Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-08-26

TRIED BEFORE COMMISSIONERS. VEk
DICT SEALED TO BE OPENED AT ocTo
Der 8. j. COURT.
All day Thursday was devoted to thu
trial of the damage suits OF Almira j
Kenney aud the Cummings Manufaetur
ing Company VS.. South Paris Village
Corporation. These suits arise out o.
the installation of water works BY th'
defendant and the consequent divertine
of tho waters of Stony Brook which mac
been used as water power by the plain
tiffs. The hearing Thursday was before
commission appointed by the Supreme
Judicial Court in an appeal from tns
County Commissioners and consisted o.
Richmond L. Melcher, of Rumford, EbeI
S. Kilborn, of Bethel, and Charles G
Knight, of Waterford. Counsel fol
plaintiffs was Hon. Alfred S. Kimball, Of
Norway and Alton G. Wheeler, of South
Paris. Counsel for the defendant, Wal
ter L. Gray, of South Paris, and Hon
Addison E. Herrick. of Bethel.
In the forenoon the commission and
counsel, with other interested parties
was taken in automobiles to the sources
of supply of the South Paris Water
Works, the Cooper Spring brook and the
Stony Brook and to the reservoir OF the
defendant near w. S. Austin's. 1t must
be admitted that in the pinch OF the
most severe drought 10 years the party
needed no life preserves to prevent
drowning.
At one O'Clock the hearing opened in
the Supreme Court room and continued
into the evening.
Edward Hatch. an employee for eight
years of the Kenney mill, testified that
previous to the installation Of the South
Paris Village water works there had
been sufficient water to run the machines
generally up to about the first of Aug
ust and part of the time in August, as
the upper dam of the Cummings Manu-
featuring Company was used for storage
but that the power did not hold out
nearly as long since the water works
were put in.
George w. Pratt, a former employee
of the Keuney mill thought there was
sufficient water to run constantly up to
about July but later they had to shut
down some and wait for the water to
accumulate. A steam plant to tide over
the summer months was installed dur
ing the time he was employed.
A. E. Morrison, an employee, since
1908 thought that after the installation
of the water system the power for the
Kenney mill gave out about two months
earlier than previously. Said the differ
epce was noticeable but could not
remember how the summers compared
for amount of rain fall.
William E. Kenney had been employed
off and on in the mill for ten years. 1t
was operated entirely by water power
when he first worked there. A gasoline
engine was put in six years ago and at
ter two years was taken out and steam
plant installed for extra power. Thought
the water power could be used greater
part of the time up to the first OF Aug
ust before the water was diverted; since
then they we're seldom able to use water
power much later than June tenth. Ex-
ira cost Of running by steam amounted
to several dollars day.
Tells Thibedeau, farmer living near
Stony Brook, had noticed considerable
difference In the flow of water since the
were installed. Previously
there was always fair sized stream be-
low the dam, "a good, respectable fish
brook" but "there isn't water enough
to do any damage now. :
Chas. n. Kimbsll, farmer, living
near the brook testified as to the charac-
ter of the stream.
]. A. Kenney, who operates the Ken.
ney mill, testified that Stony Brook was
a quick stream to rise and fall. Had
been able to operate the mill practically
to August frst by water until the install.
latiou of the village system. Asked
when the brook was dryest, Mr..
Keupey replied fright now. this Is the
dryest August have seen in thirty-eight
years" Since the installation OF the
water works had been unable to run his
mill BY water much after the first to the
seventh of June. Had put in q gas en-.
CINE six years ago, found 1t unsuccessful
and replaced it with steam plant four
wears ago. Business has increased ann
na!!y; s:las and shipments since 1905 run
from 1925 to $500 month gross. Have
two water wheels, both improved Chase
wheels, takes fifty horse power to run
my entire mill at once; average to use
five to twenty i've horse power per day
during summer months. Our dams and
flume have been dry since early in June
the effect being to rot them much more
rapidly than formerly. Thought an es-
innate of three or four dollars a day ex-
ira for steam power very conservative.
R. L. Cummings, of the Cummings
Manufacturing Company, testified as to
that company's power and plant. They
had installed an electric motor and while
the increase in cost was not very ma
terial he thought the water power was
better and cost less. Present condition
of the water he thought much more de.
structive to the dams and fumes than
before the water works were installed by
the Village Corporation; thought they
would not last more than one-third as
long as IL covered with water most oil
the time. Said Kenuey paid fifty cents
a day for use of water from their upper
dam for the days he used 1t.
l.. S. Billings testified as to the water
conditions and thought dams and fumes
would not last as long under those ex
listing at present.
J. Mellen Cummings, an employee 10,
twenty years at the Merrill foundry
showed from his books at what seasons
and how late in the summer he worked
there when water power was used ex
clusively.
Cyrus c. Babb, chief Engineer Of the
Maine Water Storage Commission testi
fed that he had made an examination Of
the water supply of the Kenney and
Cummings plants and of the Village
CORPORATION Water Works; he sale
the upper dam was valuable for stor
age. more so on a quick stream likt
this brook than on steadier one. HI
had made computation of the watel
diverted by the Village Corporation
Said the storage basin of Stony Brood
drains AN area OF fifteen and quarte
square miles; that of Lake Peunessee
wassee twenty-five square miles. Mr.
Babb computed that the amount OF wa
ter diverted by the Village Corporation
W ould be about two hundred aud twenty
five thousand gallons in twenty.fou
hours and the horse power diverted from
the Kenney dam for nine months OF tn
year would equal thirty-one hundred an'
fifty horsepower; in value as electri
energy figured in horsepower 1t woul'
amount to SIG 80 per year and this yearl
money loss would equal five per cent OF
something over twenty-three hundred
dollars. On the Cummings Manfg. Com
pany's lower dam Mr.. Babb said tb
development figured on the same basi
would amount to about one-half that o
the Ksnney loss. The Cummings uppe