THIRD ANNUAL REPORT 
OF THE 
WATER COMMISSIONERS 
OF THE 
CITY OF LOWELL, 
TO THE JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE CITY COUNCIL ON 
WATER WORKS, 
MADE JANUARY 1st, 1873. 
Printed, by Resolution of the City Council. 
LOWELL: 
CITIZEN AND NEWS PRESS,-KNAPP & MOREY PROPRIETORS, 
44 Central Street- 
1873. In Board of Aldermen, March 11, 1873. 
Read and sent to the Common Council. 
SAMUEL A. McPHETRES, City Clerk. 
In Common Council, March 11, 1873. 
Received and read. 
GEORGE GARDNER, Clerk. REPORT 
WATER COMMISSIONERS' OFFICE,? 
Lowell, January 1st, 1873. ) 
To the Joint Standing Committee on Water Works: 
Gentlemen : We have the honor to submit our third 
annual and final report of the works which have been 
intrusted to our care during their construction. 
The Water Commissioners were appointed January, 
1870, for a term of three years, unless the works should 
be sooner completed. The works are now nearly finished, 
and the time having arrived when they are to pass into 
the hands of the Lowell Water Board, by " an ordinance 
providing for the care and management of the Lowell 
Water Works," passed July 11th, 1872, we feel it a duty 
we owe to the City Government and the citizens, that a 
jreport of our labors, and a descriptive account of the 
'Water Works, as built, should be given in detail, as it 
may prove of value for reference, and also aid in giving 
a better understanding of their magnitude and importance. 
In making this review sufficiently detailed, we shall be 
obliged to repeat, to some extent, what has been given in 
previous reports. Perhaps it may be interesting to some 
if we take..a retrospective glance at the labors of others 
who worked [hard in earlier days to obtain a supply of 4 
water for the use of the city. The need of a supply of 
pure water was felt as early as 1838, and we here give 
the action of the City Council on the subject: 
"In Common Council, June 27th, 1838. 
" Resolved by the Mayor, Aidermen and Common Council, as follows: 
" That Messrs. Hopkinson, Walker and Dana, with such as the Mayor and 
Aidermen may join, be a committee to procure, in conjunction with the Proprie- 
tors of the Locks and Canals on Merrimack River, a survey to ascertain whether 
water for the use of the citizens of the City of Lowell, in what manner and at 
what expense, may be obtained, either from Merrimack river or from any other 
source by them deemed practicable, and report the same, with the estimated 
expense, to the City Council; and that said committee are hereby authorized to 
bind the city to the payment of two-fifths parts of the expense of said survey 
and estimate ; the expense of the survey to be paid out of the reserved fund. " 
"The above resolution came up from the Common.Council and was twice 
read, and adopted in concurrence, and Aidermen Whipple and Brownell were 
joined. 
"In Board of Aldermen, June 27th, 1838. 
THOMAS ORDWAY, City Clerk." 
The result of the above action of the City Government 
was the appointment of Mr. G. M. Dexter, as engineer, to 
make the required investigations, and the following re- 
port gives his views upon the subject: 
" Boston, July 24th, 1838. 
' ' Gents : As you requested, I have examined Long and Tyng's Ponds and 
find them to be on the same level. They are sixty-two feet above the river. The 
highest point at which it would be required to deliver water in Lowell is about 
fifty feet above the river at the dam of Pawtucket Falls, consequently the dif- 
ference of level between the ponds and the point of delivery would be twelve 
feet. The distance from the ponds to the termination of a main would probably 
be five miles. It would, therefore, require a pipe two feet in diameter to deliver 
at the proposed height two-and-a-half millions of gallons per day. But if we 
take thir.ty-seven feet to be the difference of level between the ponds and the 
point of delivery, which would be above the average, we should require a pipe 
of twenty inches diameter to deliver the above quantity. 
'' A cast iron pipe twenty inches diameter, will cost, including digging, 5 
laying, lead for joints, &c., $8.00 per foot, which for five miles, or 26,400 feet, 
will amount to $211,200. For distribution I have made no estimate. 
Respectfully your obedient servant, 
G. M. DEXTER." 
" Memmoeanda of Calculation to' take water from Tyng's Pond and con- 
duct it to Lowell, to supply forty thousand inhabitants with thibty 
GALLONS OF WATER EACH PER DAY. 
" To take the water from the pond in a brick culvert twenty inches diameter, 
running through Flag Meadow Swamp for the distance of 9,240 feet, with a de- 
scent of five feet, to a reservoir. From thence in a 14-inch iron pipe 14,520 
feet long, to the depot of the railroad, with a head of fifty-five feet. Through 
Merrimack street in a pipe 8-inch diameter for 4,000 feet, in Lowell, Central, and 
part of Gorham street, 5,000 feet in a pipe G-inch diameter. 
COST.-CULVERT. 
1000 bricks of best quality, . $8.00 
Two and-a-half casks cement, delivered @ $3.50 8.75 
Labor laying and tending, 3.33 
Four cubic feet sand, 15 
Puddling, <fcc., 1.02 
Digging and refilling @ 30 cts. per foot, 3.75 
$25.00 per 1000 bricks. 
1000 bricks will lay twelve and-a-half feet in length, twenty inches di- 
ameter and six inches thick, which will equal $2.00 per foot. 
9,240 feet brick culvert, @ $2.00 per foot, $18,480 
14,520 feet iron pipe, 14 inches diameter, @ 4.25 per foot, 61.710 
4,000 feet iron pipe, 8 inches diameter, @ 2.30 per foot, 9,200 
5,000 feet iron pipe, G inches diameter, @ 1.90 per foot, 9.500 
- $98,890 
G. M. DEXTER." 
Boston, August 16th, 1838." 
" In the above calculations there is no allowance made for the cost of the 
Pond, extra in crossing the river, nor the service pipe." 
During the following September another communication 
was received from Mr. Dexter, which is as follows : 
"Boston, September 15th, 1838. 
" Gents : Conformably to your instructions, I have endeavored to find the 
best source from whence a supply of water could be obtained and introduced 
into Lowell, sufficient to afford to forty thousand inhabitants thirty gallons per 
day each. 6 
" From what I have been able to ascertain, an ample and good supply can be 
obtained from Tyng's Pond, in Tyngsborough, which is situated about three 
miles from Pawtucket Bridge ; has an elevation above the dam of sixty-two feet, 
and is apparently of excellent quality, the bottom and shore being mostly gravel 
and coarse white sand. It has no stream or brook running into it and has but 
one outlet, on which is a saw-mill owned by Mr. J. Butterfield, and also a 
small mill privilege near its discharge into the Merrimack river. The pond is 
accessible and a swamp called Flag Meadow Swamp lies contiguous, extending 
in a south-westerly direction towards Lowell nearly a mile and-a-half to Angelica 
Brook. From thence to the Merrimack river, the ground gradually descends so 
as to afford a regular inclination to a point on the river, a short distance above 
the dam. 
" Assuming that thirty gallons for twenty-four hours to each inhabitant is 
sufficient for all domestic purposes, as well as for watering streets and extinguish- 
ing fires, and that the railroad depot is a central point, I have made the following, 
calculation to deliver 1,200,000 gallons at the depot. I would propose to conduct 
the water from Tyng's Pond, through Flag Meadow Swamp, in a cylindrical 
brick culvert twenty inches diameter, terminating in a reservoir, by which means 
the head would be preserved, losing in the distance of 9,240 feet, only five feet. 
From thence by an iron pipe 14,520 feet to the railroad depot. For distribution 
in all the inhabited streets and to the yards of all the mills there will be required 
3,430 feet 3-inch pipe, 15,305 feet of 4-inch, 9,850 feet 6-inch and 11,740 feet 
8-inch ; also stop-cocks at convenient distances. The following is an estimate 
of the cost: 
The outlet of the Pond, valued at$3,000.00 
9,240 feet brick culvert, 20-inch, @ $1.50, 13,860.00 
14,500 feet 14-inch iron pipe, @ $4.25, 61,710.00 
11,740 feet 8-inch iron pipe, @ 2.00, 23,480.00 
9,850 feet 6-inch iron pipe, @ 1.60, 15,760.00 
15,305 feet 4-inch iron pipe, @ 1.00, 15,305.00 
3,430 feet 3-inch iron pipe, @ .77, 2,641.00 
Extra for crossing the river, 5,000.00 
Engineer department, including Super, and Com., 7,500.00 
Stop-cocks, 5,000.00 
$153,256.00 
Contingencies, 10 percent., 15,325.60 
$168,581.60 
"N. B. In casting the quantity the iron pipes will deliver, the formula as 
given by Mr. Storrow in his book on water works, has been used, and the esti- 
mate for the iron pipes and brick culvert has been taken from the report of the 
commissioners for supplying Boston with water. 
Respectfully your obedient servant, 
G. M. DEXTER." 7 
CITY OF LOWELL. 
"In Board of Aldermen, April 11th, 1839. 
"A report of the committee of the last City Council on the subject of the 
introduction of pure water into the city, made to the Common Council Nov. 8th, 
1838, and referred March 23d to the next Common Council, came up accepted 
and referred to a joint select committee ; and it was referred by the Board to a 
joint select committee in concurrence. Committee on the part of the Common 
Council, Messrs. Hopkinson, Walker and Nesmith ; Aidermen Whipple and Clark 
were joined. 
THOMAS ORDWAY, City Clerk." 
After this, nothing seems to have been done until the 
year 1848, when the report made by the committee in 
1838, " was taken from the files and referred in concur- 
rence to the joint special committee," which had under 
consideration the subject of supplying the city with water. 
In November, 1848, a communication was addressed to 
Wm. E. Worthen, Civil Engineer, which was as follows : 
" Wm. E. Worthen,- 
' ' Sir : The undersigned, a committee appointed by the City Govern- 
ment of Lowed, to examine into and report upon the practicability of introduc- 
ing Pure Water into the City for household and other purposes, wish to engage 
your services as an engineer in preparing plans and estimates for a system prop- 
er for that purpose, and to obtain from you a report upon the following subjects, 
viz: 
"1st. As to the purity of Merrimack river water, and the propriety of using 
it as a source of supply. 
"2d. The comparative advantages of employing steam and water power to 
raise the water into reservoirs. 
" 3d. The best location for the power to be used, whether steam or water 
power, and estimated cost of the same, including pumping apparatus. 
"4th. The best location for the reservoirs, their number, capacity and cost; 
also the size and cost of pipes leading to them and thence to the mills and houses 
throughout the city, including all expenses incidental thereto; founding your 
calculations on the adequate supply for a population of 75,000 inhabitants. 
"5th. The expediency of seeking a supply of water from other sources, such 
as neighboring ponds or brooks, with the best plan for bringing in and distrib- 8 
uting water from such sources, with the cost attending this method. Also your 
views upon any matter pertaining to the subject before us, not specified above. 
' ' The committee wish to present to the City Government and to their fellow 
citizens a complete system for providing a full supply of pure water, so that 
their future action upon the subject may be had with a perfect understanding of 
the extent and value of the undertaking. 
OLIVER M. WHIPPLE, 
JOHN AVERY, 
JEFFERSON BANCROFT, 
DAVID DANA, 
OTIS L. ALLEN, 
THOMAS HOPKINSON, 
Committee. 
Lowell, November, 1848." 
Mr. Worthen made estimates upon three schemes, which 
are as follows: 
Scheme No. 1. The power to be obtained from Hunt's 
Falls and the supply for the city to be taken from the 
Merrimack Canal, through a cast iron pipe to the pumps, 
and thence forced into a double reservoir on Wyman 
street, Belvidere. Estimated cost, $456,210.34. 
Scheme No. 2. Same as Scheme No. 1, except that it 
proposes two reservoirs instead of one double one. Esti- 
mated cost, $473,241.17. If a subsiding reservoir is used, 
then estimated cost, $491,163.47. 
Scheme No. 3. The supply for the wheels and for the 
City is to be taken from the Northern Canal, the reservoir 
being on Fletcher street. Estimated cost, $417,426.35. 
With an additional reservoir, on School street, estimated 
cost, $478,800.85. 
All of these schemes proposed taking water from the 
Merrimack river, although not directly. In speaking of 
the water, Mr. Worthen says: "There exists a vulgar 
prejudice in the minds of many, on the subject of drink- 
ing river water. It needs but the introduction of a copi- 9 
ous supply to remove this, and like the inhabitants of 
New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburg and Cincinnati, we 
should use it freely, and would soon prefer it to any well 
water." 
In his remarks upon Tyng's and Long Ponds, he says : 
" As far as I can judge without a course of experiments, 
both of these ponds would be inadequate to the present 
proposed supply. The outlet of Tyng's Pond was deliv- 
ering, a few days ago, only 972,000 gallons per day." 
For particulars see report made to the Water Committee, 
December 13 th, 1848. 
The enterprise seems not to have made any advance 
from this time until 1855, a period of seven years, when 
an act was obtained from the Legislature to take water 
from the Merrimack river within the city limits. April, 
1866, an additional act was obtained ; under this and the 
several additional acts the works have been constructed. 
In the summer of 1865, the water question was again 
agitated, and a report and estimates were made by L. F. 
Rice, Civil Engineer, who proposed a plan for taking water 
from the Merrimack river above Pawtucket dam, and 
also another below the Falls, near the island. At this 
time, the charter did not give the privilege of going out- 
side the limits of the city. 
In June, 1869, an act was obtained from the Legisla- 
ture to take water from Beaver Brook, Tyng's and Long 
Ponds, and accordingly surveys and estimates were made 
by J. II. Shedd, Civil Engineer, upon several schemes, and 
finally the Beaver Brook plan was accepted. 
We were elected as the Lowell Water Commissioners 
January 28th, 1870, and the same day organized by the 
choice of Mr. Levi Sprague as chairman. February 16th, 10 
Mr. Joseph P. Davis, a gentleman of large practical 
experience, was elected as Chief Engineer of the Lowell 
Water Works. 
It will be remembered that at the time we entered up- 
on our duties, a plan of works known as the Beaver Brook 
plan had been accepted by the City Council. But by res- 
olution of that body, we were afterwards required to 
make surveys, plans and estimates for various schemes 
contemplating other sources of supply. Great dissatisfac- 
tion was manifested by some of our leading citizens, who 
believed the water of this brook unfit for domestic use, 
and it was thought advisable to seek a source where a 
purer supply could be obtained. Long, Tyng's and Park 
Ponds were suggested as a source of supply, and accord- 
ingly careful surveys and estimates were ordered to be 
made to ascertain the yield and drainage capacity of the 
ponds combined. The surveys were commenced March 
14th, 1870, and finished April 9th. (See Chief Engineer's 
Beport made July, 1870.) Having failed to obtain a sup- 
ply sufficiently large to meet the wants of the city in the 
future, it was not deemed expedient to offer them alone 
as a source of supply. 
The next source of supply which called our attention 
was Merrimack river. Several schemes were presented 
for your consideration, and were compared with the 
Beaver Brook Plan. The different plans are as follows: 
The artificial filter scheme, which contemplates taking 
the water from the northern or Dracut side of the river, 
at a point about two hundred and fifty feet above the 
Pawtucket dam, and conveying it by means of a brick 
conduit to settling basins and filter beds to be built on the 
low land near the outlet of Beaver Brook. At this point 11 
it is first to be freed of its heavier sediment by being 
allowed to stand in the settling basins for twenty-four 
hours, and is then to be rendered pure and limpid by 
passing it through the filter beds. 
Another plan was the natural filter scheme. In this 
plan the water is to be taken from the river by drawing 
it for a distance sufficient to insure proper filtration 
through the gravel beds that are ' found along the river 
shore. To accomplish this result, two arrangements w*ere 
proposed; one a covered gallery located in Centralville, 
between River street and the shore and extending north- 
wardly from the foot of Coburn street for a distance of 
one thousand four hundred feet; and the other an open 
basin formed by building dykes from either end of Long- 
Island to the opposite shore, and enclosing an area 
of about seven acres. 
The gallery is to be built at a proper depth below the 
lowest stage of the river to insure a constant supply, and 
is made open at the bottom and with pervious sides, to 
give free entrance to the water. 
The open basin will receive its supply by filtration 
under the island and through the end dykes, which will be 
constructed with material suitable for such purpose. The 
water obtained in this manner undergoes the same process 
of filtration as that obtained from the gallery ; but as it 
is afterwards exposed in the basin to the air, it will be 
found not so cool and palatable. From the basin and 
gallery the water is to be carried by short conduits to the 
pumping station located three hundred and fifty feet from 
the lower end of the basin. (For full description, see chief 
engineer's report, July, 1870.) 
In July the various plans were reported upon, and dur- 12 
ing the same month the plan known as the artificial filter 
scheme, with some modifications recommended by the 
Joint Standing Committee upon Water Works,was adopted 
by the City Government. This plan was further modified 
in December by the substitution of a filtering gallery for 
settling basins. 
To forward matters as much as possible, a contract was 
made July, 1870, with George H. Norman to furnish 1500 
tons of cast-iron pipe, which would be required, whatever 
plan of works was carried out; and another contract was 
made with the same gentleman for laying pipe in August. 
Cast-iron pipes were selected for the distribution of the 
water, although their cost is far in advance of some other 
kinds in use in other cities. We believe, however, the 
small expense whifch will be necessary to keep them in 
repair will prove them to be the cheapest pipe in the end. 
The experience which has been obtained in this city dur- 
ing the past few years with only a few thousand feet of 
wrought iron and cement pipes, goes to substantiate this 
belief. 
The contract for building the reservoir having been 
awarded to S. Dockham & Co., of Lawrence, the work of 
construction was commenced September 15th, with appro- 
priate ceremonies on Christian Hill, Centralville. The 
reservoir was finished September 14th, 1872, although 
water could have been let into it some time before. 
We have now miles of distributing pipe, with three 
hundred hydrants, and this, taken together with the pipe 
laid previously to 1870, gives miles and three hun- 
dred ninety-eight hydrants. These pipes have been laid 
in the most thickly settled portions of the city, thus pro- 
tecting property from fire, and also giving an opportunity 13 
to our citizens of obtaining an abundant supply of pure 
water for domestic and. manufacturing purposes. 
The new hydrants are capable of supplying three lines 
of hose from each. With this greatly increased protec- 
tion against tire, our citizens cannot help feeling a se- 
curity which they could not have derived from any other 
source. 
Since the contracts for laying water pipe were closed, 
several extensions have been made in streets, largely built 
upon since the commencement of the works, making it 
important that pipes should be laid to protect the proper- 
ty, more especially as they were isolated from any water 
supply for fire purposes. It has been difficult to draw the 
lines for the limits of the distribution. There are many 
streets where the pipes will need to be extended at no 
very distant day. 
It is to be regretted that as favorable an opportunity 
did not present itself during the past season, as we had 
in the summer of 1871, to complete the river crossing. 
The water has been unusually high, owing to the large 
rainfall and the abundant supply in Lake Winnipiseogee, 
the storage reservoir of the Locks and Canals Company. 
August 11th, an attempt to construct a dam was made and 
about one hundred and twenty-five feet, extending from 
the Centralville shore, was built. During the week rain 
fell to the amount of four and one-fourth inches and most 
of the .dam was swept away. Since then rain storms 
have been so frequent that the river has been very high 
most of the time, until it became too cold to attempt 
finishing it the present season. 
For the present, that part of the city lying south of 
Merrimack river is supplied by the twelve-inch pipe which 14 
passes through Central bridge. Fears were expressed by 
some of our citizens that the supply, through this pipe, 
would be liable to frequent interruptions, both from leak- 
age caused by vibrations of the bridge, and from freezing 
in extremely cold weather. To test the effect of the 
vibrations, water was let into the pipe, October 14th, from 
the Locks and Canals reservoir, which produced a pres- 
sure greater by seventeen pounds per square inch, than that 
given by the city reservoir. A few joints leaked a little 
at first, which were stopped without shutting off the 
water. Since then there has been little or no trouble 
from leakage, and the pipe has given far better satisfac- 
tion than was anticipated. At present it shows no signs 
of leaking. The pipe is in an uncovered state and has 
withstood the severe test of unusually cold weather dur- 
ing the month of December, and relieved us from all 
apprehension of trouble from freezing for the future, if 
ordinary care only is exercised. 
Engine foundation No. 1, was finished April 27th, and 
the work upon foundation No. 2, was stopped May 11th. 
Only so much of this foundation was built as was neces- 
sary to carry it above the high water line. 
The construction of the engine buildings was com- 
menced May 18th, by the well-known builder, Geo. W. 
Pearson. It is proper here to state that the delay upon 
the engine buildings has been caused by the late delivery 
of the engine. According to the terms of the contract, 
the engine was to have been set up by the 15th of last 
May. The first piece of the engine arrived in Lowell, 
June 28th, and was taken to the engine house, July 3d. 
The boilers were taken to the engine house, June 27th. 
The fitting of many of the different parts of the engine 15 
not having been properly done before leaving the shop, 
longer time was occupied in setting up the engine than 
was expected. The engine, although not finished, and 
while uncovered, (the roof of the building not being on 
at the time,) was started at 4 p. m., November 28th, and 
commenced pumping water at 2: 15 p m., the following 
day. It continued to pump most of the time, day and 
night, until the morning of December 5th, when it was 
stopped to give the masons and carpenters an opportunity 
to work on the side of the engine house nearest the engine. 
Water was let into the reservoir, November 29th, at 
2:15 p. m., and at the time of stopping the engine there 
were 17.000,000 gallons in it, although considerable had 
been used for filling and washing out the pipes in the 
city. December 3d, water was let into most of the pipes 
in Centralville. 
On the 7th of December, 1872, a communication 
was received from the Agent of the Proprietors of the 
Locks and Canals, expressing a wish to terminate the 
contract for supplying the city with water from their 
reservoir. The contract was terminated December 9th, 
and at one o'clock, p. m., the same day, water was let into 
the pipes (the old system) from the city reservoir, and 
during the same afternoon into most of the pipes in Bel- 
videre, and since then into the other parts of the city as 
fast as it was deemed prudent; and at the present time it 
may be said it is in all the pipes. There have been but 
six leaks discovered in the pipes, making only one in four 
miles. As soon as the contract with the Proprietors of the 
Locks and Canals for supplying the city with water had 
terminated, it gave the city the right to connect the old 
and new systems of pipe. Owing to the lateness of the 16 
season, only such connections have been made as were 
thought to be highly important, to insure a better circu- 
lation, and to guard better against fire. There are several 
more connections to be made which it was thought advi- 
sable to leave until the ground opened in the spring. 
The contracts that have been awarded during the past 
year, with their date and estimated value, are as follows : 
On the 21st of February an agreement was made 
with the Boston Machine Company, for twelve sluice 
gates. Amount, $75,000.. On the 8th of March, a con- 
tract was made with George W. Pearson for building 
engine house, boiler house, coal house, and chimney. 
Amount, $41,200. 
August 19th, a contract was made with William H. 
Wiggin, for building reservoir fences, at $1.08 and 94 1-2 
cents per lineal foot. 
September 2d, a contract was made with William G. 
Howe for building the inlet, terminal, and reservoir gate 
houses. Amount, $7,000. 
The following contracts and agreements have been 
closed during the past year, and with their dates and 
amounts paid, are as follows : 
Contract No. 6, made with Robert Park, for building 
filtering gallery, gate chamber and river connection, 
closed February 15th, amounting to $119,099.72. 
Contract No. 12, made with Carleton & Simpson, for 
furnishing building stone for engine house foundation, 
closed July 1st, and amounted to $2,745. 
Contract No. 2, made with George H. Norman, for 
laying pipe in Wards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, closed July 1st, 
and amounted to $108,496.64. 
Contract No. 8, made with George II. Norman, for 17 
laying pipes in Wards 2 and 6, closed September 1st, 
and amounted to $28,646.40. 
There still remains a reserve of ten per cent, on con- 
tracts Nos. 2 and 8, amounting to $13,714.30, to cover 
the cost of all repairs, if any have to be made by the city 
during the six months that the contractor warrants the 
pipes. 
Contract No. 4, with its supplemental contract for low- 
ering conduit, made with George H. Norman, for building 
a brick supply conduit, closed November 1st, and amount- 
ed to $182,000. Extra labor on conduit, $350. 
Contract No. 3, made with S. Dockham & Co., for 
building distributing reservoir, closed January 1st, 1873, 
and amounted to $82,690.60. 
There has been paid S. Dockham & Co., for grading the 
grounds at the reservoir, $2,299 59, and to O. A. Simpson, 
for building retaining wall, $553.78. 
The contracts remaining to be finished are as fol- 
lows : 
Of contract No. 7, made with George H. Norman, for 
laying pipe conduit, force main and distributing main, all 
has been finished except a portion of the Merrimack river 
crossing. On this contract there is a reserve of $9,380.14. 
Extension of pipe-laying, under contract No. 8, will be 
finished in four weeks. 
Contract No. 10, pumping engine, &c. 
Contract No. 14, engine house buildings 
Contract No. 15, reservoir fences. 
Contract No. 16, three gate houses. 
During the last summer, the Joint Standing Committee 18 
on Water Works were joined to the Commissioners for 
the purpose of settling all claims for land or damage on 
account of the Water Works. A large majority of the 
parties have been settled with, while a few claims yet 
remain to be adjusted. Annexed are the names of all the 
parties settled with, and the amount paid to each: 
A. S. Langley, $ 475 00 
H. B. Proctor, 3,800 00 
Luther Richards, 600 00 
Hugh McEvoy, 1,325 00 
W. W. & R. L. Read, 1,371 26 
B. Cavanaugh, 5,500 00 
E. S. Davis, 600 00 
Anson Lamere, 700 00 
Daniel Saunders, 600 00 
William Dobbins, 4,500 00 
Holden & Warren, 350 35 
Samuel N. Wood, 614 63 
Eleanor Goding, 593 82 
E. P. Woods, 174 80 
Levi Sprague, 38 46 
Patrick Cummiskey, 1,050 00 
Jason Goodhue, 25 
John P. White, 400 00 
Samuel Fay, (amount awarded but not paid,).... 158 57 
Abel Coburn, 1,000 00 
Henry Emery, (referred,) 3,500 00 
Bickford Lang, (expense of referees,) 10 87 
J. M. Hodges, (referred,) 1,200 00 
E. M. Reed and others, (expense of referees,).... 75 00 
H. F. Durant,.; 9,075 44 
Robert A. Gilchrest, 2,111 40 
Joshua B. Morse, 2,000 00 
Richardson heirs, 1,050 00 
John and Abel Richardson, 1,000 00 
Robert Park, 1,200 00 
Mary Pitts, 578 02 
Town of Dracut, (taxes,) 7 76 
Henry W. Read, 500 00 
John H. McAlvin, (recording deed,) 45 19 
The following is a list of names of the parties not yet 
settled with for land damages : 
FILTERING GALLERY. 
Proprietors of Locks and Canals. 
BRICK CONDUIT, 
Eliza D. Blood, 
Mrs. E. H. Lew. 
Alfred Brown, 
G. W. Willard, 
Isaac Holden, 
Charles Bodwell heirs. 
Proprietors of Locks and Canals, 
Nelson Cox, 
PIPE CONDUIT. 
Fisher A. Hildreth, 
Mary Murtagh heirs, 
Charles Kenney. 
RESERVOIR. 
Lund and Beacon, 
B. Cavanaugh. 
Proprietors of Locks and Canals, 
DISTRIBUTING MAIN. 
J. B. French. 
May 1st, Mr. Fred W. Guest was appointed rodman on 
the Engineer corps. 
May 9th, the work on the engine foundation, etc., being 
nearly completed, Mr. B. F. Barnard resigned his position 
as foreman. 
May 31st, Mr. Joseph P. Davis resigned his position as 
Chief Engineer, his time being fully occupied as Chief 
Engineer of the Boston Water Works, and Mr. George E. 
Evans, Assistant Engineer, was appointed to fill the va- 
cancy. 
On the same day, Mr. David W. Cunningham, Assistant 
Engineer, and C. H. M. Blake, Leveller, resigned their 
positions to take charge of the sewerage surveys for the 
city, the former as Chief Engineer, and the latter as Assis- 
tant Engineer. 
June 30th, Mr. Charles W. Drake resigned his position 20 
on the Engineer corps, to take a position as Assistant 
Engineer on the Manchester Water Works. 
July 1st, Frank A. Bayley was appointed rodman on 
the Engineer corps. 
July 10th, Mr. P. S. Coburn resigned his position as 
Inspector of pipe laying. 
August 26th, Mr. Herbert Marshall resigned his posi- 
tion as Inspector on the supply conduit. 
August 31st, James H. Harlow, Assistant Engineer, 
resigned his position to take a similar position on the 
Pittsburgh New Water Works. 
September 14th, Mr. F. H. Spalding resigned his posi- 
tion as Inspector at the reservoir. 
September 25th, William M. Smith resigned his posi- 
tion as Inspector of pipe laying. 
It is proper here to state that Mr. H. II. Wilder resigned 
his position as Water Commissioner, September 26th, 1871, 
on account of the pressure of private business ; and Oc- 
tober 11th, Mr. S. K. Hutchinson was elected to the posi- 
tion. 
The expenditures for construction to the 1st of January, 
1873, exclusive of interest and commission on water 
bonds, as will be seen by the detailed statement, are 
$1,151,218.24. 
The Engineer's estimate of the cost of the works was 
$1,265,000, and we feel confident in saying that we be- 
lieve when the works are completed the cost will not ex- 
ceed the estimate, although some work has been done 
which was not originally contemplated. 
Annexed is a detailed statement of the expenditures for 
the last year, and also another giving the total expendi- 
tures to January 1st, 1873. 21 
For particulars of construction of the works we would 
refer you to the report of our Chief Engineer, which is 
also annexed. 
The Commissioners take pleasure in acknowledging the 
faithfulness and efficiency of those persons who have been 
connected with the works during their construction. 
Respectfully submitted. 
LEVI SPRAGUE, 
WM. E. LIVINGSTON, 
S. K. HUTCHINSON, 
Loivell Water Commissioners. EXPENDITURES FOR THE YEAR 1871 
IRON PIPE. 
Paid Jesse W. Starr & Sons, (contract closed,) $90,417 08 
For inspection at Foundry and labor at Pipe Yard,.... 1,378 38 
$91,795 46 
LAYING PIPE. 
Paid George H. Norman, $47,233 78 
Amount reserved, 10,849 66 
$58,083 44 
Paid George H. Norman, $16,066 22 
Amount reserved, 3,584 47 
19,650 69 
Paid for inspection, &c., 3,476 44 
RESERVOIR. 
Paid S. Dockham & Co., (contract closed,) 42,561 18 
For inspection, &c., 3,900 39 
BRICK CONDUIT. 
Paid George H. Norman, (contract closed,) ; 76,314 65 
For inspection, 352 00 
PIPE CONDUIT, FORCE MAIN AND RIVER CROSSING. 
Paid George H. Norman, $25,606 13 
Amount reserved, 9,380 14 
$34,986 27 
Paid for inspection, &c., 241 34 
FILTERING GALLERY. 
Paid Robert Park, (contract closed,) $17,791 51 
W. Robinson & Co., 16 00 
Merrill & Calef, 88 54 
0. A. P. Trask, 6 25 
$17,902 30 23 
WATER GATES, &c. 
Paid Boston Machine Company, $8,804 00 
Lowell Machine Shop, 960 00 
Cole & Nichols, 36 07 
Boston and Lowell Railroad, 6 60 
E. P. McCoy, - 4 00 
Nichols & Fletcher, 7 81 
$9,818 48 
ENGINE HOUSE AND ENGINE FOUNDATIONS. 
Pay Roll, $1,893 23 
Paid F. Frye, 1,248 19 
T. W. Hoxie, 998 40 
Lowell Wadding Company, 29 73 
O. A. Simpson, 48 20 
Nichols & Fletcher, 13 00 
Carlton & Simpson, 675 00 
H. R. Barker & Co., 6 90 
Carried forward, $4,912 65 
Brought forward, $4,912 65 
Paid J. Rogers & Co., 3 06 
D. W. Horn, 75 00 
Geo. W. Pearson, 38 54 
Merrimack Print Works, 19 00 
William Roberts, 6 50 
D. G. Skillings, 10 78 
George H. Norman, 45 00 
$5,110 53 
Paid George W. Pearson, 
(on contract,) $33,133 07 
F. Frye & Co., 172 38 
O. A. Simpson, 88 50 
S. G. Mack & Co., 135 
W. W. Hazard, 19 25 
James Lappam, 17 50 
Sylvester Sullivan, 14 00 
Patrick Whalen, 10 06 
Geo. W. Pearson, 193 53 
J. Rogers & Co., 3 20 
Carried forward, $33,652 84 
ENGINE HOUSE. 
Brought forward. $33,652 84 
Paid *H. R. Barker & Co.,. 152 94 
*C. B. Coburn & Co,.. 119 17 
♦Lowell Felting Mills,. 114 62 
♦Nichols & Fletcher,... 2 66 
*G. W. Fairgrieve, 1 00 
Geo. H. Norman, 34 75 
Whithed & Tallant,.... 19 00 
N. T. Staples & Sons,. 18 20 
D. G. Skillings, 14 15 
♦William Kittredge,.... 51 17 
$34,180 50 
PUMPING ENGINE. 
Paid H. G. Morris, (on contract,)... $48,000 00 
H. R. Barker & Co., 198 69 
H. H. Wilder & Co., 150 
$48,200 19 
*Used for the engine while pumping, ($441 50,) and does not properly belong to the 
Engine House account. 24 
CROSSING BRIDGES. 
Paid Geo. W. Pearson, $1,927 05 
Howes & Burnham,.... 149 36 
O. A. P. Trask, 170 00 
H. & A. Whitney, 57 18 
Chamberlin & Jockow, 8 60 
O. A. Simpson, 44 00 
Carried forward,.,.... $2,356 19 
Brought forward, $2,356 19 
Paid H. M. Gilman, 9 20 
Norcross & Saunders,. 13 82 
D. G. Skillings, 107 62 
H. R. Barker & Co.,... 7 70 
$2,494 53 
LAND AND DAMAGE. 
Paid Samuel Fay, (amount awarded but not drawn,) $ 158 57 
Abel Coburn, 1,000 00 
Henry Emery, 3,500 00 
Bickford Lang, (referee,) 10 87 
J. M. Hodges, 1,200 00 
E. M. Reed and others, (referees,) 75 00 
H. F. Durant... 9,075 44 
Robert A. Gilchrest, 2,111 40 
Joshua B. Morse, 2,000 00 
Richardson heirs, 1,050 00 
John & Abel Richardson, 1,000 00 
Robert Park, 1,200 00 
Mary Pitts, 578 02 
Town of Dracut, (taxes,) 7 76 
Henry W. Read, 500 00 
John H. McAlvin, 45 
$23,467 51 
RESERVOIR FENCES. 
Paid William H. Wiggin, (on contract,) $2,890 00 
GATE HOUSES. 
Paid William G. Howe, (on contract,) $4,866 25 
Paid Levi Sprague, $2,000 00 
Sain'l K. Hutchinson,.. 1,000 00 
Wm. E. Livingston..... 1,000 00 
Carried forward, $4,000 00 
SALARIES. 
}3rought forward, $4,000 00 
Paid J. S. Holt, 800 00 
$4,800 00 25 
ENGINEERS. 
Paid Joseph P. Davis, $1,041 65 
Geo. E. Evans, 2,208 31 
J. H. Harlow, 1,200 00 
D. W. Cunningham,.... 750 00 
C. W. Drake, 480 00 
E. S. Davis, 960 00 
Carried forward, $6,639 96 
Brought forward $6,639 96 
Paid C. H. M. Blake, 400 00 
James P. Kirkwood,... 1,400 00 
F. W. Guest, 432 00 
F. A. Bayley, 318 00 
F. H. Spalding, 72 00 
$9,261 96 
ENGINEERING EXPENSES. 
Paid D. G. Leavitt, $412 75 
Fiske & Spaulding, 7 25 
J. Rogers & Co 5 18 
B. H. Peabody, 5 50 
P. S. Coburn, 125 00 
J. S. Holt, 65 17 
James Brown, 15 00 
Carried forward, $635 85 
Brought forward, $635 85 
Paid F. P. Coggeshall, 81 63 
Stone & Huse, 13 00 
Bennett A Rodliff, 12 50 
Lowell Gas Light Co., 5 49 
Samuel Convers, 2 75 
D. G. Skillings, 14 86 
$766 08 
OFFICE EXPENSES. 
Paid Lowell Gas Light Co., $ 9 34 
Joshua Merrill, 5 27 
William E. Livingston, 37 90 
J. S. Holt, 18 93 
Bennett & Rodliff, 16 00 
Brown & Chase, 3 50 
Geo. W. Pearson, 50 
D. W. Horn, 12 00 
Carried forward, $103 44 
Brought forward, $103 4+ 
Paid Merchants' Nat'l Bank, 225 00 
William Kittredge, 5 50 
F. P. Coggeshall, 1 75 
Daniel Gage, 8 50 
Marston & Prince, 8 00 
H. H. Wilder & Co.,... 2 00 
$354 19 
PRINTING AND ADVERTISING. 
Paid Boston Daily Advertiser, $22 50 
Knapp & Morey, 56 75 
Stone & Huse,... 9 25 
Carried forward, 88 50 
Brought forward, $88 50 
Paid Marden & Rowell, 44 75 
Joshua Merrill, 1 75 
$135 00 
Paid Charles Going, $5 50 
John F. Williams, 54 25 
C. H. Philbrick, 110 25 
J. H. McAlvin, 3 75 
J. G. Peabody, 37 35 
Carried forward, $211 10 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Brought forward, $211,10 
Paid Nelson Holmes, 110 00 
E. B. Patch, 10 00 
C. E. Bohonan, 4 00 
H. O. Morse, 2 00 
$337 10 26 
RECAPITULATION. 
Iron Pipe, $91,795 46 
Laying Pipe, 66,776 44 
Reservoir...... 46,461 57 
Brick Conduit, 76,666 65 
Pipe Conduit, 25,847 47 
Filtering Gallery, 17,902 30 
Hydrants, Water Gates, <fcc., 9,818 48 
$335,268 37 
Land and Damages, $23,467 51 
Engine House and Engine Foundations, 5,110 53 
Engine House, 34,180 50 
Pumping Engine, 48,200 19 
Crossing Bridges, 2,494 53 
Reservoir Fences, 2,890 00 
Gate Houses, 4,866 25 
Salaries, 4,800 00 
Engineers, 9,261 96 
Engineering Expenses, 766 08 
Office Expenses, 354 19 
Printing and Advertising, ; 135 00 
Miscellaneous, 337 10 
$136,863 84 
$472,132 21 
Add charges from other appropriations, 84 85 
$472,217 06 
Deduct for freight on pipe, $302 97 
" " Clearing streets, 54 00 
" " Old fence sold, 5 00 
" " House and barn sold, 430 00 
" " House rent, 220 00 
" " Lumber sold, 4 50 
" " Horse sold, 250 00 
1,266 47 
$470,950 59 27 
Statement showing Expenditures for the Years 1870, '71, '72. 
Iron Pipe, $313, C$2 G2 
Laying pipe, setting stop gates and hydrants, 132,878 81 
Reservoir, , .s 89,23G GO 
Brick Conduit, 185,058 71 
Pipe Conduit, Distributing Main, &c., 53,551 96 
Filtering Gallery, 119,512 06 
Hydrants, Stop Gates, &c., 34,680 26 
$928,011 02 
Land and Damage, 48,558 08 
Engine House and Engine Foundations, 27,615 03 
Engine House, 34,780 50 
Pumping Engine, 48,788 29 
Crossing Bridges, 2,494 53 
Reservoir Fences, 2,890 00 
Gate Houses, .. 4,866 25 
Salaries, 13,830 81 
Engineers, 34,053 52 
Engineering Expenses, 2,401 83 
Office Expenses, 2,000 31 
Printing and Advertising, 1,494 10 
Travelling Expenses, 684 83 
Preliminary Surveys, Well, etc., 2,841 72 
Miscellaneous, 2,373 80 
229,673 60 
$1,157,684 62 
Add charges from other appropriations, 241 05 
$1,157,925 67 
Deduct for pipe press, $2,000 00 
" " Freight on pipe, 3,028 89 
" " Clearing streets, 54 00 
" " Hydrants, &c., sold, 465 04 
" " Old fence sold, 5 00 
" " House and barn sold, 430 00 
" " House rent, 220 00 
" " Lumber sold, 4 50 
" " Horses sold, 500 00 
6,707 43 
$1,151,218 24 ENGINEER'S REPORT. 
OFFICE OF CHIEF ENGINEER,) 
Lowell, January 1st, 1873. ) 
To the Loiuell Water Commissioners: 
Gentlemen : I herewith respectfully submit a report 
descriptive of the works as constructed during your term 
of office. To obtain a general understanding of the works, 
we will commence at the source of supply and trace the 
water from its starting point through its various courses 
until it reaches the city pipes. 
The works consist of the following parts : Filtering 
gallery, river connection, inlet chamber, gate-house and 
appurtenances; supply conduit and tunnel; terminal 
chamber, gate-house and appurtenances, and pipe conduit; 
engine foundations and pump well, engine buildings, pump- 
ing engine, force main; distributing reservoir, with its 
gate-chamber, gate-house, drain pipe, &c.; distributing 
main and city distribution pipes. 
LOCATION. 
Taking the post office as the centre of location, the 
distance by Merrimack, Pawtucket, and School streets, 
and River road, is miles to the inlet chamber of the 
filtering gallery at the source of the supply. 29 
The engine-house is situated on land bounded by 
West-Sixth, Hampshire and Pearl streets, and is mile 
from the post office, by way of Merrimack, Bridge and 
West-Sixth streets. 
The reservoir is situated on land east of Beacon street, 
on Christian hill, and is mile from the post office, by 
way of Merrimack, Bridge and Sixth streets. 
DATUM. 
The datum or plane of reference for all elevations, is 
the same as that used by the Locks and Canals Company, 
which is thirty-two feet below the top of Pawtucket dam, 
or 39.7 feet below the underpinning of the City Govern- 
ment building. The elevations are given in feet and dec- 
imals of a foot. 
The filtering gallery was substituted for settling basins 
and artificial filters, and was not intended to be used as 
the principal source of supply, but only during times of 
freshet, when the water in the river contains a considera- 
ble amount of matter in suspension. When the water is 
clear, it is to be taken from the river through the inlet 
pipe. 
The gallery is situated about 1,500 feet above Paw- 
tucket bridge, in Dracut, on the northerly shore of Mer- 
rimack river, and parallel with it, about one hundred feet 
from the water's edge. Its length is 1,300 feet, width 
eight feet, and height (inside) eight feet. The top (inside) 
is level with the top of Pawtucket dam. The side walls 
have an average thickness of two-and-three-fourths feet, 
and a height of five feet, and are constructed of heavy 
FILTERING GALLERY. 30 
rubble masonry, laid water tight in hydraulic mortar. 
The walls support a semi-circular brick arch one foot 
thick, made water tight. Along the bottom, stone braces 
one foot square and eight feet long are placed, ten feet 
from centre to centre, between the walls, to ke(*p them in 
position. The bottom is covered with coarse screened 
gravel, one foot thick, to the level of the brace stones. 
There are three man-holes, three feet interior diameter, 
which are built up to the elevation of 47-5, or 1.7 feet 
above the highest known freshet, and covered with cut- 
stone covers, and located about four hundred feet apart. 
The depth of the excavation averaged about sixteen feet, 
which carried it into the natural gravel bed. 
This is situated at the lower terminus of the filtering 
gallery, and forms the connection with the inlet pipe, or 
river connection, and supply conduit. It is seventeen- 
and-a-half feet wide, and thirty-eight-and-a-half feet long, 
with a wing thirteen-and-a-half feet wide, and fifteen- 
and-a-half feet long, in plan. The masonry is built upon 
a timber foundation thirteen inches thick. The walls are 
twenty-seven-and-a-half feet high, and have an average 
thickness of four feet one inch. They are built of heavy 
rubble and cut-granite masonry, laid in hydraulic mortar, 
and are an excellent piece of work. A portion of the 
chamber at the end of the gallery, forming a compart- 
ment eight by ten feet, is intended as a place for keeping 
a boat for examining the gallery. The walls of this part 
of the chamber have a heavy granite coping, which 
receives the cover, formed of three inch pine plank. The 
elevation of the top of the chamber is 47 5 feet above 
INLET CHAMBER. 31 
datum. The chamber is so arranged that the water ca 
be drawn from the gallery or the river, or from both ac 
the same time. It is provided with two self-operating 
gates, which open or close, to meet the requirements of 
the pumping engine. There is also a sluice gate which 
separates the gallery from the conduit. At the gallery 
end, there is a fine screen to prevent fishes from going 
into the gallery. At the end of the inlet pipe there is a 
coarse screen to prevent floating substances from entering 
the chamber and interfering with the self-acting gate ; 
and at the conduit end there are double screens to prevent 
fish or floating substances from entering the conduit. All 
the screens are made of the best copper wire. There is 
a place in the river side of the chamber where a measur- 
ing weir can be placed, for the purpose of measuring the 
water which comes from the river, if it should ever be 
needed. The chamber, excepting the boat compartment, 
is covered with a brick gate-house, which has a cut-granite 
base, and brick trimmings. It is well lighted and con- 
venient, and in this the sluice-gate is operated by a hand 
wheel. In the floor there are a number of trap doors, so 
that the operations of the self-acting gates can be exam- 
ined, and also for purposes of cleaning the screens. 
INLET PIPE OR RIVER CONNECTION. 
A 30-inch cast-iron pipe, two hundred and twenty feet 
in length', leads from the gate-chamber, and extends about 
forty-five feet into the river. This portion of the pipe is 
laid upon a grillage, piles and rubble masonry, to which 
it is securely strapped with iron bands in such a manner 
that it cannot be moved from its place without tearing 
up or breaking off the piles. The bottom of the river is 32 
protected from washing by the current, by a guard of 
sheet piling six inches in thickness. The river end of the 
pipe is provided with a wooden frame arranged for receiv- 
ing a grating or gate to shut off the water, when it may 
be desired to enter the pipe to make an examination or 
repairs. About one hundred and thirty-six feet from the 
gate-house, there is a 30-inch stop-gate, which is sur- 
rounded by a brick wall covered with a granite coping 
and iron cover. This gate regulates the supply from the 
river. To lay the river end of the pipe it recpiired a 
coffer-dam, which was formed of two rows of sheet piling, 
driven six feet apart, and filled in between with earth. 
The work upon the filtering gallery, gate chamber and 
inlet pipe was begun in April, 1871, and completed in 
December of the same year. They are in every particu- 
lar of the first class, and much credit is due Mr. Robert 
Park, the contractor, for the thorough and rapid manner 
in which he has done the work. 
SUPPLY CONDUIT. 
The conduit extends from the inlet chamber to the 
terminal chamber, a distance of feet, including the 
tunnel, and has an inclination of nine inches. It con- 
veys the water to the pipe conduit, and has a capacity 
when running full, of 13,000,000 gallons per day. In 
shape it is a circle of four feet three inches inside diaTne- 
ter, and constructed of hydraulic brick masonry, eight 
inches thick, and planked around the extrados of the 
invert. The whole exterior of the conduit is covered 
with a coating of cement mortar to prevent the percola- 
tion ot surface water through the brick-work into the 
conduit. The elevation of the interior bottom at the 33 
upper end is 24.5 feet referred to datum. There are two 
manholes west of the tunnel, three feet six inches interior 
diameter, built above the natural surface and covered with 
suitable cut stone coping and covers. They are about 
1,100 feet apart. 
The tunnel part of the conduit is 1,788 feet in length. 
The greater part is through solid rock, although some of 
it was in rock and earth, and some entirely in earth, re- 
quiring very strong timbering. Work upon the tunnel 
was commenced- about the last of December, 1870, and 
has been pushed forward, day and night, with some inter- 
ruptions caused by the breaking of machinery used for 
taking out the water. Only one face was worked until 
March 6th, when Shaft No. 1 was to grade which allowed 
two more headings to be worked. In order to complete 
the tunnel in time for the other parts of the work three 
new sliafts were sunk. 
The following table will show the monthly progress 
upon the tunnel since its commencement: 
December, 1870, 11 feet, worked one face. 
January, 1871, 27.5 " " " " 
February, " 100.5 " including 50 feet, shaft No. 1. 
March, " 111 " worked three faces. 
April, " 128 " " " " 
May, " 101.9 " " " " 
June, " 69.9 " force principally employed in lowering grade. 
July, " 105 " worked three faces. 
August, " 131.2 " " four " 
September, " 124.7 " " " " 
October, " 120.2 " " " " 
November, " 101.9 " headings A and B met, worked three faces. 
December, " 119.7 " worked three faces. 
' January, 1872, 131.8 " " four " 
February, " 139.2 " " three " 
March, " 107.1 " " four " 
April, " 86.6 " " three " 
May, " 40.8 " " three " 34 
At the westerly end of the tunnel the brick-work is 
carried in fifteen feet, and at the lower end it is carried in 
three hundred and seventy-three feet from the terminal 
chamber, and of the regular section. At the shafts and 
portions of the rock roof, that were thought to be unsafe, 
brick-work was built eight inches thick. The side walls 
are perpendicular, four feet high and four feet apart, with 
a semi-circular arch. The space between the back of the 
walls and sides of the tunnel was carefully filled with 
stone and grouted, and the space above the arch was filled 
with well rammed earth. The length of the brick conduit 
outside the tunnel is 2,382 feet, and that in the tunnel 
seven hundred and thirty-three feet in length. The exca- 
vation has varied from thirteen to thirty feet in depth, 
and a considerable part was ledge and boulders. The 
excavation being so deep, large quantities of water had 
to be pumped or bailed, which necessarily interfered to 
some extent with the progress of the work. The earth- 
work of the conduit was commenced September, 1870. 
There having been a change of plan from settling basins 
to a natural filtering gallery, a change in the grade and 
form of the conduit became advisable, and the change 
was agreed to by the contractor in April, 187.1. This 
caused the abandonment of a small portion of the work 
already built, and also increased considerably the work to 
be done. This work was done under a contract with Mr. 
Geo. H. Norman, Mr. H. N. Wales acting as his super- 
intendent. To these gentlemen we are indebted for the 
character of the work. 35 
TERMINAL CHAMBER. 
This is situated at the lower or easterly end of the 
conduit on the Navy Yard road. It is constructed of 
rubble, cut granite and brick masonry laid in cement mor- 
tar. Owing to the great depth of the excavation, heavy 
timber bracing was required to sustain the sides. From 
the bottom of this excavation one of the tunnel headings 
was started. The bottom -was compact gravel and upon 
this a foundation one foot thick of concrete was laid and 
from this the masonry was started. The floor is of brick 
masonry six inches thick, laid in an inverted arch form. 
The top of the chamber is eleven feet wide and fifteen 
feet six inches long, in plan ; and the elevation of the top 
of the masonry is 50 feet. The walls have an average 
thickness of three feet ten inches, and are twenty-eight 
feet nine inches high. 
A 30-inch pipe leads from this chamber known as the 
pipe conduit. A pipe of the same diameter and nine feet 
in length is built into the masonry for future use. At 
elevation 32 feet there is a waste weir, provided with 
grooves for stop planks to regulate the head of water 
in the conduit, which also answers the purposes of a ven- 
tilator. There is connected with this a culvert, one hun- 
dred and thirty-eight feet in length, having an area equal 
to that of the conduit, to convey the waste water into a 
natural water course. It is built of brick and rubble 
masonry laid in hydraulic mortar. The foundation is 
composed of two courses of 2-inch plank, and concrete 
six inches in depth. The chamber is furnished with a 
sluice-gate, which is operated by a hand wheel in the 
gate-house. A small and substantial gate-house of pressed 
brick, octagonal in shape, is erected over the chamber. 36 
PIPE CONDUIT. 
This consists of a 30-inch cast iron pipe, and extends 
from the terminal chamber to the engine house, a distance 
of 6,6554 feet, measured on centre line of the pipe. A 
portion of this pipe is laid three-and-a-half or four feet 
beneath the bed of Beaver Brook, and is in form of an 
inverted syphon. The brook at this place is one hundred 
feet wide, and from four to nine feet deep. To lay the 
pipe, it required a coffer-dam fifteen feet wide and one 
hundred and forty-four feet in length. A temporary 
channel was cut to allow the water to pass into Merri- 
mack river. The dam upon each side of the trench was 
formed of a single row of sheet twenty and twenty- 
two feet in length and six inches thick, tongued and 
grooved, and driven from ten to thirteen feet into the bed 
of the brook. The frame-work of the dam was construct- 
ed of round piles, ten inches in diameter and twenty-two 
feet long, and placed ten feet four inches from centres, to 
which a wale piece ten inches square was bolted. The bed 
of the brook is composed of coarse sand, through which 
the water came very rapidly, requiring the use of two 
large steam pumps to keep it out, making the work very 
tedious and difficult At the lowest point of this pipe 
there is a man-hole pipe fourteen feet in height, extend- 
ing to the surface, to be used when it becomes necessary 
to clean out the heavier substances which cannot be blown 
out through the blow-off. The blow-off is a 6-inch branch 
with a stop-gate, fastened to the side of the man-hole 
pipe, three feet one inch below the top. It is to be used 
for draining the water out of the pipe conduit, or if nec- 
essary, the supply conduit. On each side of the brook 
there are capped branches, and when it becomes necessary 37 
to double the line of pipes, a second crossing of the brook 
can be avoided. There are also five other man-holes in 
the pipe conduit, for convenience of cleaning out the sand 
or other deposits. They are situated about 1,200 feet 
apart. The excavation upon this part of the work was 
begun in May, 1871, and all the pipe laid January, 1872, 
excepting the Beaver Brook crossing, which was laid in 
July last. At station 98+50, Pitts' brook, there is a 
double culvert having an area of 19.2 square feet of 
opening, built of dry rubble masonry. At this place 
the pipe is laid in an embankment one hundred and fifty 
feet in length. 
ENGINE FOUNDATIONS AND PUMP WELL. 
The data needed to determine the definite plans for the 
engine foundations were not received as early as desired, 
and the starting of the work was delayed until August, 
1871. The excavation was twelve feet deep, and of an 
exceedingly difficult character. At first it appeared firm, 
but as soon as it was disturbed it became very quaggy. 
A cement sewer pipe was laid through Bow street from 
the pit to a small brook at Coburn street, a distance of 
six hundred and ninety-three feet. This served to drain 
the pit during the excavation, and also now to drain the 
pump-well whenever necessary to enter it for repairs. 
The cement pipe has not proved to have sufficient strength 
to withstand the pressure caused by the earth filling in 
deep cuts. Last fall, portions of the drain near the 
engine house, where the cutting is quite deep, gave way, 
and were repaired; since then another place has fallen in. 
The pipe should be replaced in the spring by a brick sew- 
er, at least where the depth is great. From the pipe con- 38 
duit, the water passes into an arched pocket, then through 
a passage in the wall to the wet well, and then into the 
pump pit, where it is taken by the pump. 
The arched pocket, engine foundations, and a portion 
of the engine house foundation, are built upon a heavy 
timber foundation forty-five feet four inches by fifty-four 
feet eight inches, and composed of two layers, of 8-inch 
square spruce timber, laid crosswise and covered with one- 
and-a-half inch Georgia pine plank. Its elevation is 14.85 
feet above datum. 
A portion of the engine foundation, which starts from 
a higher level, had to be supported upon piles, on account 
of the yielding nature of the earth, and consequently 
eighty-two piles were driven about two-and-a-quarter feet 
apart from centres, and to a depth of about twenty feet. 
On top of these piles is placed a heavy rubble foundation. 
The foundations for the engines are built of hydraulic 
brick masonry, excepting the stone used for spanning the 
pockets, where the bed-plate bolts are secured, and around 
the openings where the wedge gates are attached. The 
brick masonry was started in the latter part of Septem- 
ber, 1871. 
The masonry of engine foundation No. 1 is so arranged 
as to form the pump pit, the fly-wheel pit and the force 
main gallery. There are eighteen holes extending down- 
ward twelve feet into the masonry, to receive the bolts 
for holding the bed-plate and crank shaft pedestal. The 
top of the foundation has an elevation of 37.5 feet. The 
height of the foundation is twenty-two feet eight inches. 
The passage of the water from the pump well to the 
pump is regulated by a sluice gate two feet nine inches 
square, which is worked by a hand wheel in the engine 39 
room above. The pump well is located under the engine 
room, and is thirteen feet wide, thirty-five feet long and 
eighteen feet two inches deep, and is connected with the 
arched pocket by a passage in the engine house founda- 
tion wall. 
■ The arched pocket is located at the westerly end of the 
engine house, just outside of the engine house foundation 
wall, and is ten feet wide, thirty-five feet six inches long 
and fourteen feet ten inches in height, and is covered with 
an arch of brick masonry eight inches in thickness. The 
capacity of the arched pocket and wet well, when at the 
usual pumping level, is 85,000 gallons, although at pres- 
ent they have also the capacity of the pump pit of engine 
foundation No. 2, which increases it considerably. The 
walls of the pocket and well are of rubble masonry lined 
with brick masonry, excepting the portion formed by the 
engine foundations. • At elevation 30.9 feet there is an 
overflow weir with grooves in the wall of the pump well, 
so arranged that with stop-planks, the waste water which 
flows into the well of the cement drain can be regulated. 
In the bottom of the pump well there is a 6-inch iron 
drain pipe, with a stop-gate so arranged that it can be 
operated from the engine room, when it becomes neces- 
sary to drain the well for making repairs. 
The pipe conduit enters the arched pocket near its 
southerly end, where there is a sluice-gate which is ope- 
rated in the engine room by means of bevelled gears and 
hand wheel. There is also another 30-inch pipe built 
into the wall of the arched pocket for the connection of 
the second pipe conduit when the demand for water shall 
require it. In the drain pipe well, which is located at the 
southwesterly corner of the engine house, there is a stop- 40 
gate which allows the water to be drawn from the arched 
pocket and wet well. At the end of the engine founda- 
tion, in the wet well, there are fine copper wire screens, 
which prevent substances from floating into the pump pit. 
Engine foundation No. 2 is only partly built. Just 
enough was constructed to carry it above the water level, 
and to form a part of the pump well, so that whenever a 
second engine becomes necessary, the foundation can be 
finished without causing any delay in the pumping of 
the other engine. 
The engine house and engine foundations were built by 
day's labor, by a resolution of the City Council, passed 
July J 1th, 1871, and were carefully and thoroughly con- 
structed. 
ENGINE BUILDINGS. 
The engine buildings consist of an engine house fifty- 
six feet seven inches by seventy-five feet; boiler house 
forty-one feet by fifty-six feet three inches, and coal house 
forty-four feet eight inches by one hundred and eight feet,in 
plan, and also the chimney. The buildings are constructed 
of pressed brick, having underpinnings of granite with rock 
face, excepting the belt course of the engine house, which 
is fine hammered. The window sills of the buildings and 
caps to the buttresses of the coal house are fine ham- 
mered granite. There are to be steps and buttresses of 
fine hammered granite at the front of the engine house. 
All of the roofs are supported by wooden trusses, and 
covered with slate, and the flat portions of the boiler 
house and coal house roofs are covered with tin and paint- 
ed, and the engine house with copper. The cornices and 
gutters are all galvanized iron. 41 
The engine room is to be finished with ash and black 
walnut, and the floor of Georgia pine. The ceiling is 
white pine, and painted. The room, when finished, will 
be fifty-one feet four inches by sixty-nine feet four inches, 
in plan, and thirty-nine feet three inches in height. From 
the top of the engine platform there is to be a circular 
iron stairway leading to the attic. 
In the engine-house there is to be a hydrant and suffi- 
cient length of hose to command any position in the 
interior of the buildings. On the front of the engine- 
house grounds there are two fire hydrants, one near each 
corner. 
The floor of the boiler house is to be tar concrete and 
brick, and in the coal house it is tar concrete. At present 
there are only three boilers in the boiler-house, but there 
is ample room for a set of three more. The foundation 
walls of the engine-house are built of rubble masonry 
laid in hydraulic mortar, and the foundations of the boiler 
house and coal house of dry rubble masonry. 
The foundation for the chimney was commenced on the 
gravel bed six feet nine inches below the surface of the 
ground, and is composed of heavy rubble masonry laid in 
hydraulic mortar, and at the base is twenty feet six inches 
square, and diminishes by regular offsets to the top, where 
it is octagonal in plan, with a diameter of seventeen feet. 
The flue from the boilers is built into the foundation be- 
neath the ground. The chimney is one hundred and five 
feet in height above the ground. It is octagonal in plan 
and built of brick masonry, with two granite belts, and a 
suitable granite base thirteen feet six inches diameter, 
provided with an iron door for the purpose of cleaning out 
the boiler Hue. It consists of two shafts, the inner, a 42 
smoke shaft, starts in the foundation five feet six inches 
below the ground, and is carried up eighty feet, being en- 
tirely separate from the outer shaft. This is to prevent 
the chimney from cracking under expansion From the 
smoke shaft there are eight radial arms extending nearly 
to the outer shaft. The .top of the chimney is protected 
by an ornamental cast-iron cap. The chimney is located 
eight feet from the easterly end of the boiler house. 
The engine buildings are being completed under a con- 
tract with Geo. W. Pearson, of this city, whose skill and 
ability as a builder is well known. 
The engine-house grounds will need to be neatly graded 
and put into a presentable condition next season. A sub- 
stantial and ornamental iron fence should be placed on 
the front line at least, even if the remainder be built of 
wood. 
ENGINE AND BOILERS. 
The pumping engine is of a class sometimes called " The 
Simpson Engine." It is a beam and fly-wheel engine with 
two steam cylinders, one high pressure and one low pres- 
sure, the pump being the Thames Ditton, or bucket and 
plunger variety. 
The object in having two cylinders is to permit a 
high degree of expansion without producing a shock upon 
the admission of steam. The steam is first received in 
the small or high pressure cylinder, where it may be 
expanded from one and one-fourth to five times its origi- 
nal volume, and after having done its work there, say dur- 
ing the up-stroke, it is passed into the opposite end of the 
large or low pressure cylinder, where it aids in making 
the down-stroke ; in doing which it is again expanded to PUMPING ENGINE, LOWELL WATER WORKS. 43 
about four times its volume at the end of the up-stroke ; 
the ratio of the capacities of the two cylinders being 
about four to one. This gives a total expansion of from 
five to twenty times. The admission valves are operated 
with an adjustable cut-off, regulated by means of a ball 
governor. 
The engine is carried by a heavy cast-iron bed-plate 
cast in two pieces, to which are attached all parts of the 
machine except the out-board pillow block of the fly-wheel 
shaft. The pump is further supported and steadied by 
two cast-iron girders placed below the suction valve chest, 
and built into the masonry of the pump well. The bed- 
plate rests upon a heavy and substantial brick masonry 
foundation and is fastened to it by sixteen bolts about 
fourteen and one half feet long and two and one-half 
inches in diameter. 
The air chamber, having a capacity of three hundred 
and sixty cubic feet above the delivery valves, rests upon 
the centre of the bed-plate and supports the beam pillow 
blocks. It forms the main central column and is of the 
Roman doric order. The beam is cast-iron, in two parts, 
set fifteen inches apart. To one arm or end are attached 
the piston-rods of the two steam cylinders and that of the 
air-pump, and to the other, the piston-rod of the main 
pump and the connecting rod of the fly-wheel. The fly- 
wheel end of the beam is curved up to allow the fly-wheel 
shaft to be thrown forward of the engine and leave room 
for the pump plunger to make its up-stroke without strik- 
ing the crank. The condenser is formed in the bed plate 
and is on the steam side of the main column. 
The steam cylinders are steam jacketed all over, includ- 
ing heads and bottoniSj and are further protected from 44 
radiation by brick masonry and felting, and are enclosed in 
a black walnut casing, ornamented with mouldings and 
brass bands. The heads are covered with polished iron 
bonnets. The steam valves are of the balanced double 
beat poppet variety, and are moved by a cam-shaft along 
the side of the engine with cams acting upon rollers on 
rock-shaft arms with lifters and lifter rods. 
The air-pump is of the usual character for pumping 
engines and is provided with rubber valves resting on 
brass gratings; to one side of the air-pump is attached a 
brass force air-pump for supplying the air-chamber and to 
the other side is attached the feed water-pump for supply- 
ing the boilers. The main pump has both a bucket and 
plunger and takes its water during the up-stroke only, but 
delivers it in about equal quantities during both the up 
and down-strokes. It is set in a wet well with its suction 
valve chest below the water surface. 
The suction valves, seven in number, are of the double 
beat (Harvey and West) variety and are each seventeen 
inches in diameter. The bucket audits valve are of brass ; 
the valve being a double beat and the bucket having 
groves turned in a broad surface in lieu of packing. The 
delivery valves, three in number, are of the same size and 
variety as the suction valves. These valves are not now 
in use, as it is thought the engine runs smoother and with 
less resistance without them. The pump is provided with 
a 6-inch by-pass pipe to facilitate starting the engine, 
Cast-iron galleries, enclosed by finished hand-railing 
and stanchions, surround the heads of the cylinders and 
the beam centre. Access to them is given by a spiral 
stairway. 
The engine is provided with the proper counter steam 45 
guages,.vacuum gauges, &c. The principal dimensions are 
as follows : 
Bed-plate is eiglit feet six inches wide, forty-five feet 
long and two feet six inches high. Main column is six 
feet two inches (outside) at base, five feet (outside) at cap 
and seventeen feet high. Main beam is twenty-eight feet 
between centres, and double. Low pressure cylinder is 
fifty-seven inches diameter and eight feet stroke. High 
pressure cylinder is thirty-six inches diameter and five 
feet one; five-eighths inches stroke. Air-pump is twenty- 
five inches diameter .and three feet stroke. Pump is 
thirty-six inches diameter and six feet stroke; the plunger 
is SSfoo inches diameter. Fly-wheel is twenty-five feet 
diameter. The top of the beam is twenty-nine feet one 
inch above the floor of the engine-room. 
This class of engine has been used on a number of 
water works in Europe, and has given very high results 
in the way of duty. Its use in this country has but just 
commenced, but it is now adopted for St. Louis and Mil- 
waukie, and one of novel design has just been erected at 
Lynn, and one is in operation at Philadelphia. The 
Worthington engine and some imitations of it which are 
in use at Salem, Charlestown, and a number of other 
cities, is a horizontal, direct acting engine with double 
cylinders, but not so constructed as to permit of a high 
expansion of steam. 
The guaranteed duty of the Lowell engine is 75,000,000 
pounds, raised one foot high by the combustion of one 
hundred pounds of coal in the boiler furnaces. Its capac- 
ity is 5,000,000 gallons in twenty-four hours when making 
eleven and two-thirds strokes per minute ; but it can be 
safely run at velocities varying from five to sixteen 46 
strokes per minute. No test has yet been made to ascer- 
tain the duty of the engine. The water upon leaving the 
pump, passes into the air-chamber through the delivery 
valves (they are not in at present) into the valve-chest, 
and then into a funnel-shaped pipe of thirty-six inches 
diameter at the bottom of the air-chamber, which is con- 
nected with the force-main of twenty four inches diame- 
ter, which has a vertical curve (downward) of eight feet 
radius. The actual or static head is one hundred and 
fifty-five feet, and the virtual or hydraulic head is one 
hundred and sixty-one feet when the engine is making 
nine revolutions per minute. An unusually heavy fly- 
wheel has been provided to aid in expansion of the steam, 
and to admit of slow velocity when drawing from the 
filtering gallery. 
In the pump pit there is a stone float so arranged as to 
act automatically when the water is drawn below a cer- 
tain level, and close a steam valve, thus stopping the 
engine and preventing any accident. 
BOILERS. 
There are three fire-box tubular steam boilers, each 
having ninety-four brass seamless drawn tubes, three-and- 
a-half inches outside diameter, sixteen feet long, and 
twenty-five square feet of grate surface. They are of 
such dimensions that two of them have sufficient capacity 
to drive the engine at its maximum speed. 
The fire boxes are made of steel three-eighths of an inch 
thick, also the front tube sheet five-sixteenths of an inch 
thick; and the other parts of the boilers of C H No. 1 
fire-box iron. All the longitudinal seams are double 
riveted with five-eighths inch rivets, and the trans- 47 
verse seams are single riveted with five-eighths inch 
rivets. 
The grates are of the pattern known as Collinson's 
patent rocking grates. The boilers rest upon cast-iron 
stands, and are surrounded by brick masonry. The steam 
drum is thirty inches in diameter, and twenty feet long, 
and has an 8-inch steam pipe leading to the engine. Both 
are covered with composition, felting and Russia iron, 
with brass bands. Each boiler is provided with Clark's 
damper regulator, two safety valves, a Bourdon steam 
gauge, a glass water gauge, a percussion water gauge and 
three gauge cocks, and also feed, check and blow-off 
valves. The boilers are to be tested in place by a steam 
pressure of one hundred pounds per square inch. 
Opposite the boilers in the boiler room, are two No. 4 
Worthington steam duplex feed pumps for supplying the 
boilers with water from the hot well. The boilers can 
also be supplied with water from the street pipe. From 
the boilers a brick masonry flue three feet wide and four 
feet high extends to the chimney. 
The engine, with its boilers, was built at the works of 
Henry G. Morris, Southwark Foundry, Philadelphia, and 
for smoothness of castings and finish of parts, is equal to 
any pumping engine of its kind. 
FORCE MAIN. 
From the engine to the gate-chamber at the reservoir, 
the water is conveyed through a heavy cast iron main 
twenty-four inches in diameter, and 2,666.4 feet long, 
including a short piece thirty inches in diameter, and is 
laid with solid lead joints driven inside and out. It is 
located on the northerly side of West-Sixth and Sixth 48 
streets, and has one hundred and six degrees vertical, and 
one hundred and eighteen degrees horizontal curvature. 
From the cellar of the engine house it passes under the 
boiler house and boiler foundations in a curved tunnel six 
feet six inches wide, five feet high and thirty-nine feet 
long, of brick and rubble masonry, having a radius of 
twenty-nine feet. 
Near the boiler house there is a 24-inch stop-gate, and 
just beyond, a large Y branch is laid, that when a second 
engine is needed the force main can be connected with 
the present main, and thus avoid the immediate necessity 
of laying a new one. There is a check-valve provided 
with a 4-inch by-pass valve, located one thousand feet 
from the engine house, at the corner of Read and Sixth 
streets. A brick masonry vault surrounds the valve, 
giving ample room for slight repairs, and access to the 
man-hole in the top of the valve. The vault is arched, 
and supports a granite coping with an iron cover. 
There are two blow-off wells, conveniently arranged 
with stop-gates and iron covers, for drawing the water 
from the main into the street sewers. One is located 
between the engine house and Bridge street, and the other 
just above the check valve. At a distance of forty-nine 
feet from the inside of the reservoir gate-chamber the 
main increases to thirty inches in diameter. 
The laying of the force main was a part of contract 
No. 7, made with Geo. H. Norman. The work has been 
very thoroughly done, as it has not shown a single leak 
up to the present time. 
RESERVOIR. 
From the force main the water passes through the gate- 
chamber into a 30-inch pipe laid along the bottom of the 49 
reservoir, and is discharged at the opposite side. Its 
location being so near the city great advantages are 
derived from the shortness of the delivering main. It 
has an elevation sufficient for fire and domestic purposes 
for all parts of the city, excepting small tracts of land, 
which are not built upon, on the summits of Belvidere 
and Centralville, which must be supplied from a high ser- 
vice. 
The reservoir lot contains 15.63 acres. The reservoir 
itself covers about seven acres, which were cleared of trees, 
stumps, roots and soil, until a base was found, free from 
all perishable substances, to start the embankments from. 
The topography of the ground is such that a portion is in 
excavation, a portion in embankment, and the remainder 
is divided about equally between excavation and embank- 
ment. The high water service covers an area of 5.2 
acres, being in shape nearly a square with two of its cor- 
ners cut off. Its dimensions are five hundred and twenty 
feet long by five hundred and ten feet wide, the depth 
being twenty-four feet. High water surface is four feet 
below the top of the embankment or 181.5 feet above 
datum, and the reservoir will then contain about 30,000,- 
000 gallons, or a supply for ten days when using 3,000,000 
gallons per day. It is constructed with only one com- 
partment, the advantage of a second being nearly obtained 
in the gate-chamber, which will be spoken of hereafter. 
The natural material of the hill below the soil is tech- 
nically known as puddling gravel, and the embankments 
were made from the excavated material, great care being 
taken to separate it, as it came on the banks, thus keeping 
the better material on the inner side. It was spread in 
layers six inches in depth, the larger stones taken out, 50 
and then thoroughly wetted and rolled with a heavy 
grooved roller, and was further compacted by the loaded 
teams which were continually passing over it while it was 
being levelled. The inside slopes (one and one-half hori- 
zontal to one vertical) are lined with puddle two feet thick 
and broken stone of ten inches average thickness. Upon 
the broken stone is laid a lining of dry granite paving 
fifteen inches thick, to prevent the action of the water 
from injuring the banks. At the bottom of the slope 
there is a base course three feet six inches wide and one 
foot six inches deep, from which the slope paving starts. 
The bottom of the reservoir is covered with puddle one 
foot thick, which passes under the border paving and joins 
the slope puddle. It has a gentle inclination towards the 
centre and thence to the centre of the southeast embank- 
ment. From this point a 12-inch drain pipe, 255.6 
feet long, passes under the embankment and street, for 
draining off the reservoir for examination or repairs. 
This is furnished with two stop-gates ; one at the foot of 
the inner slope and the other at the foot of the outer 
slope, and is protected by an iron box, having a strong 
lock. The inner gate can be operated from a boat, and 
when the reservoir is only half full, from a trestle pro- 
vided for that purpose. The top of the gate-rod has a 
funnel-shaped end to aid in finding the bolt. The pipe is 
surrounded with masonry in such a manner as to prevent 
water from following its outer surface. At the mouth of 
the pipe there is an apron of granite ten feet square laid 
in cement mortar. 
From the gate-chamber a 30-inch pipe crosses the 
reservoir to the easterly side and is supported by small 
masonry piers. The water from the gate-chamber passes 51 
through this pipe and discharges upon an apron of granite 
twenty feet wide and twentv-five feet long, laid in 
hydraulic mortar. A small piece of the slope paving 
opposite the pipe is laid in cement mortar and upon a bed 
of concrete, to save the bank from injury by the current 
of water. 
The top of the slope paving is finished one foot below 
the top of the embankment with a coping of concrete 
three feet wide and one foot thick. The embankments 
are fifteen feet wide on top and are covered with soil nine 
inches thick and partly sodded. The elevation of the top 
is 185.5 feet. The exterior slopes (two horizontal to one 
vertical) are covered with soil nine inches in depth, and are 
to be sown with grass seed. A circuitous driveway passes 
around the reservoir, near the foot of the embankments, 
and also to the elevated ground, thus giving visitors a full 
view of the reservoir and of the surrounding country. 
From what has been seen, it is believed that this por- 
tion of the works will soon become a favorite place of 
resort; and the top of the embankment should have a 
suitable walk of concrete or gravel. This not being a part 
of the contract, it was thought advisable to do nothing 
about it until all work should be completed on the em- 
bankments, leaving this for future consideration. 
A substantial retaining wall has been built at the south- 
east corner of the grounds. Considerable grading of the 
grounds was done, which was carried on till the lateness 
of the season prevented its completion. 
A wooden fence six feet three inches high, having four 
gateways on Beacon street, has been built around the 
reservoir grounds, and another four feet high, with iron 
posts set in stone embedded in the ground, around the 52 
inside top of the embankment. The two-story house, 
which was purchased with one of the lots of land, has 
been moved to the northwest corner of the grounds on 
Beacon street, and fitted up, and will make a comfortable 
dwelling for the keeper of the grounds. 
On the southerly side of the grounds a roadway, fifty 
feet wide, with a retaining wall and guard fence, was built 
to facilitate the construction of the reservoir, and to give 
to those persons, who had been cut off from the use of 
that portion of Sixth street, occupied by the reservoir, a 
safe and convenient way of getting to and from the city. 
GATE CHAMBER. 
This chamber is located in the centre of the west 
embankment and in its interior slope. It is built of rubble 
and cut granite masonry and in plan is twenty-six feet 
wide and twenty-six feet six inches long. The walls start 
from a concrete foundation, two feet thick, the top of 
which is three feet below the bottom of the reservoir, and 
are twenty-seven feet in height, having an average thick- 
ness of four feet one inch. The chamber is divided into 
two compartments by a wall three feet six inches in thick- 
ness ; and these are known as the influx and efflux com- 
partments. The floor is formed of granite blocks one foot 
thick, laid dry and then grouted. 
The influx division is sub-divided by a weir wall over 
which the water passes in flowing from the force main to 
the reservoir. The weir, whose height can be regulated 
by stop-planks, affords a means for measuring the actual 
amount of water pumped by the engine, and also keeps a 
constant head upon the engine. After the water falls 
over the weir it flows through the 30-inch pipe previously 53 
mentioned, thus keeping the water clear and undisturbed 
near the chamber as it is drawn for city use. At the end 
of this pipe in the chamber there is a sluice-gate operated 
from the floor above. Above this gate there is an over- 
flow weir, four feet long and two feet six inches high, to 
prevent any accident in case the gate should be closed 
when the engine is pumping. This is arranged for stop- 
planks. 
In the westerly wall of the influx compartment are two 
30-inch wall castings built into the masonry ; with the 
lower one the present force main connects, the upper one 
being intended for future use. 
In the reservoir wall of the efflux compartment there 
are two openings, each two feet six inches wide and three 
feet high, provided with sluice-gates, thus allowing the 
water to be drawn from a high or low level. The water 
when flowing from the reservoir into the distributing 
main has to pass through fine screens of copper wire. 
These screens are in double sets and so arranged that one 
can be removed for cleaning without disturbing the other, 
thus preventing any floating substance from entering the 
pipes. From this compartment two 30-inch distributing 
mains pass under the reservoir embankment, but at present 
only the north one is laid to the city. Both of these pipes 
are furnished with sluice-gates operated by hand wheels 
from the floor above. 
In the division wall between the two compartments 
near the force main there is an opening, two feet six 
inches wide and three feet four inches high, furnished with 
a sluice-gate ; the object being to use the gate-chamber 
as a stand-pipe, and pump directly into the city, when it 
becomes necessary to draw the water from the reservoir 54 
for cleaning or repairs. In the bottom of the gate cham- 
ber, a 6-inch cast-iron drain pipe, with a sufficient number 
of stop-gates to command all the divisions, is laid. It 
was intended to carry this pipe into the street gutter so 
that the chamber could be drained when required ; but it 
was only carried through the embankment, and serves 
now to drain the water from one compartment into 
another. 
Over the chamber a neat and substantial pressed brick 
gate-house has been erected, having cut granite under- 
pinning and sills. The building is well lighted, and the 
floor provided with trap-doors for entering the compart- 
ments and working the screens and stop-planks. The 
top of the roof being flat, and having an iron railing 
around it, answers well for an observatory, thus affording 
visitors an opportunity of tracing out the whole line of 
the works from its source to the city. This gate-house 
and the other two were built under a contract with Wm. 
G. Howe, of this city. There is to be a flight of steps 
leading from the foot of the embankment to the top, in 
front of the gate-house. 
The reservoir, gate-chamber, etc., were built by Messrs. 
S. Dockham & Co., contractors, in a thorough and satis- 
factory manner. The sluice-gates in this chamber, and 
also those in the other chambers before described, have 
composition bearings and guides, and are worked by a 
hand wheel thirty inches in diameter, by means of a 
composition screw passing through a nut of the same 
material. These gates were furnished by the Boston 
Machine Company, and are creditable samples of work- 
manship. 55 
From the reservoir gate-chamber, the distributing main 
passes through Vernon street, and crosses Mt. Vernon 
square, to the Merrimack river at Hunt's Falls, where it 
is laid under the bed of the river, then through Alder 
street into East Merrimack street as far as Willow street, 
where it divides into a IG-inch and a 24-inch pipe. This 
main when completed, will be 3,334 feet in length, includ- 
ing the river crossing, which is 780 feet long. At pres- 
ent the 12-inch pipe in Sixth and Bridge streets is being- 
used as a main for supplying the city, and can always be 
used for that purpose when from any cause the water is 
required to be drawn from the 30-inch main. There are 
two stop-gates in this line, one near Sixth street in Ver- 
non street, and the other in Stackpole street at Alder 
street. On the south shore of the river a man-hole pipe 
and blow-off well are located. The blow-off well consists 
of two parts, a well four feet in diameter for the stop- 
gate, and the well for the discharge of the water. Both 
are built of hydraulic brick masonry, having cut granite 
copings and iron covers. There is another blow-off in 
this line at Stackpole street. -On each side of the river, 
and about one hundred and fifty feet from its shores, there 
are two 30-inch capped branches and manholes. To 
these branches it is intended to connect the second river- 
crossing, thus preventing the city from being cut ofl from 
water in case of accident to one of them. 
To complete the distributing main and close contract 
No. 7, there remains four hundred and fifteen feet of pipe 
to be laid ; three hundred and eight feet of this being a 
part of the river crossing, which is the most difficult part. 
Owing to the continued high state of the water in the 
DISTRIBUTING MAIN. 56 
river, nothing has been done this last season excepting 
the building of a short piece of dam, which was carried 
off by the sudden rise in the river. 
CITY DISTRIBUTION. 
As before stated, the 30-inch distributing main divides 
at the corner of East Merrimack and Willow streets, into 
a 24-inch and a 16-inch pipe. The 24-inch pipe passes 
through East Merrimack and Prescott streets to Market 
street, where it is reduced to sixteen inches in diameter. 
This 16-inch pipe passes through Market, Dummer and 
Little streets, and under the Western Canal to Broadway, 
and through Broadway to Fletcher street, where it con- 
nects with a 12-inch pipe in Fletcher street. The 16-inch 
pipe passes from East Merrimack street through Willow, 
Andover and Church streets to Lawrence street, where it 
is reduced to twelve inches in diameter. This 12-inch 
pipe passes through Church to Central street, and con- 
nects the 16-inch pipe with the old 12-inch wrought-iron 
and cement pipe which is laid in Central street as far as 
Walnut street. From this end of the wrought-iron and 
cement pipe a 12-inch iron pipe is continued in Central 
street as far as Thorndike street, where it connects with 
another 12-inch pipe. From Church another 12-inch 
pipe passes through Lawrence street as far as River 
Meadow Brook. From the wrought-iron and cement pipe 
in Central street a 12-inch pipe (wrought-iron and ce- 
ment) passes through Middlesex street as far as Branch 
street, and in Branch street as far as Smith street. In 
Merrimack street a 12-inch pipe extends from the 24-inch 
pipe at the corner of Merrimack and Prescott streets to 
within a few feet of Pawtucket street, where it is reduced 57 
to an 8-inch pipe. A pipe is intended to cross the city 
from Pawtucket street to Davis' corner. At present a 
12-inch pipe is laid in Thorndike street, and in Fletcher 
street as far as West Clark street, where it was stopped 
on account of the contemplated change in the street grade. 
In Fletcher street an 8-inch pipe is laid from Pawtucket 
street to Dane street. 
From these principal mains the distributing pipes, eight 
and six inches in diameter, pass through the various 
streets, connecting at most of the places where the lines 
cross each other. Along the lines of pipe there are 
capped branches placed opposite the streets where the 
pipes are likely to be extended in the future. The 12-inch 
pipe in Central street on each side of Pawtucket canal, 
should be connected the coming season, in order that a 
better circulation may be obtained. All the pipes were 
coated, inside and out, with coal pitch varnish, according 
to Dr. Angus Smith's process. This protects the pipes from 
rust before and after they are laid, preventing the water 
from being discolored while in the pipes. I am informed 
that pipes laid in Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1858, and coated 
with this varnish, show no signs of oxydation. The total 
length of pipe laid is 21.99 miles. For particulars of the 
pipe system, see Schedule No. 1. 
In connection with the pipe there have been one hun- 
dred and sixty-nine stop-gates set, giving an average of 
nearly seven per mile, thus affording a way of regulating 
and controlling the flow of water through them, and of 
shutting off the water from any desired locality when 
repairs or extensions are necessary. The 30, 24 and 36- 
inch stop-gates were made by the Boston Machine Com- 
pany, and the 12, 8 and 6-inch stop-gates were made by 58 
the Lowell Machine Shop Company. The stop gates are 
all boxed with kyanized wooden boxes which have heavy 
iron covers and frames, and are large enough for the en- 
trance of a man for making slight repairs. For location 
of stop gates, see Schedule No. 2. 
The fire hydrants adopted for the city are the sidewalk 
" flush hydrants," and were manufactured by the Boston 
Machine Company. They have an interior diameter of 
five inches and are capable of throwing three streams. The 
hydrants are generally located about 300 feet apart, and 
as far as practicable at the street corners. They are sit- 
uated in the sidewalk, and most frequently on the side 
nearer the street pipe, and are connected to the same by 
a 6-inch pipe. They are boxed with kyanized wooden 
boxes and fitted with iron frames and covers. These 
hydrants waste their water from a vent near the base, 
which prevents their freezing, as the test of this winter 
and that of last, which has been quite severe, has fully 
shown. There have been placed in the city three hun- 
dred hydrants. For location of hydrants, see Schedule 
No. 3. 
ENGINEERS, INSPECTORS AND CONTRACTORS. 
• To carry out the construction of the works in the most 
feasible manner, the engineering work was divided into 
three divisions, as follows : 
First Division.-Filtering gallery and supply conduit, 
in charge of Mr. David W. Cunningham. 
Second Division.-Pipe conduit, engine foundations, force 
main and reservoir, in charge of Mr. Geo. E. Evans. 
Third Division.-Distributing main and City distribu- 
tion, in charge of Mr. James II. Harlow. 59 
The inspectors of the various parts of the works were 
as follows: 
Geo. W. Whitman, inspector at pipe foundry. 
Daniel D. Fraser, inspector at City pipe yard. 
B. F. Barnard, inspector at supply conduit and filtering 
gallery. 
Herbert Marshall, inspector at supply conduit and filter- 
ing gallery. 
F. H. Spalding, inspector at reservoir. 
Wm. M. Smith, inspector of pipe-laying. 
P. S. Coburn, inspector of pipe-laying. 
The contracts for the different parts of the works were 
awarded to the following parties : 
Pipes and castings, Geo. H. Norman, of Newport, R. I. 
Pipes and castings, Jesse W. Starr & Sons, of Camden, 
N. J. 
Hydrants and stop-gates, Boston Machine Company. 
Stop-gates, Lowell Machine Shop Company. 
Pipe-laying, supply conduit, pipe conduit, force main, 
distributing main, Geo. H. Norman. 
Reservoir, S. Dockham & Co., of Lawrence, Mass. 
Filtering gallery, Robert Park, of Dracut, Mass. 
Pumping engine, Henry G. Morris, of Philadelphia. 
Engine buildings, Geo. W. Pearsons, of Lowell. 
Sluice gates, Boston Machine Company. 
Gate houses, Wm. G. Howe, of Lowell. 
Reservoir fences, W. H. Wiggin, of Lowell. 
It is believed that all the contractors have performed 
their work in a faithful manner, although some of the 
contracts have fallen behind the contracted time. 60 
A map of the city, showing the location of the pipes, 
gates and hydrants, is being made, which will be finished 
soon. It is also contemplated to make a sectioned map 
of the city, on a larger scale, in nine parts, so that the 
distances can be given in figures, from the pipes, gates 
and hydrants, to the street lines. It is also intended to 
make finished drawings of all parts of the works as con- 
structed, and have them bound into book form for refer- 
ence. 
It is proper here to state that the works were designed 
by Jos P. Davis, Esq., Chief Engineer, and were nearly 
completed before he resigned his position. To this gen- 
tleman I feel greatly indebted for the many acts of kind- 
ness and suggestions he has given me, besides his personal 
attention since leaving the works ; and also to James P. 
Kirkwood, Esq., Consulting Engineer of the works, I 
desire to express my thanks. I beg leave to thank the 
Commissioners and Engineer Corps for their uniform 
kindness and assistance rendered me since taking charge 
of the works. 
Respectfully submitted. 
GEO. E. EVANS, Engineer. p. 61-98 missing 99 
APPENDIX. 
AN ACT 
FOR SUPPLYING THE CITY OF LOWELL WITH WATER. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General 
Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: 
Section 1. The City of Lowell is hereby authorized to take, hold, 
and convey into and through said city from the Merrimack river, at any 
point thereof within said city that may be deemed expedient, sufficient 
water for the use of said city and the inhabitants thereof, for the extin- 
guishment of fires, domestic and other purposes ; and may also take and 
hold, by purchase or otherwise, any lands or real estate within said city 
necessary for laying and maintaining aqueducts or pipes, constructing or 
maintaining reservoirs, and such other works as may be deemed necessary 
or proper for raising, forcing, retaining, distributing, discharging, or dis- 
posing of said water. 
Section 2. The City of Lowell shall within sixty days from the time 
they shall take any lands for the purposes of this act, file in the office of 
the registry of deeds for the northern district of Middlesex, a descrip- 
tion of the lands so taken, as certain as is required in a common convey- 
ance of lands, and a statement of the purposes for which they were taken, 
which description and statement shall be signed by the Mayor of said city. 
Section 3. The said City may make, build, lay down, and maintain 
aqueducts and pipes from said Merrimack river into, through and about 
said city, construct and maintain reservoirs; and may make, erect, and 
maintain and carry on such other works as may be necessary or proper 
for raising the water into the same, and forcing and distributing the water 
through and about said city ; may make and establish such public 
hydrants, in such places within said city, as may from time to time be 
deemed proper ; and prescribe the purposes for which the same may be 
used ; and may change or discontinue the same ; may distribute the water 
throughout the city, and for this purpose may lay down pipes to any house 
or building in said city, the owner or owners thereof having notice, and 
not objecting thereto ; may regulate the use of said water, and establish, 100 
receive, and collect the prices or rents to be paid therefor ; and the said 
city may, for the purposes aforesaid, carry and conduct and maintain any 
aqueducts, pipes, or other works by them to be made, laid down, or con- 
ducted over, under, through, or across any watercourse, canal, street, 
bridge, railroad, highway, or other way, in such a manner as not to ob- 
struct the travel or free use thereof; may enter upon and dig up any 
such road, street, or way, for the purpose of laying down pipes beneath 
the surface thereof, and for maintaining and repairing the same, and in 
general may do any other acts and things necessary or convenient and 
proper for carrying out the purposes of this act. 
Section 4. All pipes, aqueducts, and other work constructed or erected 
by said city by virtue of this act in, under, or over any of the canals of 
"The Proprietors of the Locks and Canals on Merrimack River," shall be 
so constructed, erected, and laid, as, when completed, not to obstruct the 
navigation in said canals, or either of them, or to interrupt or impede the 
flow of water in the same. 
Section 5. The rights, powers, and authorities given to the City of 
Lowell by this act shall be exercised by the said city, subject to the re- 
strictions, duties, and liabilities herein contained, in such manner and by 
such commissioners, officers, agents, and servants, as the City Council 
shall from time to time ordain, appoint, and direct. 
Section G. For the purpose of defraying the expenses which may be 
incurred by the City of Lowell in carrying into effect the powers granted 
by this act, the said City of Lowell shall have authority, from time to 
time, to borrow such sum or sums of money, and to issue notes, scrip, or 
certificates of debt therefor, to such an amount as the City Council shall 
from time to time deem expedient, bearing interest not exceeding the 
legal rate of interest in this Commonwealth; and the principal shall be 
made payable at periods not more twenty years from the issuing of said 
notes, scrip, or' certificates of debt, respectively ; and the City Council 
may sell the same or any part thereof, from time to time, at public or 
private sale, or pledge the same for money borrowed for the purposes of 
this act, on such terms and conditions as the City Council shall judge 
proper. And the City Council of the said city is hereby authorized from 
time to time to appropriate grant and assess such sum or sums of money 
as shall be deemed expedient toward paying said expenses, or the princi- 
pal of the money so borrowed or obtained, and the interest thereof, in the 101 
same manner as money is appropriated, granted, and assessed for other 
city purposes. 
Section 7. All persons and corporations who shall be damaged in 
their property by the taking of any lands or water, the building of reser- 
voirs, aqueducts, or water works, or the laying of pipes, or in any other 
way in carrying into effect the powers hereby granted to the City of 
Lowell, unless the said city shall, within sixty days after request in writ- 
ing made to the Mayor of said city, pay or tender to the person or cor- 
poration so damaged a reasonable compensation therefor, shall have the 
same remedies as are provided in the thirty-ninth chapter of the Revised 
Statutes for persons damaged by railroad corporations. ■ 
Section 8. If any person wantonly or maliciously shall corrupt the 
water in, or destroy or injure any aqueduct, reservoir, pipe, conduit, 
hydrant, machine, or other works or property held, owned or used by the 
said City of Lowell, by the authority and for the purposes of this act, 
every such person or persons shall forfeit and pay to the said city three 
times the amount of damages that shall be assessed therefor, to be recov- 
ered by any proper action ; and every such person or persons may, more- 
over, on indictment for and conviction of either of the wanton or malicious 
acts aforesaid be punished by fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, and 
imprisonment not exceeding one year. 
Section 9. Nothing in this act contained shall be so construed as to 
give to the City of Lowell the right to authorize the use, by any other 
persons or corporations, of the water of Merrimack river taken under 
the provisions of this act, for mechanical or manufacturing purposes 
otherwise than for creating steam. 
Section 10. The Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Lowell shall 
notify and warn the legal voters of the said city to meet in their respec- 
tive wards on such days as the said Mayor and Aldermen shall direct, 
not exceeding sixty days after the passage of this act, for the purpose of 
giving their written votes upon the question whether they will accept the 
same. And if a majority of the votes so given upon the question afore- 
said shall be in the negative, this act shall be null and void. 
Section 11. This act shall take effect from and after its passage. 
Approved by the Governor, May 21, 1855. 
Note. The foregoing act was accepted by the citizens, July 16, 1855. 102 
AN ACT 
IN ADDITION TO AN ACT FOR SUPPLYING THE CITY OF LOWELL 
WITH PURE WATER. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General 
Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: 
Section 1. The commissioners authorized by the fifth section of the 
four hundred and thirty-fifth chapter of the acts of the year eighteen 
hundred and fifty-five, shall not exceed three in number, and shall hold 
their offices for three years, unless the work contemplated in said act shall 
be sooner completed. Said commissioners shall, during their continuance 
in office, execute, perform, superintend and direct the execution and per- 
formance of all works, matters and things mentioned in said act, and in 
all other acts that may be passed relative to the same subject, and they 
shall obey all ordinances, rules and regulations, in the execution of their 
said trust, as the city council of Lowell may from time to time ordain 
and establish, not inconsistent with the provisions of said act, and shall 
once in six months, and whenever required by the city council, make and 
present in writing, a particular report and statement of all their acts and 
proceedings, and of the condition and progress of the works aforesaid. 
A majority of said commissioners shall be a quorum for the exercise of 
the powers and the performence of the duties of the said office ; they may 
be removed by a concurrent vote of two-thirds of each branch of the city 
council, after having an opportunity to be heard in their defence ; and a 
vacancy occasioned by death, resignation or removal, shall be filled in 
manner aforesaid, by the appointment of another commissioner, who shall 
hold his said office for the residue of the term of three years. 
Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. 
Approved April 30, 1866. 103 
AN ACT 
IN ADDITION TO "AN ACT FOR SUPPLYING THE CITY OF LOWELL 
WITH WATER." 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General 
Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: 
Section 1. The city of Lowell is hereby authorized to take, hold and 
convey to, into and through the said city from Beaver Brook, so called, 
in the town of Dracut, Long Pond, in Dracut, and Tyng's Pond, in 
Dracut and Tyngsborough, and the waters which flow into and from the 
same, sufficient water for the use of said city and the inhabitants thereof, 
for the cxitnguishment of tires, creating steam, domestic and other pur- 
poses ; and may also take and hold, by purchase or otherwise, any lands 
or real estate necessary for laying and maintaining aqueducts or pipes 
for conducting, discharging, disposing of and distributing water, con- 
structing and maintaining reservoirs, dams and such other works as may 
be deemed necessary or.proper for raising, forcing, retaining, distributing» 
discharging or disposing of said water ; and may take and hold any land 
on and around said ponds and Beaver Brook, for the purpose of raising 
water to such height as may be necessary for the purity and preservation 
of the same and for the purpose of furnishing tTsupply of pure water for 
the said City of Lowell. 
Section 2. The City of Lowell shall, within sixty days from the 
time they shall take any lands, ponds or steams of water for the purposes 
of this act, file in the office of the registry of deeds for the northern dis- 
trict of Middlesex, a description of the lands, ponds, or streams of water 
so taken as certain as is required in a common conveyance of lands, and a 
statement of the purposes for which they were taken, which description 
and statement shall be signed by the mayor of said city. 
Section 3. The said city may make, build, lay down and maintain 
aqueducts and pipes from any of said sources, to, into, through and about 
said city, and secure and maintain the same by any works suitable there- 
for ; may connect said Tyng's Pond and Long Pond with each other; 
may erect and maintain dams to raise and retain the water taken ; may 104 
construct and maintain reservoirs within or without said city ; and may 
make, erect and maintain and carry on such other works as may be nec- 
essary or proper for raising the water into the same, and forcing and dis- 
tributing the water through and about said city ; may make and estab- 
lish such public fountains and hydrants in such places as may from time 
to time be deemed proper, and prescribe the purposes for which the same 
may be used, and may change or discontinue the same ; may distribute 
the water throughout the city, and for this purpose may lay down pipes 
to any house or building in said city, the owner or owners thereof having 
notice, and not objecting thereto ; may regulate the use of said water, 
within and without the said city, and establish, receive and collect the 
prices or rents to be paid therefor ; and the said city may, for the pur- 
poses aforesaid, carry and conduct and maintain any aqueducts, pipes or 
other works by them to be made, laid down or conducted over, under, 
through or across any water-course, canal,.street, bridge, railroad, high- 
way, or other way, in such a manner as not to obstruct the travel or free 
use thereof; may enter upon and dig up any such road, street or way for 
the purpose of laying down pipes beneath the surface thereof, and for 
maintaining and repairing the same, and in general may do any other 
acts and things necessary or convenient and proper for carrying out the 
purposes of this act. 
Section 4. All pipes, aqueducts and other works constructed or 
erected by said city, by virtue of this act, in, under or over any of the 
canals of " The Proprietors of the Locks and Canals on .Merrimack 
lliver," shall be so constructed, erected and laid, as, when completed, not 
to obstruct the navigation in said canals, or either of them, or to inter- 
rupt or impede the flow of the water in the same. 
Section 5. The rights, powers and authorities given to the City of 
Lowell by this act, shall be exercised by the said city, subject to the re- 
strictions, duties and liabilities herein contained, in such manner and by 
such commissioners, officers, agents and servants as the city council shall 
from time to time ordain, appoint and direct. 
Section 6. For the purpose of defraying the expenses which may be 
incurred by the City of Lowell in carrying into effect the powers granted 
by this act, the said City of Lowell shall have authority, from time to 
time, to borrow such sum or sums of money, and to issue notes, scrip or 
certificates of debt therefor, as the city council of Lowell shall from time 105 
to time deem expedient, bearing interest not exceeding the rate of six per 
cent, per annum; and the principal shall be made payable at periods not 
more than twenty years from the issuing of said notes, scrip, or certifi- 
cates of debt, respectively ; and the City Council may sell the same, or 
any part thereof, from time to time, at public or private sale, or pledge 
the same for money borrowed for the purposes of this act, on such terms 
and conditions as the City Council shall judge proper. And the City 
Council of the said city is hereby authorized, from time to time, to appro- 
priate, grant and assess such sum or sums of money as shall be deemed 
expedient toward paying said expenses, or the principal of the money so 
borrowed or obtained, and the interest thereof, in the same manner as 
money is appropriated, granted, and assessed for other city purposes. 
Section 7. All persons and corporations who shall be damaged in 
their property by the taking of any lands or water, the building of reser- 
voirs, aqueducts, or water works, or the laying of pipes, or in any other 
way in carrying into effect the powers hereby granted to the City of 
Lowell, unless the said city shall, within sixty days after request in writ- 
ing made to the mayor of said city, pay or tender to the person or cor- 
poration so damaged a reasonable compensation therefor, shall have the 
same remedies as are provided in the forty-third chapter of the General 
Statutes for persons damaged by the laying out of highways. 
Section 8. If any person shall use any of the said water, either with- 
in or without said city, without the consent of said city, an action of tort 
may be maintained by said city for the recovery of the damages sustained. 
Section 9. If any person wantonly or maliciously shall divert the 
water from, or corrupt the water in, or destroy or injure any aqueduct, 
reservoir, pipe, conduit, hydrant, machine, or other works or property 
held, owned or used by the said City of Lowell, by the authority and for 
the purposes of this act, every such person or persons shall forfeit and 
pay to the said city three times the amount of damages that shall be as- 
sessed therefor, to be recovered by any proper action ; and every such 
person or persons may, moreover, on indictment for, and conviction of, 
either of the w'anton, or malicious acts aforesaid, be punished by fine not 
exceeding one thousand dollars, and imprisonment not exceeding one year. 
Section 10. This act shall take effect upon its passage. 
Approved June 4, 1869. 106 
AN ACT 
TO AMEND CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-ONE OF THE 
ACTS OF THE YEAR EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY-NINE, FOR 
SUPPLYING THE CITY OF LOWELL WITH WATER. 
Bi it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General 
Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows : 
Section 1. The City of Lowell, for the purposes named in the first 
section of chapter three hundred and fifty-one of the acts of the year 
eighteen hundred and sixty-nine, is hereby authorized to take water from 
the Merrimack river, in the town of Dracut, or said Lowell, and also to 
take and hold, by purchase or otherwise, land in said Dracut or Lowell, 
for sinking wells or making excavations, in order to obtain water by 
filtration or percolation, or from subterranean streams, and for the con- 
struction of such works as may be necessary therefor, and for all other 
purposes for which said city might take or hold land under the provisions 
of said act, in case the water were taken from the sources in said act 
authorized. 
Section 2. Nothing in this act shall authorize the construction of 
any work, which, -when completed, shall obstruct the flow of the water of 
said river, (not taken as herein authorized,) to or from any water mill 
now existing in said Lowell. And in the event that under authority of 
this act, water shall be taken from said river at any place above the dam 
of the Proprietors of Locks and Canals on Merrimack River, nothing 
herein shall authorize the use of water so taken, as or for power for pro- 
pelling or operating machinery, otherwise than as steam. 
Section 3. In the execution of the authority hereby granted, all the 
proceedings, rights, powers and liabilities shall, except as herein other- 
wise provided, be the same, and all persons and corporations, who shall be 
damaged in their property thereby, shall have the same remedies pro- 
vided in said act of the year eighteen hundred and sixty-nine, in case the 
water were taken from the sources in said act authorized. 
Section 4. If any person wantonly or maliciously shall divert the 107 
water from, or corrupt the water in, or destroy or injure any aqueduct, 
reservoir, pipe, conduit, hydrant, machine, or other works and property 
held, owned, or used by the said city of Lowell, by the authority and for 
the purposes of this act, every such person or persons shall forfeit and 
pay to the said city three times the amount of damages that shall be as- 
sessed therefor, to be recovered by any proper action ; and every such 
person or persons may, moreover, on indictment for, and conviction of, 
either of the wanton or malicious acts aforesaid, be punished by fine not 
exceeding one thousand dollars, and imprisonment not exceeding one 
year. 
Section 5. This act shall take effect upon its passage. 
Approved June 3, 1870. 108 
()IM)I .X A XCES. 
CITY OF LOWELL. 
In the year eighteen hundred and sixty-nine. 
AN ORDINANCE IN RELATION TO WATER COMMISSIONERS AND 
WATER WORKS. 
Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Lowell, as follows : 
Section 1. Whereas the City Council of the City of Lowell, on the 
twelfth day of October, A. D. 1869, decided that they would introduce 
water into the city from Beaver Brook, so called, in the town of Dracut, 
in accordance with the act of the Legislature, approved June 4, A.D. 1869, 
entitled " An act in addition to an ' Act for supplying the City of Lowell 
with water,' " it is ordained and determined that water, for the purposes 
aforesaid, shall be introduced from said Beaver Brook. 
Section 2. For the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of 
said act and for introducing a supply of water into said city, there shall 
be chosen, by the City Council, by concurrent vote, three Water Commis- 
sioners who shall be known and called by the name of " The Lowell 
Water Commissioners " Said Commissioners shall hold their offices for 
three years from and after the time of their election, unless the water 
works contemplated by said act shall be sooner completed; and in that 
case, until the completion of said works. Provided, however, that the 
City Council, by concurrent vote of two-thirds of the members elected to 
either Board voting in the affirmative, may remove said Commissioners, 
or any of them from office, fof any misconduct, unfaithful performance of 
duty, neglect, or incapacity. In case of a vacancy in the Board of Com- 
missioners by death, resignation or removal, such vacancy shall be filled 109 
by the appointment of another Commissioner, in the manner provided for 
in this section, who shall hold his said office for the residue of the said 
term of three years, with all the powers and subject to all the restrictions 
provided in this Ordinance. Said Commissioriers are authorized to select 
one of their number to act as Chairman or President of the Board. Two 
Commissioners shall be a quorum for the exercise of the powers and per- 
formance of the duties of said office. 
Section 3. The Chairman or President of said Commissioners shall 
receive a salary of two thousand dollars per annum, and each of the 
other Commissioners a salary of one thousand dollars per annum, payable 
quarterly. 
Section 4. Said Commissioners shall have authority to convey into 
and through said City the waters of said Beaver Brook in accordance with 
the provisions of said act, and shall have and exercise all the powers con- 
ferred on said City by said act, and may take by purchase, or otherwise, 
the waters of said brook and any water rights connected therewith, and 
any real estate necessary for laying aqueducts and forming reservoirs, and 
for any of the p.urposes of said act, and may also make contracts for labor 
and materials for the construction of said water works, which shall be 
valid and binding on said City, and which may be suitable and proper for 
facilitating, expediting and finishing the works in the most speedy, eco- 
nomical, advantageous, permanent and effectual manner. 
Section 5. Whenever the Commissioners aforesaid shall take by pur- 
chase or otherwise any lands, streams of water, water rights or water 
sources for the purposes mentioned in said act, they shall, without unnec- 
essary delay, make and deliver to the mayor of the City of Lowell a cer- 
tificate signed by them containing a statement of the fact of such taking, 
and a description of the lands or water sources so taken, as certain as is 
required in a common conveyance of lands, and a statement of the pur- 
poses for which they are so taken, to the end that the mayor aforesaid 
may cause such description and statements signed by him to be filed in 
the office of the Registry of Deeds for the Northern District of Middle- 
sex, as required by the second section of said act. 
Section 6. All contracts for labor and materials in the prosecution of 
said work shall be in writing and executed in triplicate, one of which 
triplicate shall be kept by the Commissioners, one shall be delivered to 
the City Clerk, and one to the contractor, and no such contract shall be 110 
executed unless good and satisfactory security for the faithful perform- 
ance of the same, and also to indemnify and save the City harmless from 
and against all claims against said City under chapter one hundred and 
fifty of the General Statutes by persons who may have done work or labor 
in the construction, erection and preparation of said works at the request 
of such contractor, shall be given by the contractor and approved by the 
Commissioners. Said Commissioners, when not otherwise authorized by 
the City Council, shall advertise in one or more newspapers in this city, 
and in such other cities and places as they may think best, for sealed pro- 
posals for all such contracts, specifying the time and place where the same 
shall be received; and such proposals in order to be received and acted 
upon shall set forth a specified sum or price to be paid for all such labor 
or materials, or for either, without condition, limitation or alteration, and 
shall be accompanied with a bond satisfactory to the Commissioners, con- 
ditioned for the faithful execution of the proposal if the same shall be ac- 
cepted ; and the contents of any proposal shall not be made known to 
any person not a member of the Commission until a contract shall have 
been made, provided, that said Commissioners may in their discretion 
reject any or all such proposals; and no contract shall be assigned with- 
out the written consent of said Commissioners. Nothing herein contained 
shall require said Commissioners to advertise for proposals for the ordi- 
nary extension of street mains and water pipes, or repairs of the water 
works. Said Commissioners shall have power and authority to employ an 
engineer and such other agents, clerks and servants as they may deem 
necessary, and to agree with them for their compensation, w'hich shall be 
paid out of the City Treasury. 
Section 7. No one of said Commissioners and no person appointed 
to any office or employed by virtue of this ordinance, or by the aforesaid 
act of the Legislature, shall be interested directly or indirectly in any 
bargain, contract, sale, or agreement in relation to said water works, or 
any matter or thing connected therewith, wherein the City is interested, 
without an express vote of the City Council; and any and all contracts, 
bargains, sales, or agreements made in violation of this section shall be 
utterly void as to the City. 
Section 8. It shall be the duty of the Commissioners aforesaid to 
exercise all reasonable vigilance and care by personal inspection, exami- 
nation and supervision, from day to day, or from time to time, as circum- Ill 
stances may require, of all matters and things herein committed to their 
charge; to sec that all works, matters and things to be done, executed 
and performed by and through their agency and under their superin- 
tendence, by virtue of the act aforesaid and of this ordinance, shall be 
done, executed and performed in a substantial, economical and effectual 
manner ; that all the officers, agents, and other persons who may be em- 
ployed by them in the works aforesaid, execute and discharge the duties 
and labors assigned to them respectively, in a diligent and faithful man- 
ner ; and that all contracts and agreements made and concluded by them 
in the execution of the duties of their office are faithfully and properly 
executed and performed. 
Section 9. The Commissioners aforesaid shall enter or cause to be 
entered, in a book to be kept for that purpose, and which shall be subject 
to the inspection and examination of the Joint Standing Committee of the 
City Council on Water Works, or of any other committee appointed by 
the City Council for that purpose, a journal, account or record of all 
rules, orders, votes, appointments, resolutions, proceedings and other 
official acts which may from time to time be adopted by them; and the 
said Commissioners shall, at the beginning of each month during their 
continuance in office, make a report in writing to the said Joint Standing 
Committee of their proceedings during the mouth next preceding such 
report. And the said Joint Standing Committee shall, at the expiration 
of each period of three months, make a written report to the City Council 
upon the matters committed to them. 
Section 10. In order to enable the City Council seasonably to raise 
and provide the funds necessary for defraying the costs and expenses 
which may from time to time be incurred in the prosecution of the work, 
and for carrying into full effect the purposes and objects of the act afore- 
said, and of this ordinance, the Commissioners aforesaid shall from time 
to time seasonably make and prepare, with as much particularity as may 
be useful and practicable, estimates for the use of the said City Council, 
of such sums of money as, in their judgment, may be required ; and state- 
ments of the purposes for which said sums respectively are to be appro- 
priated and applied. 
Section 11. It shall be the duty of the Commissioners aforesaid to 
investigate promptly all cases in which it appears probable that any 
damages may be claimed of the City by any person or corporation for any 112 
alleged injury to the body or the property, real or personal, of such per- 
son or corporation by reason of any decision, action, or operation of said 
Commissioners, or of others employed by them in the performance of any 
of the matters and things committed to their charge by the act aforesaid, 
and this ordinance ; and to make forthwith a memorandum in writing of 
all important facts and circumstances relating thereto, together with a list 
of the names of all persons whose testimony concerning the particulars of 
such alleged injury may be deemed important by said Commissioners, 
which memorandum they shall file and preserve. 
Section 12. In all suits, processes, and questions in law or equity 
which may be commenced, prosecuted or pending by or against the City 
of Lowell in any court, or before any other tribunal, for or by reason of 
any act, proceeding or contract of the Commissioners aforesaid, or of the 
City of Lowell, or for any other cause arising from the execution of the 
powers and authority given by the provisions of the act aforesaid and of 
this ordinance, the said Commissioners shall aid and assist the counsel 
employed in behalf of the City, by giving information of all facts within 
their knowlege, and furnishing any documents, testimony and evidence in 
their possession or control, which may be material, important or useful 
in establishing the rights and protecting the interests of said City. 
Section 13. i\ll bills on account of said water works shall be exam- 
ined by said Commissioners, and if found correct shall be so certified by 
them, and that the same have been incurred in the construction of the 
water works, and the mayor shall draw his order therefor upon the Treas- 
urer when the same shall have been audited and approved by the Joint 
Standing Committee of the City Council on Water Works, or of such 
committee as shall be appointed by the City Council to inspect and 
examine the proceedings and official acts of the said Commissioners, 
under the provisions of Section Nine. 
Section 14. This ordinance and all its provisions shall be subject to 
Such revision, alteration, amendment or repeal at the discretion of the 
City Council of the City of Lowell as shall not be inconsistent with the 
provisions of the act of the Legislature aforesaid. 
In Common Council, November 23, 1869. 
Passed to be ordained. WILLIAM H. ANDERSON, President. 
In Boabd of Aldebmen, November 23, 1869. 
Passed to be ordained. JONATHAN P. FOLSOM, Mayor, 113 
CITY OF LOW'ELL. 
In the year eighteen hundred and seventy. 
AN ORDINANCE IN ADDITION TO "AN ORDINANCE IN RELA 
TION TO WATER COMMISSIONERS AND WATER WORKS." 
Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Lowell, as follows: 
Section 1. For the purpose of carrying into effect an act of the Leg- 
islature of the Commonwealth, entitled " An act to amend chapter 351 of 
the Acts of the year 1869 for supplying the City of Lowell with water," 
it is hereby ordained and determined that water shall be taken from Mer- 
rimack River at a point in Dracut above Pawtucket Falls, and therefrom 
conveyed in a brick conduit to settling basins near the outlet of Beaver 
Brook in said Dracut, and thence into and through said city in such man- 
ner as the Lowell Water Commissioners shall deem most expedient, and 
by the construction of such works as may be necessary therefor. 
Section 2. The Lowell Water Commissioners shall have authority to 
convey into and through said city, the waters of said Merrimack River as 
aforesaid, in accordance with the provisions of said act, and shall have 
and exercise all the powers conferred on said city by said act, and in the 
taking of the said waters as aforesaid, shall have all the powers, privileges 
and duties, and be subject to all the liabilities and restrictions given and 
imposed on them by the ordinance passed by the City Council of said 
Lowell November 23rd, A. D. 1869, entitled " An ordinance in relation 
to Water Commissioners and Water Works," as fully as if herein spe- 
cifically mentioned. 
Section 3. So much of said ordinance passed November 23rd, A? D. 
1869, as conflicts and is inconsistent with the provisions of this ordinance 
is hereby repealed. 
In Common Council, July 26, 1870. 
Passed to be ordained. ALBERT A. HAGGETT, President. 
In Boaed of Aldebmen, July 26, 1870. 
Passed to be ordained. JONATHAN P. FOLSOM, Mayor. 114 
CITY O-F LOWELL. 
In the year eighteen hundred and seventy. 
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING "AN ORDINANCE IN ADDITION TO AN 
ORDINANCE IN RELATION TO WATER COMMISSIONERS AND 
WATER WORKS," PASSED JULY 2Gth, A. D. 1870. 
Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Lowell, as follows : 
Section 1. That Section One of the "Ordinance in addition to an 
Ordinance in relation to Water Commissioners and Water Works," passed 
July 26th, A. D. 1870, be amended by inserting after the words " Mer- 
rimack Biver," in said section, the words " and from Filter Galleries," 
and by striking out after the words " therefrom conveyed," in said section, 
the eighteen words, to wit: "in a brick conduit to settling 
basins near the outlet of Beaver Brook in said Dracut, and thence," so 
that the section as amended shall read as follows : 
" For the purpose of carrying into effect an act of the Legislature of 
the Commonwealth, entitled 'An Act to amend chapter 351 of the acts 
of the year 1869 for supplying the City of Lowell with water,' it is here- 
by ordained and determined that water shall be taken from Merrimack 
River and from Filter Galleries, at a point in Dracut above Pawtucket 
Falls, and therefrom conveyed into and through said city in such manner 
as the Lowell Water Commissioners shall deem most expedient, and by 
the construction of such works as may be necessary therefor." 
Section 2. That Section Two of said ordinance, passed July 26th, 
A. D. 1870, be amended by inserting after the words "Merrimack 
River," in said section, the words " and of said Filter Galleries." 
In Common Council, December 27, 1870. 
Passed to be ordained. ALBERT A. HAGGETT, President. 
In Board of Aldermen, December 27, 1870. 
Passed to be ordained. JONATHAN P. FOLSOM, Mayor. 115 
CITY OF LOWELL. 
In the year eighteen hundred and seventy-two. 
AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE CARE AND MANAGEMENT 
OF THE LOWELL WATER WORKS. 
Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Lowell, as follows : 
Section 1. In the month of January, in the year eighteen hundred 
and seventy-three, and annually afterward in said month, the City Council 
shall elect by concurrent vote of the two branches, one member of the 
Board of Aidermen and two members of the Common Council, to be mem- 
bers of the Lowell Water Board, to hold office during the remainder of 
the municipal year in which they are elected, and until others are elected 
in their place, unless sooner removed. In the month of March or April, 
in the year eighteen hundred and seventy-three, there shall be elected, by 
concurrent vote of the two branches of the City Council, two members of 
the Lowell Water Board from the citizens at large, one member to serve 
for one year, and one for two years, and annually thereafter, in the month 
of March or April, one member from the citizens at large, to hold his 
office for two years from the first Monday in May in the year of his elec- 
tion, and until another is elected in his place, unless sooner removed. 
Said members elected from the City Council, and from the citizens at large, 
shall at all times be subject to removal from office by the City Council 
for cause ; and vacancies from any cause may be filled at any time for the 
unexpired term, in the same manner as the original appointment. 
Section 2. The persons elected from the City Council shall enter 
upon their duties as members of said Water Board forthwith ; and the 
persons elected from the citizens at large shall enter upon their duties on 
the first Monday in May. On the first Monday in May, annually, the 
members shall meet and organize themselves into a board, by the choice 
of one of their number as President. They shall also choose a clerk, 
who shall not be a member of the Board ; and they may make such rules 136 
and regulations for their own government, and for the government of all 
subordinate officers by them appointed, as they may deem expedient, not 
inconsistent with the statute law or City ordinances. 
Section 3. The Lowell Water Board shall have and exercise all the 
powers vested in the City Council by an Act of the Legislature of Massa- 
chusetts, passed on the twenty-first day of May, in the year eighteen hun- 
dred and fifty-five, entitled an Act for supplying the City of Lowell with 
water, and by any Acts in addition thereto, so far as the same can be legal- 
ly delegated; and they shall more especially have the power to appoint a 
Superintendent, and all necessary subordinate officers, agents, and assis- 
tants, and to remove the same at pleasure, and may fix their compensation, 
and the compensation of the clerk before mentioned; provided, that the 
same shall not exceed in the whole the sum appropriated therefor by the 
City Council ; but all the powers mentioned in this section shall be subject 
to any limitations and restrictions contained in the ordinances, regulations, 
and orders of the City Council. The superintendent and clerk shall be 
residents of Lowell. 
Section 4. The Lowell Water Board shall annually, on or before the 
second Monday in January, present to the City Council a report contain- 
ing a statement of the condition of the Water Works, and of the land and 
other property connected therewith, with an account of all receipts and 
expenditures, together with any information or suggestions which they 
may deem important, and at the same time transmit to the City Council 
the report of the superintendent. 
Section 5. The Water Board are authorized to sell or lease such of 
the property connected with the Water Works as they may deem expedi- 
ent, subject to the approval of the mayor. All deeds and leases shall be 
executed by the mayor, and countersigned by the president of the Board. 
Section 6. All bills for expenditures by the Water Board shall be 
certified by the president, examined by the auditor, and approved by the 
committee on Accounts, before they are paid by the treasurer. 
Section 7. The president of the Water Board shall exercise a general 
supervision over the Water Works, and the materials and property con- 
nected therewith, and over all subordinate officers and agents. In case 
of his absence or inability, his duties may be performed by a president 
pro tempore, to be chosen by the said Board. The members of the Board, 117 
chosen from the citizens at large, shall receive such compensation for 
■"their services as the City Council may determine. 
Section 8. The superintendent shall take charge of the aqueducts, 
lands, reservoirs, and other works and property connected with the Water 
Works, as the Water Board may from time to time direct; and he shall 
perform all such services in relation thereto as may be required of him 
by said Water Board. He shall, on or before the fifth day of January, 
annually, present to the Water Board a report of the general condition of 
the Water Works, with a detailed statement of all expenditures in his de- 
partment, and such other matters as he or the said Board may deem 
expedient. 
Section 9. The Water Board shall determine and assess the water 
rates according to section twenty of this ordinance, and whenever re- 
quested by the City Council, shall prepare and send to the City Council, 
a schedule of their assessments of water rates, and the superintendent 
thereof shall at least once in each year, visit the premises of every per- 
son who takes water ; shall exercise a constant supervision over the use 
of the water, and attend to the enforcement of all regulations relating 
thereto. He shall make out and distribute all bills for the same, and on 
or before the tenth day of January, annually, shall present to the Board 
a report, containing a statement of the number of water takers, the num- 
ber of cases where the water has been cut off, the number and amount of 
abatements, the expenditures in his department, and such other matters 
as he or the said Board may deem expedient. He shall keep suitable 
books, in which shall be entered the names of all persons who take the 
water, the kind of building, the name and number of the street, the 
nature of the use, the number of taps, and the amount charged, which 
shall be always open to the inspection of the VV ater Board, and any com- 
mittee of the City Council. He shall perform such other services as may 
be required of him by the Water Board. 
Section 10. All moneys due the city on account of Water Works, 
shall be paid to the city treasurer, and the same shall be placed to the 
credit of the Water Department, to which use they shall be exclusively 
appropriated, and shall not be paid out except as provided in section six. 
Section 11. The annual rent for the use of the water shall be paya- 
ble in advance, on the first day of April, in each year All charges for 118 
specific supplies, or for fractional parts of the year, shall be payable in 
advance, and before the water is let on. 
Section 12. In all cases of the non-payment of the water rates for 
sixty days after the same are due, the superintendent shall cut off the 
supply, and the water shall not again be let on except upon the payment 
of the amount due, together with the sum of two dollars: Provided, that 
in cases of specific supplies, or for fractional parts of the year, where the 
water has been let on, it may be cut off immediately after notice given at 
the place that the rent is not paid, and may be let on again upon the con- 
dition before mentioned. 
Unless the Water Board shall otherwise direct, the foregoing provisions 
shall apply when two or more parties take the water through the same 
service pipe, although one or more may have paid the proportion due from 
him or them. 
Section 13. The superintendent, under the direction of the Water 
Board, may make abatements in the water rates, in all proper cases. 
Section 14. No member of the Water Board, and no person appointed 
to any office, or employed, by virtue of this ordinance or of the acts of 
the Legislature mentioned in the first section, shall be interested directly 
or indirectly in any contract, bargain, sale or agreement in relation to the 
Water Works, or any matter or thing connected therewith, wherein the 
City is interested ; and any and all contracts, bargains, sales, or agree- 
ments made in violation of this section shall be utterly void as to the City. 
Section 15. Any person who shall injure any public pipe or reservoir 
connected with the Lowell Water Works, or who shall break and enter 
the same, or draw off, or cause to be removed any of the water therefrom, 
or shall turn on or off the water in any such water pipe or reservoir, or 
shall make any opening or connection with such pipe or reservoir, or re- 
move the cover of any hydrant, except in case of fire, without the license 
or permit of the Water Board, or by authority of the Mayor and Alder- 
men, or Chief Engineer of the Fire Department, shall forfeit and pay for 
each offense not less than three nor more than twenty dollars. 
Section 16. The superintendent, under the direction of the Water 
Board, shall require all persons desiring water introduced into their prem- 
ises, to sign an application therefor, after which he may without delay, 
proceed to lay the necessary service pipe, in all cases to the interior of the 139 
building, and all expense incurred beyond the line of the street shall be 
paid by the owner of the premises. 
Section 17. The following regulations shall be considered a part of 
the contract with every person who takes the water ; and every such per- 
son, by taking the water, shall be considered to express his assent to be 
bound thereby. They shall be printed upon every bill for water rent, 
and whenever any one of them is violated, the water shall be cut off from 
the building or place of such violation, although two or more parties may 
receive the water through the same pipe, and shall not be let on again, 
except by the order of the Water Board, and on payment of two dollars; 
and in case of any such violation, the said Board shall have the right to 
declare any payment made for the water by the person committfng such 
violation to be forfeited, and the same shall thereupon be forfeited. 
REGULATIONS. 
First. All persons taking the water shall keep the service pipes within their 
premises, including any area beneath the sidewalk, in good repair, and protected 
from frost, at their own expense; and they will be held liable for all damage 
which may result from their failure to do so. 
Second. They shall prevent all unnecessary waste of water, and there shall be 
no concealment of the purposes for which it is used. 
Third. No alteration shall be made in any of the pipes or fixtures inserted by 
the City, except by its agents, who are to be allowed to enter the premises sup- 
plied, to examine the apparatus, and to ascertain whether there is any unneces- 
sary waste. 
Fourth. No water is allowed to be supplied to parties not entitled-to the use 
■pf it under the City Ordinances, unless by special permission. 
Fifth. The superintendent, with the necessary agents and assistants, may en- 
ter the premises of any water-taker to examine the quantity used, and the man- 
ner of use, and to cut off the water for non-payment of rents or fines, or any vio- 
lation of the foregoing rules. 
Section 18. The occupant of any premises, when an unnecessary 
waste of water occurs, shall be liable to a fine of two dollars for the first 
offense, and four dollars for the second offense during the same year, and 
shall be notified thereof in writing, and if such waste shall not be pre- 
vented, and the fine aforesaid paid within two days from the time when 121) 
said notice was given, the water shall be cut off from the said premises, 
and shall not again be let on until the waste be stopped and the fine paid, 
together with an additional sum of two dollars for cutting off and letting 
on the water ; and in case of a third or subsequent offense, the water 
shall be cut off and shall not again be let on, except by vote of the Board 
and the payment of such fine, not exceeding ten dollars as the Board may 
impose. 
Section 19. The Water Board shall have power to establish such 
regulations as they may deem expedient for the introduction and use of 
water ; and the water shall not be supplied to any building unless the 
pipes and fixtures shall be made conformable to the said regulations. 
Section 20. The following rates shall be charged annually for the 
use of the water, from and after the first day of April in the year eigh- 
teen hundred and seventy-three, and pro-rata for all fractional parts of a 
year, prior or subsequent to that date. 
First. For a family not exceeding four persons, six dollars. 
Second. For every additional person fifty cents, until the number shall be 
twelve, then to be rated as a boarding-house. 
Boarding-houses of more than twelve persons shall pay thirty-five cents for 
each person additional. 
Fixtures Allowed. Under the foregoing rates the fixtures allowed in constant 
use shall be one hot and one cold water faucet at two sinks, and two wash basins. 
Sinks ond Basins. All sinks more than two shall be assessed one dollar each, 
and all wash basins more than two shall be assessed fifty cents each. 
Water Closets. Water closets in dwellings, stores, and shops shall be assessed 
fifty cents for each person residing or employed on the premises, provided no water* 
closet shall be assessed less than four dollars, and where more than one water 
closet is in use, each additional one shall be assessed two dollars. 
For Stores, &c. For each store, office, warehouse, machine or other shop, or 
foundry, fifty cents shall be assessed for each individual using water in sinks and 
urinals for sanitary purposes only, provided that no assessment on any such 
premises shall be less than three dollars. 
Baths. Bath tubs in dwellings or tenements shall be assessed seventy-five 
cents for each person residing in such dwelling or tenement, provided that no 
bath tub shall be assessed less than three dollars; and each bath tub more than 
one in any dwelling or tenement shall be assessed one dollar. 
Set wash tubs in dwellings shall be assessed one dollar each. 121 
Steam boilers in dwellings for heating purposes, shall be assessed two dollars 
each. 
Persons Counted. In ascertaining the number of persons as a basis for as- 
sessments provided for in this section, children and servants shall be counted. 
Third. Private stables, including water for washing carriages, four dollars, 
and for each horse, over one, two dollars ; each cow two dollars; livery stables, 
including water for washing carriages, for each horse, two dollars, provided, that 
in no case shall any sale or livery stable be charged less than twenty-five dollars; 
omnibus or horse railroad stables, for each horse one dollar and fifty cents; 
truckmen's stables, for each horse one dollar and fifty cents. 
Fourth. The right to attach a hose of not more than five-eighths of an inch 
orifice, for washing windows, sprinkling streets or gardens, or for use in stables 
in addition to the charge for other uses, not less than three dollars. The use of 
the same shall be limited to one hour per day. 
For Building Purposes. For every cask of lime or cement used, six cents. 
Steam Engines. For each engine working not over twelve hours a day, for 
each horse power, four dollars. 
Hotels. For each bed for boarders and lodgers, three dollars and fifty cents, 
or special arrangements may be made with the Water Board. 
Baths. For public baths, and for each bath in any hotel, ten dollars. 
Water closets in public bath houses, ten dollars. 
Meters. The Water Board shall have power to ascertain by meter the quantity 
of water used in any case, and the proprietors of hotels, taverns, and boarding- 
houses, mentioned in section twenty of this ordinance, shall also have power to 
place within their premises at their own expense a sufficient water meter to be 
approved by the Superintendent, for the purpose of measuring the quantity of 
water by them respectively used. And when in any case the quantity used shall 
be ascertained and measured in manner before mentioned, the Water Board may 
establish a water rate therefor instead of the specific rate hereinbefore estab- 
lished. 
When water is required for purposes not specified, in the foregoing tariff, the 
rates shall be fixed by the Water Board. 
Section 21. For water used by the city an account shall be made 
and the amount thereof shall be charged to the proper appropriations and 
credited to the Water Works. 
Section 22. It shall be the duty of the police of the city to report 
to the mayor all cases of leakage, waste, or unnecessary profusion in the 122 
use of the water, and all violations of the water ordinances, that may be 
brought to their notice. 
Section 23. Until the City Council shall elect a Water Board, as 
provided by the first section of this ordinance, all powers and duties pre- 
scribed therein, shall be vested in the Joint Committee of the City Coun- 
cil on Water Works. * 
Section 24. All ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent with 
the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed. 
In Common Council, July 11, 1872. 
Passed to be ordained. 
HENRY P. PERKINS, President. 
In Board of Aldermen, July 11, 1872. 
Passed to be ordained. 
J. G. PEABODY, Mayor. 
A true copy. Attest: 
SAMUEL A. McPHETRES, City Clerk. 
City of Lowell, July 12, 1872. 123 
AN ACT 
TO PROVIDE FOR A SINKING FUND FOR THE PAYMENT OF THE 
CITY OF LOWELL WATER LOAN BONDS. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General 
Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows : 
Section 1. The City of Lowell may appropriate and raise by taxa- 
tion, annually, such a sum of money as shall be deemed expedient by the 
City Council of said city, for paying the City of Lowell Water Loan 
Bonds, in the same manner as money is appropriated and assessed for 
other city purposes; and said sum so raised from year to year shall be 
set apart and held as a Sinking Fund, which, with the accumulated inter- 
est thereon, shall be devoted and applied solely toward the redemption 
and payment of said bonds. Said fund shall be invested and managed in 
such manner as said City Council may by ordinance provide. 
Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage. 
Approved March 8, 1873.