The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-12
CITY INTELLIGENCE.
THE WATER QUESTION IN WAsAyorox--M
70 Hon. james q. Rera, Mayor II Wa.IaaglDn.

tablishment throughout the Union Benjamin FnnLIr
was it is believed the first person who called the aen
ton Of the citizens Of Philadelphia 10 this subject This
about l793 just after the rayages of the yellow fever
In his WILL dated 1885, he recommends TO the corpor
ton to bring the water OF the Wissahccon creek Inv
pipes and TO raise the level Of the creek by dam Tn
Delaware and Schuylkill Canal Company chartered h
1899 authorized in 1884, f they found il their h.
terest so to do TO supply such citizens with water a.
might be disposed to and purchase it, In 1872 the
first purchase made at Fairmount, and steam work,
commenced, which were discontinued in 1922 and
water power substituted On this hill are four reservoir
TO which the water raised from the Schuylki river nv
means of water power. dam, thirteen feet and baf
in height above low tide, and Thousand one hundred
and forty mine feet long, constructed From this dam
water is supplied TO eight breast wheels and onA
s.Jouyal Turbine" each driving double.actng fouS
pump The water is forced TO height of ninetysx feet
through mains sixteen inches In diameter, varying IN
length from 1873 to ass feet The reservoirs of the Fair
mount Waerworks contain aggregate of 49, 67S 22s
gallons. In 1917 the first iron pipes laid Theu
four reservoirs Paramount Schuylkill, Delaware
Twenty fourth Ward works. and supply the city Of
Philadelphia with water The cost of all these works
from the first old steam works commenced in March
$780, to December 1882 was 50, 247 ,s94 The capacity
to supply daily from these works Is 2,72T 708 gallons
and the daily consumption is III OF 0S2 gallons daily
average of about 1877 gallons TO each water tenant In
1882 houses took the water ia which 81 5s2
ratepayers Amount paid into the city treasury In 1856
$406 900, being average of IS AS for each water
tenant Population Of Philadelphia 1857 100000
Estimated expenses arc about 900 annually Extcn
sive these works. the demand for water il greater
than the supply In his last annual message 1851
Mayor Vaux urges at early day efforts to secure
more copious supply of water
The affairs of the company managed by a watering
committee Of eight members, who make an annual re-
port to the city councils this committee Is appointed BY
lit is believed the corporation and they employ en-
gneer, Frederick Craft register and secretary George
w. Mcmahon The rents amount to five dollars for
each hydrant in yard or house. and are payable in adj
fl,a ynfJ in
five rent collectors persons who do not pay their
rents before the first Of June in each year returned
denquents, and the water pipe is detached from tho
main
Boston is supplied with water from Lake Cochituate
formerly called Long Pond from which it is conducted
through brick aqueduct to the Brookne reservoir
This aqueduct is fifteen miles long, crossing Charles
river by inverted syphon OF ftyeght feet dip and
has fall of four andaquartcr feet The reservoir
Brookline of twenty acres
and holds ninety millions of gallons of water (wins
measure.) From this, water is conducted through iron
pipes to three distributing reservoirs at Beacon
HILL Is feet inches deep supported arches Of gran
lite, in Boston proper capacity 267S 968 gallons
in South Boston, 7,50s, 246 gallons and third one on
Eagle HILL in East Boston, capacity $751; SIG gallons
The cost of these works to january, 1854 was 1874
323 Gee report of the Cochtuate Water Board for
1853, page l9) The annual expenses are S28, 84l.
The receipts from December 3lst, 1885, to LIST Janua
ry 1857, were $2S2,65I. The number of water takers
for 1857 the capabilities Of supply estimated
to be than 20, 600, 900 gallons day.
The daily average of water used in 1855 IL O4s
900 gallons. Population of Boston in 1857 10000
The reports do not exhibit any rule mode by which
the takers Of water taxed bn the receipts show that
majority Of the dwelling houses pay from six to twelve
dollars each for water annually
The affairs of the water works of Boston are managed
by board of seven persons who report annually to tho
city councils and an engineer, (James SladeD and re-
gistrar (Wm. f. Dayis)
The diameter of the pipes arc from to SO inches
NEW YoRK.
In 1888 the legislature of New York passed an act au
thorzing the governor to appoint five commissions
consider all matters relative to supplying the city Of Now
York with water In 1884 the corporation author
lied to borrow 81 800 900, and in 1888 $3000 000 In
1910 So, 200, 600, in IS41 s3,500000; in 1919 the
Croton Aqneduct Board was created New York sup
piled with water from the Croton river which is damned
by wall forty feet high, forming lake six feet deep
covering of 400 acres and aording 500 900
gallons Of water From this lake, by Of brick
aqueduct about 3S miles long, crossing Harlem river
and Manhattan valley by of inverted syphon tho
water is conducted to the receiving reservoir, which
covers 81 of land and holds 150 900 900 gallons
water from this reservoir the water Is carried through
iron pipes to the distributing reservoir which covers an
of four acres and contains 81 000, 900 gallons
The cost Of these works is $14 900, 000 The
nual expenses are stated in their report but tho
amount paid for salaries in 1856 Sc, 200. The an
nual rents collected and uncollectcd 57 S. The
r
The Croton aqueduct board consisted in 1856 Of three
members of the board Of aldermen and five councmen,
and board Of management consisting Of president
commissioner (Myndert Van Schaick,) commissioner
Theodore II. De Forrest engineer ALFRED W. Craven)
chief Of bureau Of and drains John p Fender)
register of water rents, (Revo O. Hanco The president
annually reports to the common council
The scale Of water rents is established by ordinance
of the city in 1851 All houses of one story having
front of l6 feet pay four dollars year. two stories pay
SIS three stories Sc four stories, ST and five stories
and over So For every ten persons in a family
fifteen in number additional rent Of two dollars and
half.
Population Of New York, Qs57,) 100000.
ALBANY. #.
Albany is supplied with water from Patroons creek
about six miles from the Hudson rveran embankment
this creek from Rensselaer, Lake. which covers
about 80 acres and holds about l60 600 600 gallons Of
water from thence the water is conducted by brick
aqucduct, about four miles, to Blocker reservoir Al
bany is also supplied by water from Waterviict Lake.
which twenty acres and holds 80 900 gallons
and is formed from the stream the Rensselaer,
Lake about four miles below it. These works cost
$4,000 and capable Of delivering 1000 gal
Ions daily.
BUrrALo.
Buffalo water works are owned by a company and arc
supplied from the Niagara river The water Is carried
into the pumpwell through tunnel cut in rock under
the Erie canal, and is raised TO the reservoir by mea
of two cornish bull engines cylinders so inches diameter
and ten feet stroke. The reservoir contains l30O0OO
gallons of water, and cost $500, 600.
DEraoir. y,
Detroit I'm February, 1926, the common council Of
this city passed IAN act granting to Beth uel Farand
the sole and exclusive right Of watering foe city, who
transferred in the fall of that year. b. right TO Rufus