Norwich bulletin., 1911-02-10

water 6L tl1nGS IOc Qeldy III I0dklHS extensions and the total failure to cover old and thickly settled parts of the town have caused a smaller growth than there might well have been.
 Disregarding the motives of the poll iticians the citizens who have opposed the Stony brock project can probably be divided into three classes. Acting together they have formed a majority and have caused this long delay.
 One class has for one reason or an other wished to see some other stream taken for development.
 Another class has not seen the inn portance of action because 1t was not well informed Engineers reports were long, and, with their tables and plans, looked difficult to comprehend, and so were not studied.
 The third class is made up of those who never will approve of the doing of anything. This class is of no use to any city at any time They are not even d conservative force. All history shows that a city cannot stand still. If it does not grow to act better, to look better and increase in numbers it will tumble down and be forgotten.
 To city whose deposits in savings banks were increasing at the rate of more than s59a,0o9 per yes for the ten years, the cost of Stony brook should not have looked large.
 This money in the banks has been loaned to build up the public utilities of cities in the west. It should be ex- pected that people will go where the work this money is doing is to be found. If 1t had been used for the building up of Norwich, this city would have grown so that the limit of Stony brook as supply would be in sight now.
 During this ten years. when the choice of a place to obtain the water to supply the quantity now needed here was before the people of Nor wich. they have added to their public duties and obligations by taking over the business of furnishing gas and electricity.
 A former generation established a water supply for the whole city in an exceptionally well considered manner. The duty of the present generation at tFle present time is to enlarge and build up this business of supplying water. gals and electricity according to the best engineering knowledge of the present time.
 The electricity which the city dis tributes is generated by the power ob- tainea from the burning of coal or from the flow of the Shetucket river. The flowing water is as good as a coal mine and it will never become ex- hausted
 The principle of conservation of nat ural resources is not something re- mote and belonging only to the wilds of the west, but it is of equal force right here at home.
 The rights to the power of the She- tueket at Scotland were obtained by the Spragues nearly 50 years before the power was developed. Owing to the financial troubles of the Spragues there was this long delay before this natural resource was put to work for the benefit of mankind
 On the Yantic river at Bozrahvi1le there is 9 fall of more than 100 feet in about two miles. Years ago a good deal of work was done to develop the power here at five or six different points and it supported much industry and business. About twelve years ago ewing to a lack of good transporta largest of the mills. which had been run, as it was said. for about 75 years. was ab8ndoned. Hut very little use has been made of the water power since. Those who lived at Bexrahvfile aid practically all of their trading did not miss their trade it was due to the fact that the new electric rail- way brought in other trade frem other Villages at that time.
 Above the rapids at Bozrahville the Yantic river has but a few feet of fall III SFNEFlf nf1leS. On the DranCD streams there are several small ponds where saw or grist mills were located years .sgo. Near the head of the main stream there are two largo storage reservoirs. The conditions which af- feet the quaDtity and the quality of the water are good The area of the watershed is more than thirty square miles. owing to the large head which could ba oftssined if all Of the fall were used at one place the total power of the Yantic at Bozrahvii1e is quite large
 There are but fey owners te ali oi the riEnts in the flow Of the river through Bozrahville. All of the rigfts the mills and all the houses Of the viii lage neve been for sale at times in the last twelve years at very tow prices prices that compare very well with the estimated cost of taking all of the noH of the one small branch of Jordan brook. Now the situat ton to which wish to call attention is this:
 The flood flow of the Yantic w1lick runs to waste every spring would fill Fairviaw reservoir and give enough additional supply to carry Norwich through the dry seasons for severa years. 1t would damage no one if ii was diverted.
 The dam across the Yantic and the pipe line needed to do this would cost velopments which have been proposed The cost. for q guess would probably be less than Pease brook by consider able. Tilis dam with the diversion o1 hood water only would he a benefit ts the water powers on the river below As water supply it has all of the good features that were claimed fol Pease brook or Jordan brook.
 The pipe line required, instead ot coming into the city through streets