USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Milford > Annual reports of the Town officers of Milford, New Hampshire, 1900-1901 > Part 10
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Water was taken from the brook thirty-five days during the dry season. Careful and repeated analysis has demonstrated that this brook-water is good, healthy drinking-water, although there is a slight trace of vege- table matter in it which is not entirely agreeable.
107
Becoming convinced that some comprehensive plan for securing an adequate supply of water should be adopted, and wishing to avoid mistakes which would cause useless expense, your Board secured in Boston the services of Mr. William Wheeler and Mr. Leonard Metcalf whose reputations as experienced engineers in- duced us to repose great confidence in their judgment. After a careful examination of the existing conditions, they were inclined to the opinion that a sufficient sup- ply of water could be obtained by a system of driven wells extending up the valley from the pumping-station. Acting upon this advice, a contract was made with the Smith & Thayer Co., of Boston to drill three wells, but for reasons fully set forth in Mr. Metcalf's report, this did not prove successful.
There now remain two methods of increasing the supply :- First, to take water from the brook when the wells fail to furnish a sufficient quantity. This prob- ably would involve some expenditure to rectify what. ever damage might be done to the numerous water- privileges below. A considerable outlay for a filtering- bed might also become necessary. Second, to dig a large collecting-well about 500 feet south of pumping- station with feeders, as described in Mr. Metcalf's re- port. While the engineers cannot say with absolute certainty that this second method would give a never- failing supply of water, they are very confident that it will do so.
Your Commissioners are inclined to think that un- der the existing conditions, the latter course is the best one to take at the present time; but, as the estimated cost is about $3,500.00, they deem it best to bring the whole question before the Town at the annual meeting and let the people decide what shall be done.
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We desire to call your particular attention to the full reports made by Mr. Metcalf and Mr. Wheeler, and to the Treasurer's report hereunto appended.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN McLANE, A. L. KEYES,
H. H. BARBER,
F. E. KALEY,
CARL E. KNIGHT,
F. W. ORDWAY, Water Commissioners.
109
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, REGISTRAR AND TREASURER.
To the Honorable Board of Water Commissioners of the Town of Milford. N. H.
Gentlemen :- I herewith present my second annual report. My first work of importance was the lowering of fifty feet of six inch main pipe; with hydrant attach- ed at the end of the water system on Elm St. This pipe was found to be only three feet eight incher from the surface; it was lowered to a depth of five feet from top of main pipe, as was also fifty feet of service pipe which leads to the residence of M. F. Crosby. The main pipe from the residence of J. B. Heald to the re- paired place near the end of the main is not at a proper depth to prevent freezing, and has given and will give more or less trouble every winter until lowered. The frequent operating of hydrants at the several ends of our system, has caused them to leak, so that three of them have had to be repaired with new gates. Six hy- drants which are in moist ground have been provided with a shut off in the drip so as to be closed in the fall, to prevent the surface water from entering the hydrant and freezing. The hydrants are all pumped out dry in the fall as a safeguard from freezing. All the hydrants have received a fresh coat of paint. There have been twelve new services added during the last year; four services which formerlly had galvanized pipe have been relaid with cement lined pipe.
110
It will be seen by last year's report that the number of services was 476, and this year having added 12 new services the number is 445. This difference is due to the fact that the services have been renumbered. Pre- viously one service pipe, supplying four tenants, had four saperate numbers, now has one. The service pipes are numbered and not the tenants. Five leaks of more or less size in the service pipes and one in the main have been repaired.
At the pumping station the suction pipe to the small well has been dug up and ten of the joints re-calked, which prevents the pumps from running down when not in use. Last year one of the pumps lost her valve, which caused the lining to be moved, so that it had to be repaired by one of M. T. Davidson's men. I would re- commend that a "Mason Governor" be put on each pump to regulate the speed and prevent further damage to the pumps.
Twelve main gate boxes and 15 service boxes have been raised to conform to the change of grade in the highway. The repairs at the end of the stone bridge re- quired the extension of the pipe from the blow off gate. Twenty-one new meters have been installed and eight repaired.
I have made the usual house to house inspection and have sent out many notices to have the leaky fixtures repaired. I have personally run the pumps at the station 120 days during the year, had the oversight for eight weeks of the men who were testing for water at the pumping station. Entertained eight men from other places who were interested in water works and have done most of my office work. Also visited the New England Water Works Association in Boston of which I am a member. The system at the present time is in good working or-
111
der, everything receiving prompt attention when needed. I wish to thank the honorable board for the hearty co- operation accorded me in the performance of my duties and the success of the department the past year is large -. ly due to this fact.
Respectfully submitted, FRANK B. WILKINS, Supt.
STATISTICS.
Number of services Feb. 15, 1900, 476.
Number added during the year, 12.
Total number after renumbering, 445.
Number of taps 454, of which 115 are metered. Total number of hydrants, 59.
Pumping time.
Coal consumed.
Banking.
Ashes.
Gallons wat- er pumped.
January,
175-25
23,230
2,966
1,608
2,331,633
February,
143-25
21,383
2,054
2,331
1,954,307
March,
155-00
22,547
2,611
2,352
2,114,420
April,
137 15
19,237
2,623
1,920
2,057,819
May,
182-50
24,276
2,105
3,376
2,674,497
June,
227.45
24,387
2,329
3,186
3,041,990
July,
240-15
26,427
2,398
3,926
3,071,596
August,
255-25
30,442
2,443
5,029
3,021,227
September,
238-50
27,238
2,461
5,377
2,747,007
October,
235-45
24,340
2,731
4,250
2,023,852
November,
200-40
20,425
2,607
3,172
1,570,606
December,
176 00
20,470
2,919
3,097
1,697,813
2,368.35
284,402
30,247
39,624
28,306,767
Average number of gallons pumped per day, 1899, 86,068.
112
Average number of gallons pumped per day, 1900, 77,553.
Largest amount of water pumped in one day, Aug. 27th, 163,319 gallons.
Least amount of water pumped in one day, Nov. 29th, 39,546 gallons.
Largest amount of coal used in one day, Aug. 27th 1,4,00 lbs.
Least amount of coal used in one day, Dec. 9th, 472 lbs.
Number tons ashes 19 1-2.
Number of tons of coal used 1899, 158. 66 1900, 157.
Number gallons water pumped per pound of coal 1899, 105.
Number gallons water pumped per pound of coal 1900, 99 1-2.
Respectfully submitted,
FRANK B. WILKINS,
Superintendent.
113
REPORT OF FRANK B. WILKINS, TREASURER OF THE MILFORD WATER WORKS.
Condensed report from Feb. 15, 1900 to Feb. 15, 1901.
DR.
Cash on hand Feb. 16, 1900
$56 32
Receipts from water rates
6,301 31
66
hydrant service
2,665 00
66
drinking fountains
and public buildings
154 32
Receipts from stable, hearse house and oval
18 00
Receipts from flushing sewers
29 25
installing meters 37 95
use of Diaphragm
51 65
Receipts from fixing faucets
1 00
66
damage to hydrant
24 12
water for mason work
4 75
66
repairs on fitchburgs 25 25
66
66 " meters 13 50
$9,672 12
CR.
F. B. Wilkins, salary (Dec. 1, 1899 to Feb. 1, 1901) $937 20
C. I. Wilkins, engineer 384 00
pump
steam pump
10 00
new service
279 70
114
John Q. Hodgiran, engineer
21 25
F. W. Sargent,
18 75
Mary T. Finerty, clerical work
21 25
Alice Follett, 66 וי
45
Interest on water bonds
3,000 00
Sinking fund
1,200 00
Fuel and supplies
1,088 70
Repairs at station
94 86
General repairs
95 52
Service account
168 20
Miscellaneous
27 97
Paid into town treasury
1,500 00
Balance on hand
24 80
Expense for additional water
1,089 17
supply
$9,672 12
FUEL AND SUPPLIES.
F. B. Wilkins, supplies and ex-
press
$35 90
Chas. A. Jenkins, rubber hose and seal 7 76
Frank E. Fitts, steel tray
4 00
National Meter Co., meters
54 60
S. Carroll Coburn, supplies
4 45
Neptune Meter Co., meters
96 25
Dumas & Co., books 6 50
Brooks R. Came & Son, coal
727 13
C. B. Dodge, supplies
1 53
W. B. Rotch, advertising
1 50
Leonard & Ellis, oil
3 25
Eagle Oil and Supply Co., oil
18 85
Braman, Dow & Co., fittings
29 20
115
H. H. Barber, supplies
54 99
E. M. Parker, teaming
3 53
Hersey Meter Co., parts
1 17
James P. Melzer, printing
24 95
Fred Macey Co., card system
7 -94
Geo. A. Worcester, ladder
2 00
W. F. French, supplies
4 20
$1,088 70
SERVICE ACCOUNT.
Braman Dow & Co., supplies
$16 35
Sumner Goodwin Co., supplies
61 73
Chapman Wheaton, labor
1 50
Joseph Gowett, labor
10 72
Everett Hutchinson, labor
8 25
George Jocques, labor
19 05
Harry A. Frye, labor
4 85
Henry Jocques, labor
2 85
H. H. Barber, fittings
1 54
Day & Deschamps, labor
1 35
Thomas Greene, labor
2 50
F. W. Sargent, labor
1 75
C. B. Dodge, supplies
2 80
Carroll Johnson, labor
1 00
Eli Fisher, labor
13 61
A. L. Pease, labor
17 10
Pennichuck Water Works, fittings
1 25
$168 20
REPAIRS AT STATION.
Charles M. Packard, labor $4 95
George Jocques, labor 3 00
116
Harry A. Frye, labor 1 25
F. W. Sargent, labor 75
C. B. Dodge, supplies
20
M. T. Davidson, repairs on pump
41 20
Roberts Iron Works, for boilers
14 36
W. L Winslow, mason work on boilers 29 15
$94 86
GENERAL REPAIRS.
F. W. Sargent, labor $3 50
Joseph Gowett, labor 1 50
Michael Rossiter, labor
1 35
Thomas Green, labor
5 25
George Jocques, labor
6 90
Sumner Goodwin Co., supplies
5 63
Braman & Dow, supplies
4 50
H. H. Barber, supplies
4 37
B. A. Cook & Co., paint
3 25
Chapman Valve Mfg. Co., repairs
12 10
7 65
Dennis Caulfield, labor F. W. Sargent, labor
2 27
J. M. Stickney, labor
3 05
W. J. Prince, labor
2 55
F. H. Clark, teaming
11 65
Davis & Farnum Mfg., Co., air chamber 20 00
$95 52
SALARIES.
F. W. Sargent, engineer $18 75
F. B. Wilkins, superintendent from Dec. 1, 1899 to Feb. 1, 1901 937 20
117
John Q. Hodgman, engineer 21 25
Mary T. Finerty, clerical work 21 25
Alice Follet, 45
C. I. Wilkins, engineer
384 00
$1,382 90
MISCELLANEOUS.
Isaac Brothers, carpenter work $1 85
Milford Fire Department, cleaning
snow from lights 1 50
New England Telephone Co. 18 78
E. M. Parker, teaming - 4 90
H H. Barber, supplies
94
$27 97
EXPENSE FOR ADDITIONAL WATER SUPPLY.
Smith & Thayer Co., drilling wells $757 81
Leonard Metcalf, civil engineer 253 74
William Wheeler, "
77 62
$1,089 17
Milford, N .. H., Feb. 21, 1901. We certify that we have examined the foregoing ac- count and find it properly cast and well vouched. CARL E. KNIGHT, C. E. EMERSON. Auditors.
.
118
STATEMENT OF ASSETS.
Cash on hand Feb. 16, 1900 $56 32
Material and supplies on hand on
construction account
265 00
Ditto service account
50 00
meters
497 85
Amount due on new service
23 40
repairs
3 50
$896 07
Tools and machinery
662 96
FIRST SUMMARY.
Income :
Water rates per year from pri-
vate service
$6,301 31
Town Milford hydrant service of 66 fountains and pub-
2,665 00
lic buildings
172 32
Town of Milford, flushing sewers 29 25
Miscellaneous income
168 19
$9,336 07
Operating expenses :
F. B. Wilkins $937 20
C. I. Wilkins
384 00
J. Q. Hodgman
21 25
F. W. Sargent
18 75
Mary Finerty
21 25
Alice Follett
45
Fuel and supplies
1,088 70
Repairs
95 52
$2,567 12
Net income
$6,768 95
119
SECOND SUMMARY.
Total receipts :
Water rates
$6,301 31
Town of Milford
2,866 57
New services added
279 70
Miscellaneous
168 22
Cash on hand Feb. 15, 1900
56 32
----- $9,672 12
Total expenditure :
Management
$1,382 90
Fuel and supplies
1,088 70
Repairs
1,279 55
Service
168 20
Miscellaneous
27 97
Interest on water bonds
3,000 00
Sinking fund
1,200 00
Paid into town treasury
1,500 00
Balance on hand Feb. 15, 1901
24 80
$9,672 12
GENERAL SUMMARY.
Water loan, first issue
$65,000 00
" second issue
10,000 00
Premiums on second issue 303 75
Income from works to Feb. 15,1901 61,826 22
$137,129 97
Total cost of works to Feb. 15, 1901 : Amount paid Milford Water Works Co. $62,562 01
Interest on notes given in first payment 4,511 25
120
Interst on bonded bebt, 1892
2,000 00
1893
2,600 00
1894
3,000 00
66
1895
3,000 00
66
1896
3,000 00
יי 1897
3,000 00
66
66
1898
. 3,000 00
Expense £ of bonds
issued,
$65,000
186 60
New constructions
17,249 57
Maintenance to Feb. 15, 1901
21,854 49
Tools and machinery
662 95
$126,626 87
Surplus receipts over expenditures
10,503 10
$137,129 97
121
Report of Leonard Metcalf,
Consulting Civil Engineer, TO
The Milford, N. H.
Water Commissioners.
122
Boston, Mas.s, Feb. 5, 1901.
John McLane, Esq., Chairman Milford Water Commis- sioners, Milford, N. H.
My Dear Sir :- Pursuant to the request of your sec- retary, Judge A. L. Keyes, I submit to you herewith my report to your board upon the investigation for the increase of the water supply of the Town of Milford, New Hampshire, made during the latter half of the year 1900.
On Aug. 1, 1901, William Wheeler, consulting civil engineer, of Boston, visited Milford at your request to investigate your needs and advise you as to the best method of meeting the defficiency in your water supply.
Mr. Wheeler made a personal investigation of the site of the pumping station and the territory lying south of it, tributary to the stream flowing through this property, and after an examination of the conditions with which you were confronted, met your board to discuss the sit- uation.
He advised the driving of a tubular well system in the meadow west of the pumping station,-through which the stream flows,-along a longitudinal line up the valley, that is in a southerly direction,
PRESENT SYSTEM.
The present water supply is drawn from two brick wells; the first and oldest, in the meadow near the brook, 25 feet in diameter, 17 feet deep,-10 to 12 feet
.
123
of which your superintendent, Frank B. Wilkins, esti- mates is below the general low water level of the brook ; the second, in the slope south of the pumping station, 43 feet in diameter and about 28 to 30 feet deep, the bottom five feet approximately below the bottom of the first well. Almost the entire supply is at present derived from the first well, the yield of which is in part siphoned over to the second well and stored there during the hours when the pumps are not running.
WATER CONSUMPTION.
The consumption of water in the town is an average daily pumpage of 77,553 gallons, (see pumping statistics) whereas the maximum daily consumption amounted to 154,368 gallons on July 17th , 131,664 gallons on July 18th and 125,255 gallons on July 19th.
DEFICIENCY OF WATER.
The apparent deficiency of water at the time of greatest drought was in excess of 50,000 gallons per day for a short period. An additional supply of at least 100,000 gallons per day therefore seems advisable. This would require a continuous additional flow of approxi- mately 70 gallons per minute, provided there were ade- quate storage capacity to impound the flow during the hours when the pumps were not running. In default of such storage, the magnitude of the flow required would depend upon the speed at which the pumps are oper- ated,-the greater speed requiring the greater flow.
If these proposed wells were to be drafted upon di- rectly without the use of storage wells or reservoirs, other than such storage as the ground itself would af-
124
ford, their combined yield would have to be,-with the pumps operated at their present rate of 10 revolutions or 30 feet piston speed per minute,-about 130 gallons per minute ; while if the pumps were run at the rate of 30 revolutions or 90 feet piston speed per minute,-as they normally should be, perhaps, when the water hammer on the Gilson hill pipe summit has been taken care of,-a yield, of about 390 gallons per minute during the time of pumping would be required.
CALL FOR BIDS FOR WELL DRIVING.
On Sept. 10th and 14th, 1900, letters were sent out to the following contractors by Mr. Wheeler, inviting them to submit proposals for "the sinking of three or more tubular wells in the Town of Milford, New Hampshire :" The Richmond Construction Co., Stapleton, L. I. Isaac H. Ford,
The Cook Well Co ,.
New York. St. Louis, Mo.
Stothoff Brothers,
Flemington, N. J.
Phillip Worthington,
New York.
Elisha Gregory,
New York.
Hydraulic Tube Well Construc- tion Co., New York.
H. S. Coates & Co., Boston.
B. F. Smith & Brother, Boston.
Morton & Waugh, Boston.
The Smith & Thayer Co., Boston
The specification for the well driving required :
"The sinking of a 6-inch wrought iron casing and excavating or removing the material encountered there- in, in such manner as will indicate accurately the nature of the material encountered," and the determination "of the approximate amount of water that may be
-
125
obtained therefrom at various depths, as the work proceeds."
The depth of the wells to bed rock was estimated from 30 to 50 feet, and the probable character of the material to be encountered was outlined. It was further specified that :
"After the casing has been sunk to the required depth, a permanent brass or composition tube well strainer * shall be inserted therein, which shall be adapted both as to the size and position of the openings therein to admit the ground water freely, while exclud- ing sand, silt or other objectionable material, according to the nature and depth of the position thereof. After which the outer casing is to be withdrawn and the top of the tube well cut off and left at such level as may be required, where it shall be provided with a thread or other connection to the satisfaction of the engineer."
SMITH & THAYER'S PROPOSAL.
In response to this call for bids, six proposals were re- ceived, of which the lowest,-that of the Smith & Thayer Co. of Boston, was accepted. The prices quoted by them were as follows :
For driving the 6-inch casing $4 00 per ft.
For the 4 1-2 inch Cook well strainer 1 75 " .
For wrought iron connecting pipe 55 " "
For galvanized wrought iron con- necting pipe 75
WELL DRIVING WITH 6-INCH CASING.
Late in September Mr. Wheeler requested to be re-
A 42-inch patent brass Cook well strainer was contemplated.
126
lieved of the further supervision of the work. on ac- count of the pressure of other matters, and the writer was retained.
Formal contract and specifications for the well driv- ing were at once prepared and executed with the Smith & Thayer Co. on Oct. 22, 1900, but owing to delays in the arrival of machinery the well driving was not begun until about Nov. 12th. The ordinary form of well diiv- ing apparatus was used, with sand pump and water jet when necessary. Samples of the material penetrated were taken every three feet, or more frequently as re- quired, with a sampling pipe driven ahead of the 6 inch casing, and have been preserved in glass bottles suitably labelled for identification.
It is perhaps unnecessary to discusss at length the character of the material encountered in each well, which is embodied in Appendix A of this report, en- titled : "Description of samples of material taken from tubular and test wells driven in the meadow near the pumping station at Milford, N. H., November and Dec ember, 1900."
Certain facts developed in the progress of the work should, however, be noted. Tubular wells Nos. 1, 2 and 3, with the 6-inch casing, were first driven.
The first of these developed admirable strata of free, coarse sand and gravel, with ledge at 26 feet below the surface, but unfortunately, the well yielded very little water, *- showing clearly that the gravel was merely in a "pocket" surrounded by comparatively impervious fine material.
* Well No. J. yielded less than 10 gallons per minute through a 4 1-2 inch 14 gauge Cook well strainer 12 feet long, after the 6-inch casing had been pulled up out of the ground, although the water in it rose to 8 inches above the surface when standing quiet.
127
The second 6-inch well, 100 feet up the valley, showed very fine and clayey sand from 8 or 10 feet below the surface to ledge at 22 feet 9 inches, and was at once abandoned.
The third 6-inch well, 226 feet above well No. 1, de- veloped a free, though rather fine water-bearing sand, from 13 feet below the surface to a depth of about 25 feet, underlaid by a very fine sand to bed rock at 31 feet 8 inches.
The 4 12 inch Cook well strainer 12 feet long was withdrawn from well No. 1 and inserted in well No. 3, with the bottom of the strainer about 20 feet below the surface. To the strainer was connected a short piece of plain wrought iron pipe, bringing the well to the sur- face, where it was plugged to keep out foreign matter. The yield from this well No. 3 was in excess of 50 gal- lons per minute.
TEST WELL DRIVING-2 1-2 INCH CASING.
At this point it seemed advisable to the writer to temporarily suspend driving more 6-inch wells and to substitute therefor 2 1-2 inch test wells, driven by hand with the aid of a water jet, by which the character of the sub-soil strata could be more cheaply developed. The proposal of the Smith & Thayer Co., submitted to your board under date of Nov. 23, 1900, at the request of the writer, to drive the desired 2 1-2 inch test wells at a cost of $1.50 per foot, was accepted, and the work immediately prosecuted.
A line of eight 2 1-2 inch test wells was first driven along the line of the 10-inch pump suction pipe, from a point near the coal shed westerly to the railroad embank- ment, in order to ascertain if its cross-section contained
128
any coarse water-bearing material ; for had such existed, the ground water coursing down the valley could have been very readily and economically drafted therefrom. These wells developed the unfortunate fact that no such area or stratum of coarse material existed there, and that the ground water probably flowed pretty uniformly across the entire section.
Before resorting, however, to the expedient either of damming the valley underground with masonry at this point in order to impound the ground water flowing therein and thus to deflect such portion of it as might be required to a pump well or storage chamber ; or on the other hand, of laying a line of vitrified pipe on the surface of the ledge as a "collector" across the valley, and back filling the trench with screened gravel,-either of which expedients would have involved considerable expense on account of the width, about 300 feet, of the meadow at this point,-it seemed advisable to test the material further up thevalley.
Test wells Nos 7 and 8 were therefore driven on the line of 6-inch well No. 2, but they developed unsatis- factory conditions.
Test well No. 11 followed, about 375 feet south of 6-inch well No. 1 and 500 feet from coal shed. It showed by far the best conditions encountered,-very free, clean and coarse sand and gravel to a depth of 14 feet, under- laid by a very fine sand to ledge at 23 feet 6-inches, and yielded through the open end of a 2 1-2 inch casing at a depth of about 12 feet, upwards of 50 gallons of water per minute.
Test well No. 13, driven on this same cross section about 50 feet easterly from test well No. 11, developed similar conditions.
Two hundred feet further up the valley fine sand was
129
again encountered at a depth of 8 feet below the sur- face, as indicated by the samples from test well No. 12.
THREE TUBULAR WELL CASINGS LEFT IN PLACE.
After all the wells had been located by surveys and the samples of material preserved, the wrought iron casings were withdrawn from all but test wells Nos. 11 and 13, each 2 1-2 inches in diameter, and driven well No. 3, which was fitted up with the 4 1-2 inch diameter Cook well strainer.
CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM THE DRIVEN WELLS.
The conclusions to be drawn from the wells already driven are of importance. They enable you not only to avoid the expense of mis-locating a collecting-well or chamber at a point where the desired yield of water could not be obtained, however favorable the surface indications might be or seem to be, but also to estimate intelligently the most economical course for you to pur- sue to provide for the necessary future increase in your water supply.
The cross section at or near test well No. 11, about 500 feet south of the coal shed and where the valley narrows, appears to be the most advantageous and eco. nomical one from which to draft the ground water. Owing, however, to the proximity of bed rock and to the very fine sand overlying it, the coarse stratum through which the greater part of the ground water probably runs and from which it can therefore most readily be drawn, is comparatively shallow,-but 14 feet in depth. For this reason a masonry collecting
130
and storage well, with pipe laterals or blind drains of gravel laid in trenches across the valley, would probab- ly be more economical and efficacious then driven wells in developing the required supply. This storage well could of course be connected with the old brick well, though it would be preferable in service to draft from it directly with the pumps, by extending the present 10- inch suction pipe from the branch near the coal-shed to it.
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