Category Archives: water history

Drawing Loch Raven Dam

17 Thursday Aug 2017

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It seems that everytime someone asks me to find something for them, I find a lot more undocumented stuff. While researching information concerning the properties at Ashland, which is Northwest of the Loch Raven Dam, Baltimore, Md., I came upon a full scale drawing of the dam. I had posted a few years ago, one of my favorite photographs:

This is the photographer’s studio showing the artist’s rendition of what the dam would look like when construction is completed in 1922. All the supplies for developing the film/glass plates are on the shelves.

Later I would find a lantern slide of just the drawing.

Yesterday I found a colorized drawing. It is fairly beat up. So glad I was able to scan it.

Swimming Bathing Drowning

06 Thursday Jul 2017

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For your summer reading pleasure:

1916: A 16,000 gallon swimming pool was being built next to Lake Roland. July 19, 1917 letter from Water Engineer Walter Lee to the Baltimore County Commissioners asking that they police the area around Lake Roland as it has been reported that 10-15 persons bathe there every day. They reply that the city should get their own men to do it. June 9, 1923 letter requesting permission for the L’Hirondelle Club to be allowed to swim in Lake Roland. March 1924 newspaper clipping on drowning of boy, thirteen, in Lake Roland. The city investigation tried to place blame on the Pennsylvania Rail Road, who they say had some timbers floating about, which the boy fell off of as he used them as a raft. The PRR said it was a contractors fault, who used the timbers for some work they were doing. They also note that the boys were trespassing at the time of the incident. October 10, 1917 letter from Walter Lee to Mayor Preston notifying him of the intent of two ladies from Hampden, asking that a swimming pool be constructed on the property of the Hampden reservoir. They were also soliciting for his honor to pass a city ordinance in which they were to propose. Lee asks that if this happens, would the mayor turn the property over to Park Board? June 20, 1922 letter from Megraw to Christhilf Construction and other contractors, asking that they put in a modest bid (For charities sake) for the construction of a swimming pool at West Park (New name of Hampden Reservoir area) March 22, 1923 memo concerning the creation of a swimming pool between the upper and lower dams complete with toilet, shower facilities and a snack shack. June 20, 1924 letter from Armstrong to Siems concerning the swimming in the waters between the dams. He says it is prohibited. June 20, 1926 letter from the Baltimore Federation of Labor to Bernard Siems concerning the city using non-union workers to build the Druid Park Swimming Pool. On the bottom of this memo is a union logo: Specify UNION LABOR, have the job done Right!

Druid Park Swimming Pool

July 11, 1927 letter from Wolman to Wieghardt, “…when the pool was inspected by us a couple years ago we were informed that the Hampden Reservoir contained filtered water…the Hampden reservoir obtains all its water from the Jones Falls. In other words, the pool has been obtaining a completely untreated water from a relatively dangerous source, which has been abandoned for all municipal purposes for over 10 years…” July 14, 1927 letter refers to the Hampden Reservoir area as Roosevelt Park instead of West Park. June 24, 1930 memo from Rost to the Police Commissioner asking that the police stop the boys from climbing over the fence and swimming in the Montebello Plant II filtered water reservoir. 1932 Pools listed are: Druid Hill Colored Pool, Druid Hill White Pool, Gwynns Falls Park Pool, Carroll Park Wading Pool, Riverside Park Pool, Patterson Park Pool, and Clifton Park Pool.

Clifton Park Pool

June 10, 1933 police report on a ten year old who went swimming with three other youths and he drowned. The others left him and told no one. July 18, 1935 request from the National Guard for a shooting range at Loch Raven. Small does not want this. August 15, 1935 Brigadier General Washington Bowie writes Small back stating, “I note what you state in regard to the interference with the recreational purposes. If you had been with me last Sunday…when I saw three negroes in bathing suits swimming back and forth near where I wish to locate the range, or on a previous occasion when I found a half-dozen white boys swimming…I think you would find a rifle range more desirable than such recreational use…the portion outlined on your print is constantly used by both negroes and whites for swimming. The rifle range would at least make this unpopular.”  Bowie then goes over Small’s head to Crozier. Crozier agrees with Small. A few months later, the Mayor agrees with Small and Crozier. June 14, 1938 list of names of swimmers at Loch Raven. Officer Goetz is to arrest these people and take them to Towson jail if they are caught again swimming in the reservoir. June 14, 1945 memo from A. Bailey to L. Small concerning kids swimming in the waste lake, “The boys in the Northwood neighborhood…are using it as a swimming pool…groups up to about thirty…during the daylight and night hours, sometimes as late as 12pm. They have been warned a number of times by various employees of this division only to be cursed for their troubles…radio police have been summoned but made no attempt to stop this practice…I talked with two patrolmen while eight to ten boys were in the lake and asked that they talk to the boys…they promised they would but walked to the opposite side of the lake and blew their whistles instead. Yesterday, June 13, there were even a greater number of swimmers than any time previous, so I contacted these boys personally and told them that it was my orders to have them arrested…they paid little attention to what I said…placed twelve ‘No Trespassing’ signs up. By 9pm all signs but one were removed and destroyed. At 10pm, a great commotion was heard, a group of three boys were in swimming and one had gotten into trouble and was so far gone when they rescued him, that it was necessary to apply artificial respiration…police called and all three were taken to Sydenham Hospital. The police, at least the patrolmen, do not seem to want to cooperate with us and make no attempt to put a stop to the practice of swimming. (We) could drain the lake and keep it drained in the summer months…parents may then be willing to stop their kids, but judging from what I have seen of these people, I do not believe they have enough control over their children to prevent them from doing anything that they wish to do. Child delinquency for this section is bad, if not worse than the average for Baltimore City. August 23, 1945 memo from Bailey to Strohmeyer about unwanted visitors to the plant. Young men swimming in the waste lake, one almost drowned. Two, three year olds, alone, swimming in waste lake. One threw a fit and refused to leave. The police were called. Two teenagers running through Plant II and when told to leave, went and got their father who dared anyone to stop them from coming into the plant. An undated memorandum: “Yesterday afternoon … three young men found swimming in the Balancing Reservoir at Loch Raven in their birthday clothes.”

Gwynn’s Falls Pool – the overflow goes right into the stream, adding more pollution.

The largest of the pools back then.

Tunnel Inspection Part 2

30 Friday Jun 2017

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Over a year ago I was asked to be part of an inspection team, to walk/boat through the 12′ tunnel that connects the Loch Raven Reservoir to the Montebello Filters. This tunnel was built between 1875 and 1881. In the early years it was inspected quite often. In the 1960s it was decided, after a parallel tunnel was built in the late 1930s, to reverse the flow in this old tunnel to supply drinking water to Towson via the Cromwell Pumping Station. The old tunnel was last inspected in 1984. For that info you can see my post linked here:  https://rep5355.com/2016/04/06/tunnel-inspection/

In preparation for the inspection, I did all the necessary training – Red Cross/CPR, Confined Space, etc. Then we were told that it was too unsafe to send anyone in the tunnel. Totally bummed!

So now they have finally gotten around to inspecting the tunnel with a remote operated vehicle. It has been a long week starting last Friday. First order of business was to clear the site for the contractor to bring in his equipment.

Area cleared and the phragmites sprayed.

Next, construction mats were placed across the phrag roots – which is very soft. (And the equipment very heavy) These boards did the trick.

The equipment was unloaded. This is the inspection vehicle. It is about 14′ long and weighs 1500 pounds.

This is the tether. The sub is connected to this. It is 7 miles long, but only needs to go 5-1/2 miles.

The sub will enter at the top right. This is looking down the shaft towards the tunnel.

Here she goes.

Because this is a pipe that is in use, with drinking water, everything that enters the water was sprayed with a chlorine solution.

The control center. All this information on all these screens will be made into a report for the City to decide if the tunnel is still usable. The interesting one is bottom center. If you watch that and there is a change in the circle, say a rise in the bottom, that means the sub is going over a rock fall. You then look at the camera display and you can actually see it.

In my previous tunnel inspection post is a photo where the balancing shaft enters the tunnel at Cromwell. It is mostly smooth. Unlike this entry point – it looks like someone busted thru the top of the tunnel with a sledge hammer.

The sub was moving at a nice pace – looked like the Enterprise going at warp speed! Not sure what those particulates are just yet. Probably just some stirred up lime deposits.

And when I got bored, I went looking for nature. There are 3 young bucks…

A couple babies.

An Eastern-eyed Click Beetle

Bunches of other bugs.

And our night time visitor looking for food.

Saving History, One Piece at a Time

16 Friday Jun 2017

Posted by in Baltimore, HISTORY, water history

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Anyone that has been following my blog will remember my writing about a few construction projects that are water related. Such as the new buildings at Loch Raven, the contractor busting a hole in the ten foot conduit that supplies water to Baltimore, another contractor digging up the foundation to an old pumping station, the attempts to save the Clifton Gate House, the Roland Tower, the residence at Montebello, etc.

When I first wrote about the work along Loch Raven, I wrote about the house and buildings they were tearing down. After being notified of this project, I went to investigate and saw a bunch of metal signs. Not necessarily ultra historic, but a part of Baltimore’s Water Supply History nonetheless. I was able to retrieve from the contractor, 2 of the 8 that were there. The other six were taken by a company the reuses old building materials.

Here is one of the eight signs. This all happened a few months ago. The other day I received an email. One of those courtesy type ones from the big bosses downtown, trying to keep me in the history loop. Well, I was dumbfounded when I read the email. It just said FYI and had the attached photo along with two other attachments.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! This photo is of the marble plaque that was in the original 1881 gate house to the first Loch Raven Dam!!! i always wondered what happened to this thing.

The third attachment is a quote, only partially shown to protect the parties involved. Two marble plaques? The quote went on to say that the other one was dated 1887!! Holy crap! Only one water works related to Loch Raven was built at that time and that was the Clifton Gate House!! My eyes were playing tricks on me!! This couldn’t be!

But wait! How did this company get these things and were they really trying to sell them back to the City? City property??!! I don’t think I ever cussed in an email to one of the bosses downtown but I just couldn’t contain myself “What the hell! This is City property. How can they charge us for something that is ours?!” I suggested he gets the Environmental Police involved to check this out. If not, tell them I will give them $500 and we won’t press charges. He said he turned it over to the EP. And he did. Today I received a copy of the investigative report stating that these items were picked up by accident and would be returned to the City. And they were this afternoon!!

More on this later so stay tuned! (I want to go into a lengthy bit of comment on what we should learn from this…)

Loch Raven Property Part 2

14 Wednesday Jun 2017

Posted by in Baltimore, Dams, HISTORY, water history

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Back in December I posted information about a house that was being torn down to make way for a new Loch Raven Reservoir Maintenance building(s). Some questions came up as to who owned the house originally and how long had it been there. Just recently my blog had been read and I have been in communication with two brothers that lived there. Their grandfather was the superintendent of the property from the fifties to the eighties.

I found this photo and the accompanying info sheet on the property.

Back in 1932 a handyman lived there named William Butcher. The brother’s names are Joe and Jim Greenwood. Their grandfather’s name was William Farrell. They are going to try and find some photographs of when they lived there.

In my records is this house, occupied by Howard Finnerty.

As can be seen, this house was 1500 feet south of the dam, which puts it just north of the Butcher property.

Enlarging this photo from about 1914, you can see both houses to the left.

Another interesting house adjacent to the property was occupied by John Chenowith.

According to this record, the house was 2200 feet from the dam which kind of puts it just south of Shanghai Run, on the hill. I did find a photo that LOOKS like this house from 1914 but I am not sure.

Here is some of what the brothers said about growing up on Loch Raven:

• Jim Greenwood said: June 12, 2017 at 4:15 pm
According to family history, the home was built in stages sometime before the Civil War. The kitchen section was built first, then the center section, then finally the large section up front, including the porch. It was later bought by the city.
The house was always occupied by the Superintendent up until 1980 when my grandfather retired. Legend has it that General Harry Gilmor spent time in the house during his adventures in the area.
Many, many stories. I remember evacuating the house during Agnes, and ice skating below the lower dam in the winter, and hearing about Chuck Thompson at the fishing center (a celebrity!) In the 60s we’d get trapped in the house as the road became gridlocked with folks cruising in their cars and flat lands below the dam became a big parking lot/beach party every weekend. In the mid-seventies they planted trees below the lower damn and closed the road on the weekends and the hippies were replaced by bicyclists.
Despite the beautiful photos, the area between the dams was usually a mud pit with a stream of water trickling down the middle.
My grandfather kept a close eye on the place, and we always enjoyed him shouting from the front porch at people getting into things they shouldn’t get into.

• Joe Greenwood said: June 13, 2017
I think Chuck Thompson came to one of the crab feasts. Several barrels of steamed crabs from Hale’s for the then crazy sum of $100 each.
Winter was always fun for us with the salt trucks going in and out and never understood why our grandfather hated snow. Greatest sled hill in the world up behind the pumps and the old foundation up on the hill. We somewhat had the run of the place since all the workers knew us and we would despoil Uncle Bill’s penny jar and walk to Sanders’ at the juncture of Cromwell Valley. If nothing else, we could check on the dead cat along the way and occasionally didn’t catch fish off the little dam while the hippies jumped off it. It was always fascinating to talk to Clarence, who tended to come on duty in the evening to patrol and was missing a finger and was always happy to show us his pistol.
We did get in a little trouble like accidentally throwing kerosene on the workers’ wood stove.

So now the question comes up! Should this house have been torn down before doing a thorough investigation? Gilmor??

This is a historic marker up off of Mountain Road, not too far from Loch Raven. Which brings up another question – since a lot of people are so hell bent on erasing history, by removing Confederate statues – should all the Highway Markers also be removed?

Thanks to Joe and Jim Greenwood for your stories. This is what makes my job so interesting.

 

When they were giving out brains, you thought they said trains…

30 Tuesday May 2017

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Contractor on site called me over once again because they hit something unknown.

Turned out to be a set of train tracks from original construction 1913-1915.

As can be seen here, there were a lot of tracks laid for construction. These veer off to the right to hook up with the ones below.

In this photo, lower right is about where the tracks are that the contractor dug up. I told them they would have to suspend their work until I talk with the historical people – these may be the tracks that President Woodrow Wilson’s train was on during his visit when the plant opened in 1915. Not. Montebello Lake is in the background.

Patapsco SP, Avalon

22 Monday May 2017

Posted by in Baltimore, Hiking, HISTORY, water history

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Due to the possibility of rain, we decided to go hiking at Avalon in the Patapsco State Park instead of going kayaking. I have a new phone app called All Trails which is pretty cool. It documents your hike.

Although it says we were moving for 1 hour and 25 minutes, we were actually there for 3 hours. It does not record every time you stop to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells. That is indicated by the thicker line, where we deviated from the trail. Lots of honeysuckle out. The only thing I did not like about this hike was the amount of bikes flying through there. Some had bells, most didn’t.

Entering the park, one of the first things you see is the Thomas Viaduct.

This photo is from the 1930s I believe (DPW Archives). It shows an older train and a newer one from that time.

This photo I took 5 years ago, the last time I visited the park. Soon after this, my Konica Minolta camera would die on me. It was a good camera.

Of course I had to check out the old water works, or what is left of them. Here is some info on that:

On September 30, 1921, the City of Baltimore took over operation of the filters at Avalon. By the purchasing of the Baltimore County Water and Electric Company, the City received a dam and filtration plant on the Patapsco River at Avalon. After this, the filters at Herring Run, near Philadelphia Road, were abandoned and the sand taken to Avalon. Ten years later, the City stops using it.
Of interest is the following:
1923 Correspondence between Edward Rost (Mechanical Engineer), [V].B. Siems (Water Engineer), Edmund Budnitz (Federal Prohibition Director) and A. Bernard Siems (Water Engineer). Concerns sampling water at the Rockburn Branch (Patapsco River), Avalon Pumping Station for pollution caused by illicit liquor still smashed up by Government agents. How the Feds destroyed it and dumped it into the stream, causing the contamination. Excellent description of how the still was built and operated: They built a small dam with a hand pump for water, pumped through a rubber hose and iron pipe to twenty-seven wooden boxes made of pine, made water tight with muslin. They also had a vertical high pressure steam boiler. Scattered around were half gallon mason jars, corn meal and liquid mash. It was suggested by Siems that the mash be hauled away to a local farmer’s manure pit. A follow up letter to the feds by Siems asking that they clean up the corn mash they dumped everywhere, which is still contaminating the stream.

One of the many trails. According to All Trails, there are over 20 miles of trails here.

Tunnels to the other trails.

Another one.

Besides the tunnels to the other side of the train tracks, there were many storm drains. This one had a Tulip Poplar Tree flower. Fell right in place for all to enjoy.

One of our off-trail forages to the river, we came across this guy. There was also an osprey and maybe an adolescent eagle.

Up stream a ways is the swinging bridge. I could swear that when I was young, this bridge was made of rope and wood and it really swung. Now it just kind of bounces.

Five years ago. It was pretty clear under the swinging bridge.

Plein art at the entrance to Cascade Falls.

Well worn trails.

The lower portion of the falls.

Cascade Falls.

Kathy contemplating the sights and sounds of the falls. Molly contemplating how to get off that log and back to land.

Heading back, following the river instead of the trail. Dumpster?

Had trouble finding this guy. An oil tanker that was washed away during Hurricane Agnes, 1972.

This is 5 years ago. So only recently did they (Park people) allow it to get so overgrown. There is a historic marker on the trail – The Forces of Nature.

Walking along the river, found a lot of Sea Glass – actually I guess it is river glass. Also there was an electrical insulator. Found some really nice glass and porcelain. (Kathy found most of it)

A nice day and a wonderful hike. Five years ago I did this hike by myself. It is nice to have someone with me, to enjoy this.

Ghost in the Conduit

18 Thursday May 2017

Posted by in Dams, engineering, HISTORY, water history

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Awhile back I had posted some photographs of the construction work at Loch Raven. The contractor hit and poked a hole through the ten foot conduit that supplies water to Baltimore from the Loch Raven Reservoir. Fortunately, another one of the conduits was in service, so the damage did not affect our drinking water supply. This conduit was installed in 1915. It is riveted, welded steel. Some portions are encased in concrete and a good portion is lined with cement.

I would like to thank Pure Technologies for giving me permission to use their photographs.

Pure crew heading into the conduit. This is near Mine Bank Run, heading towards the dam. The water would eventually be at chest level.

This was interesting and took a little research to figure it out. The smaller opening on the right connected to the 1880 rock and brick tunnel. In 1937 they built a parallel pipe line from Loch Raven to Baltimore and that is the conduit on the left. There is a valve in the smaller pipe stopping the flow of water towards Baltimore. Down stream further, the raw water pipeline becomes potable water from Baltimore, to Towson, at Cromwell.

Continuing the inspection of the conduit. Pretty good shape for being over 100 years old.

The fish like the water (Baltimore water finished in the top ten again this year in a national taste test)

Not sure what this is. Looking at the drawings I saw where there is a drainage system under the steel conduit. But didn’t see this in the drawings.

Pure finally reached their destination. The damage is a little more than we thought. The cement lining has been knocked off.

It is about a 3’x4′ section of damage.

This is the hole that the excavator punched through. There are also about 5-6 dents in the pipe.

When the inspection crew climbed out, I think they brought something with them…

Clifton Gate House – Update

19 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by in Baltimore, Gate House, water history

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Back in July 2016 I wrote about the renewed interest in doing something with the Lake Clifton Gate House. A farmers market, a cafe, a historical showcase for the water department, etc. The other day I received an email to attend a meeting on another proposal, submitted by Civic Works and their vision for the Valve House (Note: Valve House and Gate House are interchangeable when talking about this structure – Pump House is not – it never had pumps in it). Attached to the proposal was this photograph:

I thought to myself, how the heck did I miss this driving back and forth to City Lights?? Well, this didn’t happen. It is a piece of art. “This is an animation of a specific artist’s winning proposal to mount this public art installation. BOPA is hoping that the installation will be able to move forward under the watchful eye of Civic Works.”

Here is an excerpt from John, at Civic Works, on their proposal for the Gate House:

When the Valve House is renovated and attractively landscaped, it will attract people who pause for pastry, coffee, ultra-local freshly harvested foods and flowers, art and stories of Baltimore. Stories from our past, presented here, will be outshined by news of the structured opportunities, offered “next door” for careers in the expanding green business sectors.

As the renovations to the Valve House are fully realized, the adjacent Lake Clifton campus will become the operational base for Baltimore Center for Green Careers, Civic Works Food and Farm programs and other pathways to prosperity. In the coming decades, these two work in harmony – the information packed social hub and the sustainable-jobs work preparation center.

I personally think this is a great idea! And I really hope it happens.

Here is a 1927 aerial of Lake Clifton and its relation to Lake Montebello. Clifton being the one at the bottom. Water flowed from the dam at the Gunpowder Falls, via a 7 mile tunnel to Montebello, then by conduit to Clifton, at which point it was dispersed to the city.

From the 1970s showing the interior of the Gate House with the water chambers covered over with wood.

The reverse of the above photo, from the Sunpaper files showing that back in 1970 there was an interest in restoring the Gate House.

Another 1970s Sunpaper photo showing the stained glass windows nearly intact. Most have since been broken out. (Note:Photos from my personal collection)

Roundhouse

05 Wednesday Apr 2017

Posted by in Baltimore, engineering, water history

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A couple weeks ago the contractor called me over to the site because they struck something that is not on the drawings. This was about the 12th time in 10 days they hit something buried, not on the drawings. i go over and this is what I saw:

At first glance, it looks like an electrical ductbank, enclosed in concrete. I told the contractor I would go look in my drawings to see what I could come up with. When I retuned, unable to find anything, the contractor had cleared some more dirt from the concrete.

Am I hallucinating or does that thing have a curve to it?? Holy crap, that looks like the foundation to the old roundhouse, which was the Montebello Pumping Station, built in 1914-1915. More research to do.

This hole was dug and goes about 75 feet down at which point they busted through the 1881 tunnel from Loch Raven. The pumping station was to be used to pump water from Loch Raven, into the filtration plant. This was due to the city not getting permission to raise the new dam above an elevation of 188′ (The new dam is now at 240′)

This photo shows the foundation for the pumps and the piping waiting to be placed.

Looking at the top tier here it can be seen the structure matches the first photo above. The hole in the center is the suction well.

View from the outside of the roundhouse. This is facing south towards the filtration building.

This is looking north from the the head house. The roundhouse foundation is flush with the ground level.

Nearing completion.

The pumps.

From the time this was built until about 1957, this pumping station had more than its fair share of problems – wrong size pumps, electrical problems, building being struck by lightening a few times, power surge from Holtwood Electric, water hammers that raised and cracked the foundation, etc. In 1963 the building was demolished but, the foundation remains. And now the problem is, what’s down there? Will this area support the weight of a generator and fuel tanks? And is that hole still open (there is an air vent coming out of dead center)? The tunnel underneath originally supplied water to Montebello from Loch Raven. Now this tunnel supplies drinking water to Towson, via the Cromwell Pumping Station.

This shows where the roundhouse use to be, north of Filter building.