82 HALIFAX WATER WORKS. JOHNSTON. 



000,000 gallons more required, which could only be obtained by 

 tapping some new source. The waters of Spruce Hill Lake 

 could be diverted into Long Lake and supply this amount by a 

 cut about a quarter of a mile long at a cost of $10,000. The 

 cost of the new works, using water-power for pumping, would 

 be $61,411 and using steam-power $44,537, the annual oper- 

 ating charges in the former case being $800 and in the latter 

 $3,286.50. 



The commissioners, however, were imbued with the idea that 

 the Spruce Hill Lakes, lying about three miles to the westward 

 of Long Lake, were the best available source of supply, and in 

 1865 obtained the services of Mr. AY. B. Smellie to "make sur- 

 veys and report on their capabilities. On the 5th April, 1865, 

 he reported that he had made a survey of the lakes and found 

 the second lake had an area of 02 ^ acres, and was 153 feet above 

 Long Lake, and the third lake an area of 70 acres, and about 

 2^ feet higher than the second. He recommended a dam across 

 the outlet of the second lake, raising the water 7^ feet, which 

 would allow, say, 6 feet of water to be drawn from the second 

 lake and 3^ feet from the third, and would yield 217 millions of 

 gallons, or 180 days' supply of 2,000,000 gallons per day. By 

 raising the lake one foot higher twenty-two days' further sup- 

 ply could be had, and by lowering the pipe three feet below the 

 existing surface an extra quantity equal to twenty days' con- 

 sumption would be obtained. 



In a further report on the 8th July, 1865, the cost of build- 

 ing a canal to let the water of Spruce Hill Lakes down to Long- 

 Lake was estimated to be $33,500, and to conduct the water by 

 a line of pipes to a reservoir near Chain Lakes would be $87,- 

 000. But neither of these schemes commended itself to him, 

 and he recommended conducting the water from the lakes to 

 St. Andrew's Cross by a 15-inch pipe, which would be capable 

 of delivering two and one-half million gallons every twenty- 

 four hours. 



