The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-05-01
CORRESPONDENCE.
Communicated.
Water Works.

ADOu6 TWO weeks ago steps were Ia
ken for the organization of Compa-
ny for the construction ofWater- w orks
in the city, and papers were made out
for subscription of stock, the capital
of which was to be $150,000. Notice
was given, and citizens were requested
to call at the Mayors office and sub
scribe stock. Up to the present time
thereh has been only 81 200 subscribed.
This hardness indicates that the en-
terprise in Its present form, is not pop
ular with capitalists, or thatthey enter
tain serious doubts of its Success.
Now what's to bedone e It is admit
ted that the Canal is now and has been
for years nuisance and a fruitful source
of disease, and cannot therefore be toll
Grated another summer. 1t must be
filled up, be the consequences to the
manufacturing interests what they may
While [ think those in authority
should act firmly and intelligently in
this matter, do not believe they should
alton. n s.'s' D''os2
There are about ssaty (60) steam
manufacturing establishments at pres
ent supplied with water from the
Canal, and certainly there is. no one
so recreant to the interests of the city
as to be willing to let them stop for
want of water, without an effort, at
least, to afford a supply 1t may be
right for this needed supply to be OBJ
tanned by small expenditure of the
peoples money, but not at thegex-
pense of the peoples health. What
I Is the remedy? / think / can suggest
a plan which is eminently practical.
Let the present organization reduce
the capital stock of the company from
.$15O,0O0. to $4,000, and require or
request the manufacturers to take at
least one half the stock and the city
the balance. This done, place an en-
CINE with ample power, and pumps
with sufficient capacity, on the bank
of the creek at the terminus of the
canal, at once, and fill the canal with
water and keep it full during the sum-
mer. This should be done as sd1ti-
tdry measure, for the canal, in Its
present condition, will cause the sick
ness and death of many inhabitants.
especially should the cholera prevail
this summer. Ia B.a
The Water-Works Company should
Immediately contract for laying down
main conducting water pipe, of suf-
icient size to supply all the wants of
the city, along, or in the vicinity of
the Canal, the whole length of the
city Have this pipe so constructed
as to be a permanent JSrture, with plugs
at every street, its entire length, SO
that hose can be attached and run off
ire engines at any a ! lujffarfffe
with water. s
AS soon as the water pipe is laid,
& construct small tank. at an elevation
= of 10 or 20 feet ON Pigeon Greek, and
turn the water from the pumps into
this pipe instead of the Canal, and
drain the Canal Without delay. The
pipe could be laid by, October, the
tank constructed and the Canal
drained off By Spring the Canal will
have been so purified by freezing, as
\ IN a great measure to- remove all its
predisp0sing causes of disease. The
owners of property along the Canal
should pay at least ole-half Tie erpen-
ses of filling it up, because of the en-
HANGED value of their property there
by.
g The city authorities should enforce
this work with energy, as sanitary
measure. 49, VI
a pressure of fifteen or twenty feet
OF water in the main conducting pipe
will be sufficient to throw water into
any boiler or fire engine without the
aid of pumps, and will. meet all the
argent wants of manufacturers, street
watering, fire engines, and in fact
nearly all the present necessities for
Water Works.
4 suggest this plan as merely pre-
liminary step for supplying the entire
city with pure water at future day.
What / propose can be accomplished
for $50 900, and by the assessment of
a reasonable water rent the stock will
pay ten per cent. the first year, and as
the number using water will certainly
increase from year to year, it will in
few years be sought after and bought
up as the best paying stock in the city.
As soon as the wants of the city re-
quire it, and capitalists manifest
Willingness to invest, let the stock of
the Company be increased in amount
equal to the wants of the in
creased inhabitants of the city.
then other and different Water Works
may be constructed either above or
below the city without sustaining any
loss on the first or Canal main.
Any practical man at all acquainted
with the construction of public works
cannot fail to see that to supply this
city with pure river water is a work
that cannot be done in year, but will
require two or three years, without
any delay for want of money.
Shall we proceed with the work like
practical common-sense men, with
E limited means? | say yes. Let us 90
To work in a way that we can meet the