Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-11-01
C0ny High School

Cony High School
A modern high school building,
such as has been one Of the crying
needs of the city for several years,
is now under process Of construction
ut the corner of Cony and Stone
streets where the old Cony High
schools is situated The new build
ing will enclose portion of the old
one, the new and old construction
being Joined into building Of pleas
ing appearance and one which will
be a distinct addition to the school
property Of Augusta
The entire cost of this work will be
In the neighborhood Of $4,000 to
s1s0,000, but It is being done in such
a way that the whole building will
be enclosed but will not be completed
under the present contract, which Is
for $4,000. The large auditorium
which is provided in the second. or
top floor, is not to be completed at
this time but will probably be fin
ished within a year or two.
The work on the new high school
building is being done by the Horace
Purinton Company Of Waterville. AS
soon as satisfactory business ar
rangements could be completed last
summer after the closing Of Cony for
the summer vacation they began the
work of tearing down all Of the older
portion of the building, leaving what
was known as the new wing, and
which was first occupied in 1909.
About this the new construction Is
to go, forming a triangle, in a sense,
with the part of the old building
which is to be used, at the base OF
the triangle. The main entrance OF
the school will be at the apex Of the
triangle which is to be situated at
the junction Of the two streets.
The new structure will provide
facilities for manual training and
more room for the domestic arts
rooms. more and better class rooms,
a gymnasium and when completed
q fine large auditorium.
Upon the basement floor which
will be the floor upon which entrance
will be made from the street. will be
found the manual training rooms, the
domestic arts rooms, the gymnasium
and gymnasium storage rooms. the
lunch room. and the girls and boys
locker rooms.
The first floor will provide quarters
not only for the principal OF the
school but for the superintendent OF
will be the various class rooms with
toilets conveniently situated, and a
gallery to the gymnasium. seating
$50 people on one side and about 200
at the end. A steropticon room is
planned also for this floor.
On the second floor when COM
pleted will be the library, more study
rooms. the science laboratories and
the commercial department. Here,
too, will be the large auditorium with
a stable stage.
The present assembly hall in the
part of the old building which is to
be retained, will be cut up and made
into class rooms and teachers rooms.
Work upon this construction job is
proceeding with speed now, although
there was some delay due to the nom
arrival of structural steel. 1t is
hoped that the entire building may
be enclosed and the work upon the
contract finished by the later part of
spring or the first Of the summer.
Whether some arrangements can be
made whereby funds for the remain
der Of the work may be raised at the
spring school meeting In order that
the work may be continued without
interruption and the entire building
finished. is still to be determined.
This matter Of financing the pro-
feet has been hard one to arrange
but 1t was finally found possible to
care for this contract, although it
necessitated the raising Of the tax
rate by two mills.
A special building committee OF
three citizens was apointedp at the
annual school meeting to cooperate
with the board of Education in sup
Al. 80 10 oNfu n
struction. They are Milton o. Dean,
Edgar A. Hussey and Thomas c. In
graham. Bunker and Savage, archi-
tects of this city. prepared the plans
and specifications for the building,
Storage Reservoir
The storage facilities of the Au-
Kusta Water District will be about
frebled by use of the large new aux
iliary reservoir, which will be COM
pleted within the next two
weeks and which will hold ap-
proximately 100000 gallons Of wa
ter. This gigantic bowl is situated
north and west of observatory hill
and west of the present reservoir, be-
Ing within few feet of the storage
basin which has been used for many
years.
The new reservoir 10 being built
along the latest and most scientific
lines to insure against leakage. After
the actual bed of the reservoir was
made, . heavy clay blanket was laid
to make 1t as near water proof as pos
sible in the event that the concrete
surface of the bowl should leak. and
upon this REINFORCED concrete was
laid in panels as will be seen in the
accompanying illustration, the joints
between the slabs being made with
o "mastic expansion joint material
which Is flexible and permits Of con-
siderable movement without leakage.
Work upon this great storage basin
was commenced last June by the firm
Of Wyman and Simpson. Inc. Of this
city and their contract calls for 1t to
be finished by December 10. The
company has used the greatest of
speed in connection with the work
and disptte the fact that there have
been one or two construction acct
dents which have slowed them down,
@they are now well within the con-
tract time. 4%s~&sFsssss'
At times as many as rs men and
around rs teams, with ten or dozen
automobile trucks, two enormous
derricks equipped with both clam
shell and orange peel buckets and a
steam shovel have been used in the
work. The new reservoir was con-
structed on q bill side and 1t was
found necessary to make extensive
axeayatto41 amounting to about ss.-