The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-12

AS a means OF preserving the purity Of the
water, the construction of great sewer from
ManayuDk to Fairmount is proposed the cost
OF which, IL is believed will not exceed S8O0O00.
The committee Is satisfied of the entire preoti-
caDllity OF building the sewer, without meeting
extraordinary or insurmountable engineering
difficulties, and at comparatively small cost.
The report then proceeds to state that each
year shows that the demand for water increases
much more rapidly than the population of the
city. For the ten years proceeding 1850, the in
crease in population was 20 per cent, at which
rate the population now would be 7SS. All, which
Is probably very near the number. Taking the
same rate oftncrease for the next twenty years,
we should have in 1887 population of 2,278 $50.
The increase in the quantity of water sup
piled in the last ten years has been about Ss per
cent, at which rate the average supply in 1887
would be 92,7257te gallons per day, and the
would probably be l45, 5,622,367 gallons per day.
The minimum flow of the SchuylkilI has been
but during ten months of the year would pro-
bably be at least five times greater.
From consideration of the data preserved,
IL Is ascertatncd that there could have been
pumped by the use of the turbine wheels fully
ll5,O0OOOO gallons. If some means can be de-
Vised to equaltze the flow of the river, so that
the small discharge of the summer months can
be compensated by the surplus OF the winter,
we sn0oia nave IL IN cur power 70 raise 3y
TO require for the next fifty years.
. A wellknowH remedy for the irregularities in
the now of the Schuylkill is the establishment
OF poolsor lakes of storage at several points on
the river or it's principal tributaries, in which
the superhuous waters of annual snow-thaws
and great storms, or so much of them as may
be needed, shall be arrested and kept for
gradual use. BY arranging the outlet of these
pools so as to allow a constant discharge into
the natural channels equal TO the ordinary ave-
rage flow, the entire country bordering on the
stream will receive its usual supply with in
creased regularity, and would also to some
extent be protected against the ravages of
floods. The estimated cost of six pools of the
required capacity would be 81 100000. 1t would
then be possible to raise into the distributing
reservoirs 1l6 900 gallons per day, through.
out the driest period of the year
The report discusses the prRcticability of OBJ.
tanning supply of water from the Delaware,
at point above the influence of tide water, the
estimated cost Of which would not be less than
S2,3l5,0O0 per annum. But there is a great obj6c-
TON TO this course. as the water would, when it
reached the city, have head of but one hun
dred feet, while there are parts of the city upon
the east side of the Schuylkill which require a
head of about one hundred and forty feet. To
meet this demand 1t would be necessary to
resort to the employment of power.
In conclusion, the report states that the
Schuylkill may be made source of supply for
many years, and that, by the construction OF
compensating reservoirs, and by the employ
ment of steam power in part, the quantity of
water will be ample for at least fifty years; and
IL is believed that this can be effected without
unreasonable expense, and at a much less cost
than any other plan proposed for the introduc.
tion of other streams. The Committee there
fore recommends the retention of the Schuyl-
kill as a source of supply, and the taking of
immediate steps for tue improvement of its
quality and quantity.