"Water-Works. — At an election held March 28, 1825, at " Talbott's Hotel," for directors of the Frederick Water Company, the following were chosen for the ensuing year: John McPherson, John Kunkel, Gideon Bantz, Stephen Steiner, John L. Harding, Abraham Shriver, William Tyler, and Henry Koontz. On the 31st they examined the neighboring sources of water, and on April 18th opened the subscription-books for stock at the Branch Bank. John McPherson was elected president of the board, and Thomas Shriver, superintendent of the works. The directors were as follows:
In 1826, John McPherson, Abraham Shriver, John Kunkel, Jacob Shriver, William C. Russell, Thomas W. Morgan, William Tyler, Henry Koontz; in 1827, John McPherson, Richard Potts, John Kunkel, Henry Koontz, Thomas Carlton, D. Schley, Rev. D. A. Schaeffer, William Tyler; in 1828, John McPherson, Richard Potts, David F. Schaeffer, William Tyler, William B. Tyler, Henry Koontz, John Kunkel, John Baltzell.
The last election for directors, as far as learned from the minutes of this company, was held March 23, 1838, when the following were chosen: Richard Potts, William Tyler, George Baltzell, Gideon Bantz, W. R. Sanderson, Frederick Nursz, John C. Fritchie, Lewis Medtart. The water was brought partly in wooden pipes from a spring two and a half miles northwest of the city to a reservoir one mile distant from the corporation, and thence supplied to the town. It was very inadequate to the public wants.
In 1839 the city took into consideration the question of building works, and an act of the Assembly of that year granted it the franchise for a lottery of $75,000, which it sold to parties in Baltimore for the benefit of its water-works fund. In 1844, by act of December of that year, the city borrowed $30,000 to aid in the construction of the works, and in October of 1845 made another loan of $8000 to complete them. These works cost about $90,000. From the receiver at the foot of the mountain to the works proper is a distance of two and a half miles, and from thence to the city about one mile.
The building of the water-works began Sept. 19, 1844, and were completed Nov. 22, 1845.
The principal engineer was F. Erdman; assistant engineer, Geo. Erdman; and superintendents, Winchester Clingan, Wm. Baltzell, and Samuel Carmack.
The following were the aldermen and councilmen under whose administration they were built:
Aldermen, Gideon Bantz, Ezra Houck, Peter S. Storm, Calvin Page, David J. Markey; Councilmen, Jacob Keller, Henry Boteler, Geo. Koontz, Wm. Kolb, Peter Goodmanson, Daniel Derr, Henry Young.
Gas-Works. — In October, 1849, Geo. R. Fischer prepared to furnish Frederick City with illuminating gas. A large number of hands were put to work in laying pipes on Patrick, Church, and Court Streets. The entire work was completed in a few weeks, and gas was used in the city before New Year's. This was the feeble beginning of the Isabella Gas Company, which during an existence thus far of thirty-three years has passed beyond the most sanguine expectations of its organizers, and proved untrue the evil predictions of those who first prophesied its failure. Hon. Charles E. Trail has been its president for many years. The Citizens' Gas Company was organized in October, 1878. Its officers have been from its organization as follows: President, G. J. Doll; Treasurer, C. V. S. Levy; Directors, F. P. Carlin, Calvin Page, C. V. S. Levy, G. J. Doll. Its works are on East Patrick Street.
Among those who have been identified with the material interests of Frederick, and who have aided by their capital and influence works of public improvement, is William Michael Feaga. He comes of Revolutionary stock, and boasts an ancestry in Frederick County extending back to 1783, when his grandfather, Philip Feaga, a German, located a farm near Frederick City. He was one of the Hessian allies in the British army during the Revolution, and in common with hundreds of his fellow-countrymen, resolved, upon the termination of the campaign, to make America his home. In 1788 he purchased the place now owned by Wm. M. Feaga, rebuilt the mill he found there, and resided upon the property until his death, which took place about 1827. His son George — born in May, 1786, and deceased in 1865 — was father to the worthy gentleman whose name heads this article, and whose birth occurred on the old homestead June 4, 1820. Mr. Feaga's maternal grandfather was Jacob Trout, himself born in Frederick County, whither his father came from Germany and made his home in the then dense wilderness. Jacob Trout was a captain in the war of the Revolution, and as a further instance of how the Feaga blood flowed bright and quickly in the stormy days, it may be remarked that old Philip Feaga walked from Frederick to Baltimore, determined to enlist for the fight, but, unfortunately for his hopes, was rejected because of his extreme age. One of his sons (Frederick) fought in that war, while of Jacob Trout's sons John entered the war of 1812, and Jacob, Jr., the campaign against the Indians, in which he was doubtless killed, since he was not heard of afterward. William M. Feaga received his school education from the district pedagogue, and from his youth to the present day has milled and farmed upon the old homestead, save for a period of two years, 1866—67, when he filled the office of collector and treasurer of the county. The mill now carried on by him, it may be interesting to note, has been in possession of a Feaga ever since 1788. To the opening of the war of the Rebellion he was an unflinching Jackson Democrat. With the sounding of the war tocsin he cast his allegiance on the side of the Union, and when the war closed he gave his adherence to the Republican party. Trained in the Lutheran faith, he has steadily upheld it by his influence and countenance. In 1844 he married Susanna Maria, daughter of Frederick Ramsburg, a veteran of the war of 1812, and one of Frederick County's early settlers. By his marriage with Miss Ramsburg, Mr. Feaga had nine children, of whom six are living. The sons are Edmund Pendleton, Elmer Butler, and Josiah Ramsburg. After a union of thirty-three years, Mr. Feaga lost his wife, Dec. 20, 1877. Oct. 18, 1881, he married again, choosing for his second consort Miss Hester Ann Rogers Preston, daughter of Charles Preston. Her father was born near Frederick City in 1789, where his father, Francis (an Englishman), made a settlement many years before. Mrs. Feaga's maternal grandfather was Thomas Baldwin, a native of Annapolis, and a descendant of one of the earliest comers to the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
The Great Flood.— On July 24, 1848, occurred the most terrible flood ever experienced in Frederick City. Fortunately no lives were lost, but the damage to property amounted to nearly half a million dollars. The rain commenced falling on the night previous, and continued some time, soaking the ground to a considerable depth, but on the next morning (Friday) about eight o'clock it fell in torrents, and rained without intermission until after dinner, and in less than half an hour Market Street was covered with water, and by ten o'clock it was sweeping through the lower part of the city at a fearful rate, carrying off bridges, stables, tan-yards, outhouses, and even dwellings. The water in Carroll Creek rose so rapidly that the people in that section of the city did not have time to remove a thing from their houses, and the consequence was a great many lost everything they had. Among the heavy losers were John Loats and Gideon Bantz, the damage to their tan-yards being very great, as they both lost considerable quantities of leather and bark, independent of the injury done their buildings and machinery. Messrs. Hardt & Keefer lost a large amount of lumber. The residents in the vicinity of the creek suffered heavily. The house of Mr. Beekley was washed away as the last member of his family was leaving. The livery-stables, confectionery-shops, millinery-stores, and other places of business on South Market Street from the corner of Patrick to car corner suffered terribly, Hood & Crane losing a number of buggies, with many other valuable articles. On West Patrick Street the damage was equally as great. All the houses from George Smith's, on the other side of the Bentztown bridge, to Lewis H. Doll's tobacco store were flooded, causing a great injury to furniture, carpeting, etc., and sweeping away the contents of gardens and fences, pavements, porches, and numerous back buildings. The corner of the house adjoining the creek on the south side of the street was carried away, and other buildings in the immediate vicinity were so much damaged that they had to be torn down and rebuilt. Ramsburg & Bro. were heavy sufferers. The water in their store ran over the counter and destroyed large quantities of groceries and other articles. The boot and shoe store of L. M. Nixdorff suffered considerably, as did all in that neighborhood. The beer establishment of John Lipps was so damaged as to necessitate rebuilding. Farther up the same side of the street the rush of the water