Norwich bulletin., 1910-11-30
COMMITTEE NAMED BY CITY MEETING
All Available Sites will be Investigated by Them for
Water Supply-They will also Look Up an Inn
mediate Temporary Relief-O. E. Ryshers Plan is
for Pumping Station Trading Cove Brook
Attendance of About 1000.

The water question at town hall on
ence the like of which was never seen
there before. it being estimated that
there were between 1900 and 1000 in
attendance. The standing room on
ly sign wasn't needed to tell those
who wanted to set in, that they could
not get a seat, and by 7.45 it was
impossible to get standing room, hun
dreds turning away as they were I'M
able to get a sight of the door.
Throughout the evening there was
plenty of comedy and pathos, the
ringing applause making it evident
that the audience is interested in the
subject. and yet many were there for
the fun that was expected. For the
most part the situation seemed too
serious for that, however, and the
meeting was orderly and well behaved.
The meeting did all that it was
possible for it to do, and a commit
tee of five will investigate the secur-
ing of an immediate supply to meet
the present emergency and report next
Tuesday, while they will also investi-
gate all the proposition for a perma-
nent water supply and report to a
later meeting. o. E. Ryther's plan was
to establish a pumping station on the
Trading Cove brook.
Meeting Opens.
eight o'clock by Mayor Thayer and
the call was read by City Clerk S. D.
Moore.
Mayor Thayer explained that the
meeting had been called exactly as
requested by the petitioners. a third
petition came into his hands, which
he read, and he said that the meeting
could act on that as well as the 9TH
er two, instead of calling another
meeting tomorrow night. He begged
to say that under the city charter the
mayor has no power to require any
of the city officials to attend the meet
ing, but said that he would hear any
one wishing to speak on the petition.
o. E. Ryther's Plan.
The first business was the hearing
of o. E. Ryther for the presentation
Of his plan for furnishing the city with
q supply of water.
He said he came here to suggest the
best plan under the existing circum-
stances. 1t is an emergency plan, and
it is pretty near an emergency here
now. He said he had looked over this
vicinity for many miles around. He
had thought his plan out in case of
an emergency. His process was that
of elimination. Some of the water is
too old. This is the case of the She
tucllet and Yantic rivers. Other wa
tersheds are too small and dried up
at the present time There are three
propositions which are high enough to
furnish a supply-Stony brook, Pease
brook and Gardner lake, each requir
ing q pipe line of about eight miles,
and this work cannot be done in thir-
ty days. Leaving out these what 9TH
err propositions are there? There are
three supplies at a lower level which
would have to be pumped. There is
Broad brook. in Preston, seven miles
away from Preston bridge There is
Ppnly Hollow brook onr77iT1cr in al Won
tic. but this is three miles away from
Harland's Corner.
Trading Cove Brook.
The plan he has in mind is the third
one, or Trading Cove brook. Tt is a
splendid stream, draining about eigh-
teen square miles. It is a sandy, light
land and the water the finest to be
gathered. He had worked along the
brook seven years. There is more wa
ter out there now than the city OF
Norwich can use. He showed a. map
of the watershed.
Just above the junction Of Willow
and Trading Cove brooks there is q
dam 250 feet long could be built
there. It is the easiest place to build
a dam. You would only need to SCOOP
out a small place so as to pump the
water, said Mr. Ryther.
You could connect at the corner OF
human ana w eSL MAIN streets witt
q ten inch water main. and that con-
meets with two large mains at the cor
ner of Main and Asylum streets. Only
a mile and a quarter main would be
needed to connect with Durham street
This would supply 10000 people
1t will require a pumping system OF
some sort. The trench can be dug
with perfect ease. You could operate
your pump from a surplus supply OF
water, said Mr.. Ryther
Some may say Maplewood Gem etery
is in that watershed but it is possible
have eight square miles of watershed
There is only one mill between that
place and the Thames river.
T. c. Murphy Speaks.
Timothy c. Murphy at this point
asked for a report of the water board
upoE the water question as to the
progress made.
Mayor Thayer stated that he intends
to call city meeting the last of next
week, when the data will be ready tC
be given the people, but it is not in
form al the present time.
Mr.. Murphy then took the platform
and stated that the people had waited
four long months for this report and
all we can learn about it is from the
newspapers and from meeting of the
Beard of Trade. Mr.. Quick came here
and spoke about Pease brook He said
Gardner Lake was prohibitive At that
meeting, ,Mr. Murphy said, the mayor
| told, him the report would be for Pease
brook or nothing.
MIR. Murphy declared that he was not
a CANDIDATE for office or any position
! hut vas simply acting for the benefit
| Of the people. The water board, he
| said is not a unit. We are told they
are unanimous for Pease brook. but
! MI Beckwith says he never voted fo1
Pease brook. Mr. Murphy asked if Mr.
! Pitcher was in tbs. meeting and upor
| being told he was out Of town asked il
| he was in the employ of the city The
mayor said that he was on the bust
| ness of the city.
| Mr., Murphy referred to the money
| spent in digging test pits at Peast
| brook and spending other money an6
! read figures given by Mr.. Quick about
! the expense the reservoir there WoulG
| be. He said he had been TO Pease
| brook and said it would take engineers
! two years to work out the proposition
| We are told We can have Gardner LAX,
| in sixty days. He declared he haC
| rather treat with CORPORATE nS thar
| with zoe farmers. The corporations
| having rights in the water are inter
| ested and you can get satisfactory
| settlement with them easier than with
| the farmers.
| The dam at Pease brook, he said
| would be higher than the Shannon
| building. Look at both propositions
| and it can be seen they are chasing :
| rainbow at Pease brook ana IL is time
/ to stop. There are TWO highways K
! be removed and the people will kict
| against ways which have been useC