The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-24
COUNCILS AND TIE WATER.

special Meeting of City Councils Yesterday
AuernoOn-Me of Mayor F0x-FuII Dis
l cussiOn OF the Subiect-AccOunt of the Pro-
ceedinRs.
The business done was this:
Select BIdnch.-Presidcnt Stokley was m
the chair, full quorum of members present.
The first business in order was the reception
OF written message from his Honor the
Mayor. II was ready only at the last moment.
Ii called attention to the necessity on the part
ofCouncils for immediate attention to a sup
ply of water to the city.
The annexed correspondence was also laid
before the Chamber as collateral documents:
To the President and members of Select and
Common Councils-Gentlemen: The follow
ing statement of facts connected with the diff
ficultes Of the Water Department during this
period Of unprecedented drOu 1ht, and a few
suggestions upon their future avoidance, are
respectfully submitted for the information of
your honorable bodies:
The first inconvenience felt was upon the
9TH day of July, when we were called upon by
the agents Of the Schuyllill Navigation Com
pany, and requested to discontinue the work.
ing of all our wheels for few hours Of the
day whenever the water was drawn down to
point ''below the top surface Of the dam"
This Stoppage usually allowed sufficient
water to accumulate in the dam to permit the
whole or a part of the wheels to run for the
balance of the day.
The stoppage was made daily, when re-
quested by the Company, in Difference to the
terms of existing agreements between the cor
poration of the city of Philadelphia and the
Schuykill Navigation Company, the final
agreement being dated June IA, 1924, which
gives the Navigation Company the right to
Efasten up the gates or openings used to draw
off the water, and whenever the water is drawn
of below the top surface of the dam to keep the
same fastened until the water shall again be
raised as high as the top surface of the dam.
The Company, however, did not exercise
this right in a peremptory manner, but po-
litely requested it to be done, to which request
we daily complied until, by the large fire at
the Patterson stores and other causes, the re-
servoirs were drawn down so much that con-
sidered it unsafe to suspend pumping, and on
several days declined compliance with the re-
quest of the Company.
The supply of water in the river becoming
rapidly so very limited as to cause alarm, and,
deeming it my duty to attempt to keep it up
by every possible means, a letter was addressed
TO the Navigation Company Ga copy of which
is appended), desiring them to suspend the
loCkage of any boats through the outlet lock
at Farmount, and also to draw down all the
available water from the dams on the line of
their works. This request was promptly COM
piled with by the assistant president of the
Company, and their works were closed at
about five O'Clock p. NJ. on Saturday, August
IA, 1869, and have so remained; at the same
time they have, by drawing the sluices in
several of their dams, kept the water in Fair
mount pool high enough to permit the work.
ing of a considerable part of our power for
portion of each day.
have no hesitation in saying that, had the
Company not acted in this manner, and chosen
to keep their upper dams closed the city
would before this have been deprived of water.
The present drought has no precedent in
the history of the Fairmount works, either in
duration or alarming results, the nearest ap-
proach to it being thirty-One years since
There are no adequate means within my
knowledge by which the present difficulty can
be Immediately remedied; the future means
are obvious. Attention has been called to
them in report made by a subcommittee of
the Park Commission (of which l had the
honor to be chairman), and presented to that
body October IL, 1867.
1t is not considered necessary, at this time,
to do more than indicate the modes suggested
by that report, as proper and feasible for in
creasing and improving the supply Of water
from the Schuylkill;
First. BY the construction of a sewer from
Manayunk to a point below the Fairmount
dam.
Second. By the improvement of the water
power to its fullest extent. (By substituting
pidated wheels and pumps then in use.)
Third. By the erection of large auxiliary en-
gines, to be used during the dry weather OF
summer, which might be so arranged as to be
able to reach the water below the dam, in case
any accident should happen to that important
structure.
Fourth Additional engines of large size al
Spring Garden works, capable of supplying
the Delaware reservoirs as well as their own
Fifth. By the construction of very large
distributing reservoirs or reservoir.
Sixth. The building Of large retaining com
pensating reservoirs upon some of the streams
at the head waters of the river.
Add to these the raising Of Fairmount dam
whereby the amount of water wasted upon th
wheels will be very much less to raise th
same quantity as at present into the reservoir
and the works of the Navigation be largel,
improved and increased in valuc and the sub
sttuton of inclined planes worked by stean
power, in place of the present outlet lock
whereby the water now wasted from the dan
for ockage Of canal boats may be saved, an,
the business of the Navigation Company no
be interrupted.
By these means, in my opinion, the futur
improvement of the water-pOwer from tn
Schuylkill can be successfully accomplished
the second, third, fourth, fifth, and siXt
suggestions requiring attention first.
i do not think that the unfortunate positio
in which we are now placed need impair on
confidence in the Schuylkill as a source Z
supply, if the measures above indicated
taken advantage Of.
The experience of former years shows tina
for ten to eleven months Of the year the ord
nary volume Of water in the river is ample I
drive all the wheels that can be placed in tn
old mill house; during the balance of the yea