Connecticut western news., 1917-01-25
IMMENSE POWER PROJECT
Huge Dam to be Constructed Across
 Housatonic River af Brookfield.

A group of Litchfeld promoters are endeavoring 10 secure water rights for the erection of a power plant in the town of Brookfield and if they are sue cessful in doing so will launch pro ject involving hundreds of thousands of dollars Attorney John H Lancaster, of Litchfield, represents the promoters, but he stated that the plans of the pro moters are indefinite at the pres.nt time and depend almost entirely on the success of suit instituted Tn the su perior court of Litchfield county to ob tain a portion of the necessary water rights.
 It is the plan of the promoters to erect dam across the Housstonic river on the farm of Charles s. Williams, in Brookfield. which will be 9S0 feet long, forty five feet high and forty five feet in thickness at the base, for the pur pose of forming a reservoir to secure water power for the proposed power plant.
 MT. Lancaster has instituted suit under the. provisions of Charter 65 of UIlb R6u6Idl SldbulNSy WlilOl AS SChS10AAJ known as the "dowage" act. The complaint contends that it is the desire of the plaintiff to erect water mill on the property in question, to operate, the same for commercial purposes and that 1t will be necessary to dam tue rlver and flood the property of MT. Williams, described in the suit; to fur nish the necessary power for water power for the mill. It is stated ill the complaint that the plaintiff and the de fendants have been unable to agree on a selling price of the property. It is claimed that no other water interests or privileges will be interfered with by the erection of the dam.
 MT Lancaster owns some of the property in the vicinity of the Will liams' farm that will be flooded by the proposed reservoir. Jusj how mnch property will have to be taken, ii the dam is erected, MT. Lancaster could not state, as the maps for the project are in the hands Cf his engineers. He stated, however, that the reservoir might extend back to Lovers Leap In that case it will be necessary for the promoters to secure the condemnation of much other property a.ong the banks of tl,e Housatonic. They want thirty SIX acres of the Williams property.
 "Our plans all depend on the out come of the suits we have instituted under the 'flowage act, l" said MT Lancaster, "and if the suits are sue cessful and we can obtain the property we Llan to go ahead with the erection of the dam. We are not ready to make public tine extent of our project as yet, as it depends on the civil suits."
 It is. understood that MT. Lancaster has headed a group of wealthy promot CTS for the further utilization of water power from the Housatonic. It is un- derstood that the site selected by them for the, erection of the dam is ideal for a power plant. MT. Lancaster did not care to name the field his company had in view to dispose of its power in case the power plant is erected and he in- ferred that the erection of large plant for other commercial purposes might be decided upon ill case the company found it better investment than the power plant.
 The Williams suit is returnable in the superior court this month.