HALIFAX WATER WORKS. — JOHNSTON. 97 



danger of chukiiig up owing to the small ^ize of the screen 

 chambers. There is a weir near the north gate-house to measure 

 the water let down by the 12-inch pipe to the mill owners. 



The original Spruce Hill Lake gate-house was of similar 

 desigM to the old ones at Chain Lake, consisting of an irmi 

 tank with three divisions, an inlet, screen and outlet chamber, 

 and was built about 150 feet north of this dam, a 20-foot pipe 

 running through the dam and connecting with the lake. In 18S9 

 a permanent structure of brick, concrete and granite was l)uilt. 

 in the dam of the following dimensions: 16 feet deep by 10 

 feet 4 inches wide and 8 feet 5 inches long, with walls 4 feet 

 thick. 



The scree'.is ?re made of Xo. 19 brass wire, and have sixty- 

 four meshes to the square inch. 



Employees of the Avater department live both at Spruce Hill 

 Lake and at Chain Lake dams, whose duty it is to look after 

 the dams and gate-houses. The screens, in summer when the 

 water is low, require changing frequently as they become choked 

 with leaves or other impurities suspended in the water. Dur- 

 ing the fall of 1905, when the water was at its lowest, two men 

 were on dutj- day and night continually changing the screens, 

 otherwise the supply could not have Ijeen kept up to the city 

 through them. 



Ca)tal. 



As has already been stated, the water was conduct" 1 from 

 Long Lake to Chain Lakes by a canal, which was originally 

 constructed ra 1S48 by an open cut, and was intended to be 

 low enotigh to draw the water of Long Lake down seven feet 

 below the waste-weir level, luit duriiig construction, owing to 

 difficulties met with by the contractor, the grade line was raised 

 1 foot o inches, thus, only allowing 5 feet 9 inches of Long- 

 Lake water to be draA\ai oft". The conduit was 2 fe(^t by 2^ feet, 

 and was entirely too small to pass the water in sufficient volume 

 to give full eft'ect to tiie storage of Long Lake. The |n'ose!it 



Pkoc. & Trans. N. S. Inst. ?ci., Vol. XII. Tr.\ns. 7. 



