inches were flowing over the latter's dam.
 Meadow Brook.
 The Meadow brook reservoir has a watershed of 98o acres, or one and one half square miles. It Is merely a coll lecting-not an impounding reservoir it's water being delivered to Fairview by a 24 inch pipe 7.160 feet long. Its bed is of such a peaty. swampy char acter that the cost of cleaning it down to hardpan is prohfbitive. The water. therefore, cannot be held in storage thereon after warm weather strikes in and the consequent fermentatiO of