New Britain herald., 1924-05-03
STATE POLICE HUNT WEIR DYNAMITERS Damage ol Si,0OO Reported Near
 Big Nepaue Reservoir ARRESTS ARE ANTICIPATED
Collinsyille Residents Said to Be Sus- pected of Destroying Dam-Chief Hurley and Engineer Sayille Re- fuse to Give Any Information.

Arrest of two or mere residents of ! Collinsville, residents of the section
 near the big Nepaug reservoir of the Hartford water department, is antici-
 pated by the state police as the result
 of the blowing up of a weir in the
 Phelps brook, about mile from the
 huge dam at o'clock on the morning
 of April 20. Dynamite tore such a
 hole in the weir that at least s1, ,000
 damage was done. The only motive
 for the crime. which can be learned.
 is that some residents thought that the weir prevented fish from going in- to the brook and in order to enjoy the sport of rod and creel, the small dam was blown away to allow the mem- bers of the flnny tribe to swim down the stream and thereby make fishing conditions much better.
 Hurley and Sayille silent
 The dynamiting has been well cov- cred up for a week and 1t is under stood that the state police have put in such good work that the identity of the culprits is known. When asked about the case last night by a Her ald" reported, Superintendent of State | Police Robert T. Hurley of Hartford | refused to discuss the matter. He | thought that 1t was up to Engineer l Caleb M. Saville, who has charge of the reservoir work for the city of . Hartford, to do the talking. He would not deny and neither would he lffirm that his department had been ,alled in. This information was ,linched this morning. however, from Tn authoritative source, which dis ,elled any doubts on the score.
 Engineer Saville was even moro than Mir. Hurley. He ads nitted that the weir had been dam Lged but when asked if it had been down up. he said that he did not ,now. He also did not know how much damage had been done, al- bought he is the chief in charge of he water department work and the sepaug layout is one of the big parts f the Capital City water system.
 Deputy sheriff I. B. Retcham of in which the destroyed relr and other parts of the Nepaue liant are located, said today that the estruction was a fact but that he ad not been called in on the case to investigate.
 Shb 1 It's e Mystery
 So carefully was the dynamiting l. idden that the damage has been re- aired during the last week so that 0 traces of any destruction are ap- ,, aren't today but eye witnesses of the amage, who were present a short me after the dam had gone skyward, T II the story of the sudden release of | e waters from the brook. An air mystery has governed the situation nee the complaint was first made to e state police.
 The destroyed weir was used to n easure and control the flow of water
 the Phelps brook, which empties to the Nepaug river and which is c main source of supply for the res yoir. The proximity Of tine dynamit- g to the big dam has caused fl, rore among the Hartford water de- - rtment officials, which has leaked ,a t to the extent that the destruction -
 the weir finally came out. The ne of the blowing up was definitely ,,s ed by a clock on the weir. used in ,s with the water measuring lich was stopped by the explosion at .,, o'clock. n'
 Is Tax Grievance Q Factor , Of the blowing up Of ,'@ , weir with Collinsville people re- .,, ,' lied the fact that the townspeople . ,t. that place and several Of the sur ,t. lndlng towns, which are embraced I the reservoir plant. are antagonis- over tax assessments of the water ,artment property. It is alleged p I | the water department is being cd on farm or unimproved land pi' that the assessments should be ,o ch higher than the present a'' ounts. This situation has caused lis 1e feeling that the water depart ,ii' ,n nt is getting n lower rate to which h', g not entitled. Connection of this timent with the damage to the s''' n could not be made as the offi- .iie s are keeping quiet to the great i"i degree over the whole affair. uo'